§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers of unemployed claimants drawing earnings-related supplement for each year since 1970; if he will express this total as a percentage of: (a) the numbers drawing national insurance unemployment pay and (b) the numbers of registered unemployed; and if he will also detail the numbers of beneficiaries subject to the 487W national insurance wage stop for each of the years.
Unemployment Benefit Sickness Benefit Persons in receipt of Earnings Related Supplement Persons in receipt of Earnings Related Supplement Year* Number Per cent, of those receiving U.B Per cent. Of Total registered unemployed Persons affected by Benefit Ceiling† Number Per cent, of those incapacitated effected by Benefit Ceiling 1970 … … … 103,600 34.3 17.4 2,100 326,800 29.2 —‡ 1971 … … … 164,500 35.8 19.1 6,900 261,200 26.7 15,000 1972 … … … 124,200 35.2 15.7 7,600 265,200 28.2 18,900 1973 … … … 77,600 39.3 15.2 7,500 292,400 29.0 33,300 1974 … … … 105,900 38.6 17.1 13,700 297,200 29.0 21,400 1975 … … … 235,100 44.8 21.8 35,500 276,600 28.3 35,400 * The statistics for unemployment benefit relate to the position at one day in November of the year in question, and those for sickness benefit to one day in June. † There is no "national insurance wage stop", but if the total benefit due is more than 85 per cent, of the Claimant's average weekly earnings, the earnings-related benefit is reduced or extinguished. Flat-rate benefit, even if over the 85 per cent, is not affected. ‡ Statistics showing sickness benefit recipients affected by the benefit ceiling were not collected in 1970.