§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the amount of unclaimed social security benefit; how many people he estimates fail to claim money to which they are entitled; what is the average amount of unclaimed money; how much money his Department is spending annually in encouraging people to claim benefit to which they are entitled; and in what ways this money is spent.
§ Mrs. ChalkerEstimates for the take-up of benefits are available only for supplementary benefit. For these I refer the right hon. Member to chapter 12 of the report of the Supplementary Benefits Commission for 1978 (Cmnd. 7725), together with my reply on 26 February to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field)—[Vol. 979, c.539–40.]
People are encouraged to claim supplementary benefit in a number of ways. Some groups, like new retirement pensioners and widow beneficiaries, are specifically invited to claim. A special invitation form is also included in all retirement pension order books. Unemployed claimants are issued with leaflet by unemployment benefit officers which 134W draws attention to supplementary benefit. When a social security benefit is disallowed or curtailed, claimants are told about possible supplementary benefit entitlement. Posters are displayed and leaflet SB1 is readily available in social security offices, unemployment benefit offices and post offices. It is not possible to isolate the cost of these measures.