§ 72. Miss Quennellasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what proof of identity and nationality is required by National Assistance officials when considering applications.
§ Mr. WoodUnder the National Assistance (Administration of Assistance) Regulations, 1948, the evidence of identity or nationality required in any particular case is left to the Board's discretion. The Board's officers generally ask for an acceptable proof of identity, for example a pension book or national insurance card. Evidence of nationality is required only in exceptional circumstances.
§ Mr. Gourlayasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many retirement pensioners in Scotland applied for assistance to the National 12W Assistance Board in each calendar year since 1951; and what percentages these yearly totals represent of the retirement pensioner households in Scotland.
§ Mrs. ThatcherThe following table shows, for December of each year since 1951, the numbers of retirement pensioners in Scotland who were receiving supplementary grants from the National Assistance Board, and the estimated percentage of retirement pensioner households with such grants:
Year Retirement pensioners with supplementary grants Percentage of retirement pensioner households with such grants 1951 … … 59,000 18 1952 … … 66,000 20 1953 … … 74,000 22 1954 … … 80,000 23 1955 … … 66,000 19 1956 … … 70,000 19 1957 … … 73,000 20* 1958 … … 63,000 16 1959 … … 72,000 18 1960 … … 83,000 21 1961 … … 81,000 20 1962 … … 89,000 21 1963 … … 88,000 20 * The basis on which the total number of retirement pensioner households in Scotland is calculated was changed in 1957 as a result of the centralisation in Newcastle of the payment of retirement pensions. The figures from 1957 onwards are therefore not strictly comparable with those for earlier years.