§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what, at the latest count, was the total number of people drawing social security benefits;
(2) what, at the latest count, was the total number of people drawing rate rebates, rent rebates and/or social security benefits/supplementary benefits.
§ Mr. O'MalleyInformation is not available in the form requested, but on average the total number of benefits and allowances, including national insurance benefits, supplementary benefit, industrial injuries benefit, war pensions, family income supplement and family allowances, being paid in any week in 1974, the latest period for which figures are available, was 18 million. About 2.7 million of these were payments of supplementary benefit. Many people receive more than one payment, however, so that the total number of beneficiaries is much less than the total number of benefits and allowances.
Information about recipients of rate rebates and rent rebates is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average percentage of the population who were drawing social security benefits in 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965 respectively and for each year since 1965 up to the latest available date.
§ Mr. O'MalleyInformation is not available in the form requested. Column (i) of the following table sets out the 211W total number of benefits and allowances—including national insurance benefits, supplementary benefit, industrial injuries benefit, war pensions, family income supplement and family allowances—which on average were being paid in any week in the years specified. Since many people receive more than one payment, the total number of beneficiaries is much less than the total number of benefits and allowances. The total population of Great Britain for the relevant years is set out in Column (ii).
Year (i) Average number of benefits in payment (millions) (ii) Total population of Great Britain (millions) 1950 … … 10 49.0 1955 … … 12 49.6 1960 … … 13½ 51.0 1965 … … 15 52.8 1966 … … 15½ 53.0 1967 … … 16 53.3 1968 … … 16½ 53.5 1969 … … 17 53.7 1970 … … 17 53.9 1971 … … 17 54.1 1972 … … 18 54.2 1973 … … 18½ 54.4 1974 … … 18 54.4