32. Mrs. Slaterasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many old-age pensioners and widows covered by the insurance offices in Stoke-on-Trent are in receipt of National Assistance supplementary benefit.
§ Mrs. ThatcherAt 25th September last, current weekly National Assistance allowances granted by the Area Offices of the National Assistance Board in Stoke-on-Trent included 385 supplements to non-contributory old-age pension, 8,386 to retirement pension and 885 to national insurance widows benefits. Some of the supplements to pension provided for a household with more than one pensioner.
Mrs. SlaterIs the hon. Lady aware that this number is continually increasing? Earlier this afternoon she said that her Department is more and more successful in persuading old people to apply for National Assistance. Has she no concern that these people ought now to be looking forward to an immediate rise in the basic pension rather than going through this means test, which the hon. Lady and her right hon. and hon. Friends do not believe is a very real factor in these people's lives?
§ Mrs. ThatcherThe hon. Lady's strictures on National Assistance do not encourage people who need it to apply. There are, of course, more on National Assistance in her constituency this year than last year, but part of that increase is due to the attraction of the increased scale rates operating from last September.