§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many previously unemployed benefit recipients are not required to be available for work at the latest date and for equivalent dates in each of the past 10 years; and how many previously unemployed men aged 60 and over are in receipt of the long-term rate of supplementary benefit at the latest date and for equivalent dates over the same period.
§ Mr. PortilloI regret that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However the following table shows the number of men aged 60–64 who receive supplementary benefit. These are the latest available figures.
Number December 1981 19,000 December 1982 40,000 December 1982 114,000 December 1984 131,000 February 1986 136,000 Since May 1983 the long-term scale rate has been allowed in all cases of men over 60. Before that date it was used only for men not required to be available for work who had received benefit for over 12 months, or were over pension age.
Men over pension age have been excluded from the table.