§ Mr. Brooksasked the Minister of Social Security whether she will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of persons in Birkenhead and Bebington, respectively, who are in receipt of supplementary benefits at the present time compared with four years ago; and if she will classify such recipients, both for 1964 and 1968, into their respective categories.
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§ Mr. PentlandBirkenhead and Bebington are almost wholly covered by the Ministry's two offices in Birkenhead which also cover other areas of Cheshire. It is not possible to analyse numbers in parts of a local office area but figures of supplementary benefit recipients for the two offices together are as follows:
June,1964 May, 1968 Retirement pensioners 6,000 7,500 Widows over 60 300 350 Other persons over pension age 1,150 950 Total supplementary pensioners 7,450 8,800 Widows under 60 400 350 Persons in receipt of sickness and industrial injury benefit 1,000 950 Other persons sick or disabled 750 750 Women under 60 with dependent children 550 800 Unemployed 1,300 800 Miscellaneous (mainly persons at home looking after aged or sick relatives) 100 100 Total supplementary allowance recipients 4,100 3,750 Total supplementary benefit recipients 11,550 12,550