§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many Salford pensioners and others seek or obtain aid from the National Assistance Board.
§ Mrs. ThatcherI am informed by the National Assistance Board that figures are not available for the County Borough of Salford, since it is part of a much larger area served by two of the Board's offices. In that larger area, 71W 7,594 retirement pensioners, 291 non-contributory old age pensioners and 4,411 other persons were receiving weekly National Assistance grants on 30th June, 1964.
§ Captain Elliotasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance, in view of the increase in national prosperity, what change there has been in the number of persons receiving National Assistance.
§ Mr. WoodMore old, sick and dependent people have been receiving assistance over the last few years, largely because the Government has been carrying out its pledge to give those people a better deal. More people have qualified because assistance standards have risen, and this has meant that their actual incomes, like those of people already receiving National Assistance, have gone up both in real and in cash terms. Also the number of old people in the population has increased by over a million in the last 14 years.