§ Mr. Tapsellasked the Minister of Social Security if she will give the most recent figure available for the proportion of people drawing National Insurance benefits also receiving supplementary benefit; and how these are divided between those receiving unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, industrial injuries benefit, retirement pension, and widows' benefit, respectively.
§ Mrs. HartEstimates for industrial injuries benefits are not available: but the other figures requested are as follows:
Percentage Unemployment benefit 23 Sickness benefit 13.3 Retirement pensions 23 Widow's benefits (excluding widow's basic pensions) 21.6 For retirement pensions, proportions are usually given on a household basis because, while a man and wife living together will often both be National Insurance beneficiaries, only a single payment of supplementary benefit is made. On this basis the proportion for retirement pensions would be 28.2 per cent.