§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest available figures for the number of new claimants applying per week for supplementary benefit at each of his Department's offices in Stoke-on-Trent; if he will give the total number receiving supplementary benefit from each office; and if he will give comparative figures for one year and five years previously.
§ Mrs. ChalkerFollowing is the information:
Number receiving supplementary benefit Date stoke-on-Trent North stoke-on-Trent South December 1981* 16,500 9,300 December 1980 13,200 7,200 November 1976 11,500 6,300 * Latest available date.
Source. 100 per cent. count of cases (rounded to nearest 100).
I regret that information on the number of new claimants applying per week is not available. However, during the four-week period ending on 19 January 1982, 3,412 and 3,036 people were recorded as having called, respectively, at the Stoke north and south Offices, supplementary benefit section. These figures include people making general enquiries and seeking information not necessarily related to supplementary benefit claims.