HC Deb 01 December 1986 vol 106 c537W
Mr. Aspinwall

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to ensure that information concerning benefits is circulated amongst senior citizens.

Mr. Lyell

The Department has adopted a wide range of measures designed to ensure that all claimants, including senior citizens, receive information about the benefits to which they may be entitled. These include the display of leaflets in local offices and Post Offices and the operation of DHSS freephone which provides free advice and information, nationwide.

As far as pensioners are concerned, a supplementary benefit leaflet and claim form is sent to all new recipients of retirement and widows benefits and all retirement pension order books include information about supplementary pensioners.

Individual local offices have mounted many initiatives to provide more advice and information to the communities they serve. In 1985–86, a quarter of all the Department's offices mounted special exercises geared specifically to providing more advice and information to elderly people.

Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the numbers who claim (a) unemployment benefit and (b) supplementary benefit as unemployed claimants; what are the total numbers who are dependent on these claimants; what are the total yearly amounts paid in unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit for the unemployed; and if he will publish these figures also on a regional basis.

Mr. Lyell

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the numbers of departmental staff, and the proportion of staff time, involved in the administration of (a) benefits for the unemployed and (b) benefits for pensioners.

Mr. Lyell

The numbers of staff in the Department employed on administering benefits to the unemployed and pensioners, expressed in whole time equivalents, are estimated to be 17,000 and 13,500 respectively.

These totals represent 20 per cent. and 16 per cent. of all departmental staff engaged on social security work.