Means-tested Benefits (Hansard, 9 February 1976)

§ Mr. Litterick

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if she will publish in the Official Report figures showing the number of people now claiming each of the means-tested benefits administered by her Department, together with the corresponding figures for February 1974;

				Families Receiving
				in February 1974	at latest date
(a) Supplementary Benefit	…	…	…	2,718,000	2,793,000(1) (December 1975)
(b) Family Income Supplement (FIS)	…	…	…	86,000	62,000 (October 1975)
(c) Free Welfare Milk	…	…	…	340,000(2) (January 1974)	327,000 (August 1975)
				Successful Claims
				January to December 1974	January to December 1975
(d) Help with prescription charges(4):
Number of exemption certificates issued	…	…	…	20,780	15,473
Number of refunds:
(a) Supplementary Benefit cases	…	…	…	12,452	9,138
(b) Others with low incomes	…	…	…	9,147	5,719
				Number of Successful Claims December 1973 to November 1974
				Supplementary Benefit cases	Others with low incomes
(e) Help with National Health Service charges(5):
Dental	…	…	…	296,000	102,000
Optical	…	…	…	600,000	139,000
Wigs	…	…	…	less than 500	less than 500
Fabric Supports	…	…	…	2,000	2,000
f) Help with patients hospital fares	…	…	…	Figures are not collected

Notes:

(1) Provisional figure.

(2) Individual beneficiaries. The total includes 248,000 and 70,000 beneficiaries entitled under the supplementary benefit and FIS passports respectively.

(3) Individual beneficiaries. The total includes 282,000 and 35,000 beneficiaries entitled under the supplementary benefit and FIS passports respectively.

(4) It is not possible to estimate the number of people claiming exemption and/or refund from these figures due to double-counting and overlap. In addition to the numbers shown all persons and their dependants in receipt of FIS or supplementary benefit are entitled to exemption.

(5) Due to a change in recording procedures, it is no longer possible to give the number of successful claims. 231,000 claims were processed December 1974 to November 1975. It is not possible to estimate the number of people claiming, due to double-counting and overlap. All persons and their dependants in receipt of FIS or supplementary benefit are entitled to remission.

The estimated take-up of FIS in 1974 was about three-quarters; that of free welfare milk is estimated to have been about 60 per cent. in December 1973 and about 70 per cent. in December 1974. The latter estimate covers passport entitlement through family income supplement and supplementary benefit as well as entitlement as a direct test of income. These are the most recent estimates available. No estimates of take-up are available for other benefits.

88W

(2) if she will publish in the Official Report a list of the means-tested social security benefits now administered by her Department, together with the estimated take-up rates in each case; and if she will also publish a list of those means-tested benefits available and their take-up rates for February 1974.