§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of claimants having national assistance or supplementary benefit who were also drawing a national insurance benefit for each year since 1948; and if he will present this data as a percentage of the total number of claimants.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe information is in the following table:
Year Number having National Assistance or Supplementary Benefit and a National Insurance Benefit* (thousands) Column (2) as a percentage of all claimants (1) (2) (3) 1948 675 67 1949 767 66 1950 925 69 1951 1,007 69 1952 1,148 69 1953 1,230 70 1954 1,262 70 1955 1,096 68 1956 1,144 69 1957 1,198 70 1958 1,119 68 1959 1,221 69 1960 1,322 71 1961 1,312 71 1962 1,451 72 1963 1,406 71 1964 1,435 73 1965 1,477 74 1966 1,922 77 1967 1,930 75 1968 1,986 75 1969 2,014 75 1970 2,050 75 1971 2,160 74 1972 2,096 72 1973 1,970 74 1974 1,920 72 1975 1,832 66 1976† — — 1977 1,861 62 1978 1,812 62 * Includes all retirement pensions (although some may be non-contributory) but excludes non-contributory invalidity benefit. † Not available due to industrial action