HC Deb 19 January 1976 vol 903 c370W
Mrs. Chalker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the estimated savings in unemployment and supplementary benefit and in other social security payments if the retirement age for men were reduced to 64 years.

Mr. O'Malley

There would probably be a small increase in the cost of supplementary benefits, but together with the savings in short-term national insurance benefit the combined effect would be to reduce the gross cost of the proposal by about £70 million a year. This saving was taken into account in my reply to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Drake (Miss Fookes) on 3rd November 1975.—[Vol. 899, c.48.]