§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers originally estimated to be eligible for the over-80s pension; and what is the number of successful claims registered so far.
§ Mr. DeanIt was originally estimated that 150,000 persons would qualify for a pension under Section 1 of the National Insurance (Old Persons' and Widows' Pensions and Attendance Allowance) Act, 1970, or under Section 5 of the National Insurance Act, 1971. So far, 156,500 awards have been made.