Asked by: Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish figures as to how many local authorities have used their discretion in permitting a higher level of Personal Allowance than that published by the Department of Health.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
Local authorities have discretion to allow a higher level of Personal Expenses Allowance. It is for each local authority to consider all the evidence presented and to make the appropriate decision. Information about how often local authorities exercise this discretion is not collected centrally.
Asked by: Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the application of the "triple lock" policy used in regard to state retirement pensions to the Personal Allowance element from local authorities for retired people living in residential homes; and whether it is their intention to apply it.
Answered by Earl Howe - Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
All local authority supported care home residents retain an amount of their own income, the Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA), for personal expenses. A significant number of these are below pension credit qualifying age. It would not, therefore, be appropriate to apply the triple lock to the PEA and it would be inequitable to only apply it to the PEA retained by people above pension credit qualifying age.
Local authorities have discretion to allow people to keep a larger PEA where they have a family member to support or a property to maintain.
We are committed to uprating the PEA regularly to ensure that it maintains its value.