HC Deb 10 April 1967 vol 744 cc125-6W
Mr. Lomas

asked the Minister of Social Security what was the number of weekly allowances of supplementary benefits paid from 1950 to the latest available date.

Mr. Pentland

The number of weekly allowances of Supplementary Benefit paid is shown in the table below. The table gives the number of recipients of National Assistance grants at the end of each year from 1949 to 1965 and for October 1966, the latest date for which figures are avail- able before the new Supplementary Benefits scheme became effective. The number of recipients of Supplementary Benefits shown for February 1967 is the latest available figure.

[Year] [Thousands]
1949 1,157
1950 1 350
1951 1,462
1952 1,667
1953 1,761
1954 1 796
1955 1,612
1956 1,656
1957 1,712
1958 1,649
1959 1,766
1960 1,857
1961 1 844
1962 2,007
1963 1,971
1964 1,961
1965 1,997
1966 (October) 2,069
1967 (February) 2,576

Mr. Lomas

asked the Minister of Social Security what is the estimated proportion of persons in receipt of retirement pensions, sickness benefit, unemployment benefit and widow's benefit who are also receiving supplementary allowances.

Mr. Pentland

The percentage of retirement pensioner households in which a supplementary pension was in payment at the end of the year was estimated to be 29.6 per cent., and about 14.2 per cent. of persons receiving sickness benefit, and 20.3 per cent. of widow beneficiaries (other than widow basic pensioners) were receiving supplementary allowances.

At the beginning of November 1966, the latest date for which figures are available, 15.3 per cent. of persons receiving unemployment benefit were also receiving supplementary allowances.