Supplementary Benefit (Hansard, 10 June 1981)

§ 61. Mr. Heddle
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many council tenants are in receipt of supplementary benefit.

§ Mrs. Chalker
1,599,098 local authority tenants in Great Britain were in receipt of supplementary benefit as at 18 February 1981.

§ Mrs. Renée Short
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of beneficiaries of supplementary benefit for (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands in a similar format to that of table 8.1 of the Supplementary Benefits Commission annual report, 1979, for the years 1979 and 1980.

§ Mrs. Chalker
Information about dependants is not available on a regional basis. Information about recipients of supplementary benefit in the two areas in November 1979 and December 1980 is as follows:

Thousands

Wolverhampton^{^*} West Midlands†‡

1979 1980 1979 1980

Supplementary Pensions 9.8 9.8 159 160

Unemployed 5.2 7.9 66 107

Sick 1.2 1.2 21 20

National Insurance widows under 60 0.2 0.2 2 2

One parent families (excluding other groups) 2.1 2.1 33 34

Others 0.2 0.3 4 5

Total 18.7 21.5 285 328

Source: 100 per cent. count

^* refers to two social security local offices in Wolverhampton

† refers to West Midlands Social Security Region

‡ (including Wolverhampton)

§ Mrs. Renée Short
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of unemployed people in receipt of supplementary benefit in thousands and as a percentage of all registered unemployed in (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands in May, August and November 1979, the same months of 1980 and at the latest convenient date.

§ Mrs. Chalker
Following is the information: 127W

Wolverhampton and Bilston West Midlands^*

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

Total unemployed claimants Unemployed claimants receiving Supplementary Allowance (SA)† Column (b) as percentage of column (a) based on un-rounded totals Total unemployed claimants Unemployed claimants receiving Supplementary Allowance† Column (e) as percentage of column (d) based on un-rounded totals

(Thousands) (Thousands) (Thousands) (Thousands)

1979

May 9 5 50.4 104 54 52.0

August 12 6 51.4 132 70 53.4

November 10 5 49.7 112 57 50.8

1980

May 12 6 46.4 131 61 46.5

August 18 8 46.7 199 94 47.3

November 19 8 44.1 214 92 43.0

1981

February (latest available date) 22 9 42.9 254 107 42.1

^* Includes figures for Wolverhampton and Bilston area.

†Figures include people receiving unemployment benefit and SA.

Source: 100 pet cent. count of claimants to unemployment benefit or credits (excludes registered unemployed non-claimants)

Note: Figures include people living outside these areas who have opted to claim at offices within the areas. Conversely, they exclude people living within the given areas who have opted to claim at offices outwith those areas.

Thousands
	Wolverhampton^{^*}	West Midlands†‡
	1979	1980	1979	1980
Supplementary Pensions	9.8	9.8	159	160
Unemployed	5.2	7.9	66	107
Sick	1.2	1.2	21	20
National Insurance widows under 60	0.2	0.2	2	2
One parent families (excluding other groups)	2.1	2.1	33	34
Others	0.2	0.3	4	5
Total	18.7	21.5	285	328
Source: 100 per cent. count
^* refers to two social security local offices in Wolverhampton
† refers to West Midlands Social Security Region
‡ (including Wolverhampton)

	Wolverhampton and Bilston	West Midlands^*
	(a)	(b)	(c)	(d)	(e)	(f)
	Total unemployed claimants	Unemployed claimants receiving Supplementary Allowance (SA)†	Column (b) as percentage of column (a) based on un-rounded totals	Total unemployed claimants	Unemployed claimants receiving Supplementary Allowance†	Column (e) as percentage of column (d) based on un-rounded totals
	(Thousands)	(Thousands)		(Thousands)	(Thousands)
1979
May	9	5	50.4	104	54	52.0
August	12	6	51.4	132	70	53.4
November	10	5	49.7	112	57	50.8
1980
May	12	6	46.4	131	61	46.5
August	18	8	46.7	199	94	47.3
November	19	8	44.1	214	92	43.0
1981
February (latest available date)	22	9	42.9	254	107	42.1
^* Includes figures for Wolverhampton and Bilston area.
†Figures include people receiving unemployment benefit and SA.
Source: 100 pet cent. count of claimants to unemployment benefit or credits (excludes registered unemployed non-claimants)
Note: Figures include people living outside these areas who have opted to claim at offices within the areas. Conversely, they exclude people living within the given areas who have opted to claim at offices outwith those areas.