§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the savings in supplementary benefit if a quarter of those single parents claiming supplementary benefit ceased to apply.
§ Mrs. ChalkerA reduction of one-quarter of total supplementary benefit expenditure on single-parent families would save about £200 million in 1981–82, but the effect of a reduction by one-quarter in applications would depend on the circumstances and the assumptions made, and cannot be quantified in abstract.
§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to ensure that supplementary benefit claimants living on estates with expensive heating systems are made aware that they can apply for extra cash help.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe Department's leaflet on help with heating costs—OC2—describesthe available addition and invites claimants to ask the local office whether or not it applies to them. Moreover, specialised local information such as this is often disseminated through contacts with local tenants' associations or other similar groups.