§ Mr. Bowdenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of those people living on supplementary benefit or below are elderly people.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1982, c. 361]: The latest year for which estimates are available for both groups is 1979. Then 46 per cent. of people living in families receiving supplementary benefit were elderly, as were 51 per cent. of people living in families not receiving supplementary benefit, but whose income was below that level. The proportion of elderly people living in families receiving supplementary benefit had fallen to 34 per cent. by 1981. "Elderly" means for this purpose men aged 65 or over and women aged 60 or over.