Committee for Employment & Social Security - P.2016/45
Voting Record - Billet XXVII- Article 4- Proposition 23 & 24 P.2016/45 [160kb]
Amendment 1 - Benefit & Contribution Rates 2017 - Dep. P. Roffey & Dep. B. Brehaut [330kb]
The States are asked to decide:
Whether, after consideration of the Policy Letter entitled 'Benefit and Contribution Rates for 2017', dated 26th September 2016, they are of the opinion:
1. To increase the percentage contribution rate for employees, self-employed persons, and non-employed persons under and over pension age, by 0.5%, with effect from 1st January 2017. This takes the current contribution rates from 6.1% to 6.6% for employees, 10.5% to 11% for self-employed persons, 9.9% to 10.4% for non-employed persons under pension age, and 2.9% to 3.4% for non-employed persons at or over pension age.
2. To set the upper weekly earnings limit and the upper monthly earnings limit for employed persons and employers at £2,667 and £11,557 respectively, from 1st January 2017.
3. To set the lower weekly earnings limit and the lower monthly earnings limit for employed persons and employers at £134 and £580.67 respectively, from 1st January 2017.
4. To set the annual upper and lower earnings limits for self-employed persons at £138,684 and £6,968 respectively, from 1st January 2017.
5. To set the annual upper and lower income limits for non-employed persons at £138,684 and £17,420 respectively, from 1st January 2017.
6. To set the allowance for non-employed persons at £7,875 per year, from 1st January 2017.
7. To set the voluntary contribution for non-employed persons at £19.09 per week, from 1st January 2017.
8. To set the overseas voluntary contribution at £91.17 per week for non-employed people and £100.79 per week for self-employed people, from 1st January 2017.
9. To set the standard rates of pension and contributory social insurance benefits at the rates set out in Table 11 of that Policy Letter, from 2nd January 2017.
10. To set the prescription charge per item of pharmaceutical benefit at £3.80, from 1st January 2017.
11. To set the contribution (co-payment) required to be made by the claimant of care benefit, under the Long-term Care Insurance Scheme, at £195.16 per week, from 2nd January 2017.
12. To set the maximum weekly long-term care benefit at the rates set out below, from 2nd January 2017:
a) £807.38 per week nursing care benefit for persons resident in a nursing home or the Guernsey Cheshire Home;
b) £569.80 per week elderly mentally infirm (EMI) benefit for qualifying persons in a residential home; and
c) £432.46 per week residential care benefit for persons resident in a residential home.
13. To set the maximum weekly respite care benefit at the rates set out below, from 2nd January 2017:
a) £1,002.54 per week for persons receiving respite care in a nursing home or the Guernsey Cheshire Home;
b) £764.96 per week for the elderly mentally infirm (EMI) rate for persons receiving respite care in a residential home; and
c) £627.62 per week for persons receiving respite care in a residential home.
14. To set the supplementary benefit requirement rates at the rates set out in Table 17 of that Policy Letter, from 6th January 2017.
15. To set the weekly benefit limitations for supplementary benefit at the rates set out below, from 6th January 2017:
a) £650.00 for a person living in the community;
b) £534.00 for a person who is residing in a residential home; and
c) £766.00 for a person who is residing as a patient in a hospital, nursing home, the Guernsey Cheshire Home, or as an elderly mentally infirm resident of a residential home.
16. To set the amount of the personal allowance payable to persons in Guernsey and Alderney residential or nursing homes who are in receipt of supplementary benefit at £30.55 per week, from 6th January 2017.
17. To set the amount of the personal allowance payable to persons in United Kingdom hospitals or care homes who are in receipt of supplementary benefit at £51.47 per week, from 6th January 2017.
18. To set the supplementary fuel allowance paid to supplementary beneficiaries who are householders at £26.03 per week, from 28th October 2016 to 28th April 2017.
19. To set the rate of family allowance at £13.50 per week, from 2nd January 2017.
20. To set the rates and annual income limits for severe disability benefit and carer's allowance at the rates and limit set out in Table 22 of that Policy Letter, from 2nd January 2017.
21.To rescind Resolution XIV of January 1993 (Billet d'État I of 1993, Article 14) which states that:
'After consideration of the Report dated the 7th December, 1992, of the States Insurance Authority.
To authorise the States Insurance Authority to make a grant to The Methodist Church Bailiwick of Guernsey Circuit of £9,000 in 1993 and of such amount as it may deem appropriate in subsequent years in accordance with such terms and conditions as that Authority may decide.'
22. To authorise, subject to the approval of proposition 21, the Committee for Employment & Social Security to pay a grant to Every Child Our Future of £31,265 in 2017, and in subsequent years, at such amounts as the Committee may deem appropriate within its budget allocation for grants to charitable organisations, for the provision of a pre-school to support vulnerable families whose children are not of the age where they would be entitled to free pre-school education.
23. To introduce a 5 year residence requirement as a condition of entitlement to the supplementary benefit rent allowance and personal allowance for people living in Part D Houses in Multiple Occupation.
24. To give the Administrator the power, in exceptional circumstances, to award supplementary benefit, of such amount as he considers reasonable, to persons who do not meet the 5 year residence requirement.
25. To amend the Supplementary Benefit (Implementation) Ordinance, 1971, to replace the seven day period required for the Administrator to respond to the notification of an appeal with a 28 day period.
26. To amend the Social Insurance (Guernsey) Law, 1978, and associated legislation, to rename 'invalidity benefit' as 'incapacity benefit'.
27. To direct the preparation of such legislation as may be necessary to give effect to the above decisions.
The above Propositions have been submitted to Her Majesty's Procureur for advice on any legal or constitutional implications in accordance with Rule 4(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the States of Deliberation and their Committees.
