HC Deb 23 March 1970 vol 798 c275W
Mr. Christopher Price

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what percentage of claimants for supplementary benefits receive written explanations of how their money is worked out;

(2) if he will in future give to claimants for supplementary benefits a claimants' wages slip setting out how the benefit is calculated.

Mr. Ennals

The automatic issue of notices in all cases, would involve considerable manpower, and the Commission do not consider that it should take priority over other desirable improvements in the administration of supplementary benefit but they intend to keep the matter under consideration. A written explanation is given to any claimant if he asks for one; the notice giving the Commission's decision on an individual claim makes this clear. A notice explaining the assessment is always issued in specific types of cases, for example where wage-stop is involved, and in others where the assessment is complex. There is no detailed information about the percentage of claimants for supplementary benefit who receive a written explanation of their assessment in one of these ways; this information could not be obtained without keeping special records for this purpose.