§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many widows, in the last year for which figures are available, had their supplementary benefit withdrawn for cohabitation;
(2) how many women had their supplementary benefit withdrawn for cohabitation in the last year for which figures are available;
(3) if, further to her letter to the hon. Member for Ormskirk of 8th July 1974. 97W she will indicate what special arrangements have been made for the collection of information about the number of widows and other people whose entitlement to supplementary benefit is affected by the cohabitation rule; and what has been the result.
§ Mr. O'MalleyA special survey conducted during the last month of 1974 produced an estimate that supplementary benefit was refused or withdrawn in about 8,000 cases a year by the operation of the cohabitation rule. It is not possible to say how many of the cases involve widows.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many widows had their national insurance books withdrawn for cohabitation in the last year for which figures are available;
(2) how many widows have had their pension withdrawn for cohabitation by the local office and had it subsequently reinstated on appeal in the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. O'MalleyIn 1974, 1,081 widows had their widows' pensions withdrawn because they were cohabiting. Thirty widows subsequently had their pensions reinstated after appeal to the local tribunal.