§ 60. Mr. Kinnockasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a comprehensive booklet setting out a full explanatory list of family benefits available from his Department, discretionary allowances made by local authorities to families and the names of charitable societies concerned with alleviating family poverty.
§ Sir K. JosephThe preparation of such a booklet is one of several measures I am considering to ensure that families, and in particular needy families, know of benefits and exemptions to which they have a right. It would not be practicable to include discretionary allowances by local authorities as these vary from authority to authority.
§ 68. Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many low-paid workers are at present claiming each of the following benefits for their families, free school meals, free welfare milk, prescription charge refunds, school uniform grants, educational maintenance allowances, spectacle charge refunds, free welfare foods, rent rebates, rate rebates and, where provided, assistance in regard to the costs of child care, home help, day nursery care and boarding education; 322W and for each benefit what is the proportion of those applying to the total number of families eligible on grounds of low income.
§ Mr. AlisonBelow is the available information in regard to my Department's responsibilities. There is no reliable method of making the estimates requested in the last part of the Question.
Following is the available information. It relates to low-paid workers, and others on low incomes, but does not include recipients of supplementary benefit who obtain automatic exemption from a refund of National Health Service charges:
Free Welfare Milk and/or Foods
About 1,500 families in addition to those on supplementary benefit were receiving free welfare milk and/or foods on 18th August, 1970.
Prescription Charges
About 1,200 prescription exemption certificates were issued and 700 refunds made in the four weeks up to 20th October, 1970.
Refunds for Glasses
About 4,400 payments were made in respect of glasses in the four weeks up to 20th October, 1970.