§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many welfare benefit campaigns his Department has been aware of since May 1979; if he will list them, giving the amount of additional claims resulting from the campaign and the cost of the campaign; and to what extent his Department monitors such campaigns.
§ Mr. NewtonIt would involve disproportionate cost to provide the information requested for every welfare benefits campaign since May 1979. Details of the major campaigns which have taken place are as follows:
499W
Postcards/leaflets issued (Approx figure) Supplementary benefit claims received New awards of supplementary benefit made Single payments authorised to existing supplementary benefit recipients Wolverhampton (1981) 90,000 2,551 194 613 Newcastle (1982) 125,000 1,527 63 642 Cleveland (1982) 212,000 931 150 281 Birmingham (1982) 430,000 19,503 1,213 5,444 The adminstrative cost of dealing with claims prompted by take-up campaigns is not separately recorded and the Department has sought information about the costs falling on organisers of them. The Department monitors campaigns in the simple way exemplified by the above table. Its local administration naturally becomes more or less closely involved in the organisation of take-up campaigns, and the Government welcome well-targeted ones.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much his Department has spent in each of the last five years on encouraging take-up of welfare benefits by (a) advertisement and (b) advice; and how much expenditure is planned for the future.
§ Mr. NewtonThe amount spent by the Department on advertising to encourage the take-up of welfare benefits is as follows:
£ 1978–79 396,000 1979–80 570,000 1980–81 371,000 1981–82 469,000 1982–83 †1,304,000 1983–84* †1,257,000 * (budgeted) It is not possible to estimate how much has been spent, directly and indirectly, on providing advice. † Includes expenditure connected with the launch of Housing Benefit and Statutory Sick Pay.