§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many cases supplementary benefit is at present reduced by the wage stop; how many of these have benefited from the introduction
376Wreceipt of supplementary benefit, to persons qualifying by receipt of family income supplement, to others qualifying on grounds of low income, and to others not included in these categories;
(3) how many awards of free welfare milk and prescription charge exemption certificates have now been issued to persons now qualifying by virtue of their entitlement to family income supplement;
(4) what is the latest estimate of the number of families and individuals qualifying for free welfare milk on grounds of low income; and how many of these qualify as recipients of supplementary benefit or family income supplement.
§ Mr. AlisonBecause many variable factors affect the numbers eligible, no reliable estimates are possible of the number of families and individuals who could qualify to receive free welfare milk on grounds of low income.
Estimates of the numbers of families and beneficiaries receiving free welfare milk at October, 1971 in Great Britain are as follows:
of the family income supplement; and how many more cases would be so reduced but for the family income supplement.
§ Mr. DeanThe latest figures available are based on a 2½ per cent. sample taken on 22nd September, 1971.
377WThe number of claimants whose benefit had been reduced by the wage stop was then about 23,000. Of these 19,300 had had their supplementary benefit increased on the introduction of the Family Income Supplement Scheme, but remained wage-stopped. About 7,000 further cases would have been subject to the wage stop if it were not for their entitlement to the Family Income Supplement.
Week-ending Number of Claims Received Number of Awards Number of Rejections 29th June, 1971 … … … … … 3,998 2,490 2,389 6th July, 1971 … … … … … 3,882 2,070 2,153 13th July, 1971 … … … … … 3,837 1,906 1,853 20th July, 1971 … … … … … 4,126 2,013 1,863 27th July, 1971 … … … … … 4,474 2,389 2,068 3rd August, 1971 … … … … … 5,466 2,166 1,870 10th August, 1971 … … … … 8,322 2,602 2,602 17th August, 1971 … … … … 8,200 3,018 2,325 24th August, 1971 … … … … 7,845 3,533 2,946 31st August, 1971 … … … … … 5,505 2,879 2,659 7th September, 1971 … … … … 5,981 3,571 3,354 14th September, 1971 … … … … 4,420 3,128 2,748 21st September, 1971 … … … … 4,059 3,019 2,733 28th September, 1971 … … … … 3,597 2,711 2,527 5th October, 1971 … … … … … 3,932 2,521 2,434 12th October, 1971 … … … … 4,599 1,980 2,078 19th October, 1971 … … … … 4,372 1,932 1,883 22nd October, 1971* … … … … 3,473 1,146 1,704 29th October, 1971 … … … … 4,922 1,620 2,265 5th November, 1971 … … … … 4,850 2,353 2,372 12th November, 1971 … … … … 4,431 2,494 2,275 19th November, 1971 … … … … 4,630 2,944 2,446 26th November, 1971 … … … … 4,328 2,843 2,333 * Change in week ending. From week ending 22nd October, 1971 the figures include not only new claims, but also renewal and repeat claims, and the decisions made on these.