§ Mr. Woofasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many retirement pensioners were in receipt of supplementary benefits at the last convenient date; how these numbers compare with the situation in June 1970; and what percentage, respectively, these constitute of the total number of persons in receipt of retirement pensions on these dates.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownAs at November last about 2,085,000 retirement pensioners were receiving supplementary benefit. This figure includes wives entitled to retirement pensions on their husband's insurance and also national insurance widow beneficiaries over pension age and constitutes about 25.8 per cent. of the total number of retirement pensioners at that time. The corresponding figures for November 1970—the month nearest to June 1970 for which information is available—were 2,122,000 and 27.6 per cent.