HC Deb 11 April 1972 vol 834 c137W
30. Mr. James Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the latest number of persons who have applied for family income supplement; and how many are now entitled to apply.

Mr. Dean

About 180,000 claims to family income supplement have been made, excluding second claims from those whose previous awards of family income supplement have come to an end. Now that family income supplement has been uprated it is thought that the number of families eligible has returned to approximately the same level as was estimated in the early months of the scheme—that is, about160,000. This figure is subject to a wide margin of error.