Clause 4 - Disqualifications
Age-Related Payments Bill
10:15 am
Professor Steve Webb (Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Work & Pensions; Northavon, Liberal Democrat)
I have a lot of sympathy with the amendment. The rationale for saying that people in hospital should not get social security benefits is sometimes that certain of their costs do not exist because they are in hospital. I have never been convinced by that argument, but in the case of council tax policy I am rather confused. The clause appears to be less of a problem for couples, because I think I am right in saying that so long as one of them is not in hospital, the £100 can go to that person. However, with a single person, whose house is presumably unoccupied for a year while they are in hospital long term, it would depend on the local authority whether they had to pay council tax. Perhaps I am wrong, as the Minister is looking rather chipper.