Socialities
Present plight
custos
Task Force's new report, 'Left in the Cold,' was published simultaneously with last week's column on heating allowances. And it showed how right Custos was to set out what the 'exceptional circumstances' additions are for extra heating allowances. Task Force found that only 7.6 per cent of the 617 respondents in receipt of supplementary pensions had heard of the heating allowance.
Such ignorance is worrying, and it cannot be easily dismissed. The survey covered eight London boroughs and twenty-six supplementary benefit offices, so it is difficult to lay the blame on the odd office falling down on the job.
Likewise, many of the old people appear to be in need of extra help with their fuel bills. Nearly one in four said they were too cold to live comfortably during the day, and over one in five complained of being too cold to sleep comfortably at night. This information was supplied to the 'DHSS with little result, or so it would seem. Replies were received on only sixtyfive cases and only two of the twenty-six supplementary benefit offices covered by the survey returned most of the follow-up sheets detailing what action had been taken. Many of the old people reported that they had heard nothing verbally or in writing about their claims for extra help. Some offices explained that only the annual visit to the claimant was possible. "We are so short-staffed that we cannot afford to do review visiting," was one comment.
Because most old claimants have not been informed of the result of their request for help, Task Force claims that it is difficult to appeal. Difficult, yes, but not impossible. And appeals there should be. Task Force records show that only thirtythree claimants were given additions for heating.
One organisation which is consistently underrated by the public is the National Council for the Unmarried Mother and Her Child. Last week it published its annual report, which not only gave an excellent record of its year's work, but included a diary of events affecting single parent families. Amongst this information, the Council tucked a number of requests for reforms which, while costing little, would make a big difference to the single mother. One which attracted Custos's attention concerns the payment of supplementary benefit allowances for a young single mother. At the moment, a full supplementary allowance is not paid to mothers under the age of twenty-one. A mother of seventeen who is not a householder receives only £5.85 for herself and her child. The Council has requested the DHSS to assess all young single mothers living at home at the adult nonhouseholder's scale rate. This would mean an increase of £1.95 a week for a very hard pressed group. And Custos, who has commented before on the way Sir Keith Joseph manages to get small but important reforms through, hopes that this will be high on the Christmas shopping list he will take to the Treasury.
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