§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total number of persons receiving supplementary benefit, and the numbers per 1,000 population in Great Britain, Scotland, Wales, England and each English region in November 1975.
§ Mr. MeacherThe information, which is provisional, relates (1) to supplementary benefit receipient as at December 1975 and (2) to the number of recipients per 1,000 population based on provisional mid-1975 estimates.
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§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will express the total number of national assistance and supplementary benefit claimants and their dependants as a percentage of the total population in Great Britain, England, Scotland, Wales and the English regions in each year since 1948.
§ Mr. MeacherInformation relating to claimants and dependants is not available on a regional basis. Information will become available later on the basis of country only and as from December 1975. In the meantime, information relating to Great Britain for previous years is as follows:
Number of claimants and dependants in Great Britain as a percentage of population Year Percent. 1948 3.0 1949 — 1950 3.9 1951 4.2 1952 4.9 1953 5.1 1954 5.1 1955 4.4 1956 4.5 1957 4.8 1958 4.7 1959 5.1 1960 5.3 1961 5.1 1962 5.7 1963 5.6 1964 5.3 1965 5.4 1966 — 1967 7.2 1968 7.4 1969 7.6 1970 7.7 1971 8.5 1972 8.4 1973 7.4 1974 7.5 Note.—Number of claimants and dependants are derived from annual sample inquiries in November of each year. No such inquiries were made in 1949 or 1966.
§ Mr. Bodyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons receive supplementary benefits on condition that they attend at a re-establishment or training centre.
§ Mr. O'MalleyI would refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member824W for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 27th January.—[Vol. 904, c. 178.]
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost of administering a claim by a student for supplementary benefit; and how much her Department would save nationally in administrative expenditure, if students were given sufficient grant not to have to claim supplementary benefits.
§ Mr. O'MalleyIt is estimated that the average cost of administering a student claim to supplementary benefit is £2.70. Currently some 389,000 claims a year are received at a toal administrative cost of £1,050,300.
§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of those registered as unemployed and not in receipt of unemployment benefit and who were in receipt of supplementary benefit in August 1975 and at the latest available date were students.
§ Mr. O'MalleyA count taken in August 1975 showed that 62,000 students registered as unemployed but not receiving unemployment benefit were being paid supplementary benefit.