Supplementary Benefit Claimants

HC Deb 19 May 1976 vol 911 cc618-9W

Mr. Peter Walker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of supplementary benefit claimants receiving regular weekly payments in 1975 in England and Wales; and what was the number in Scotland.

Mr. Deakins

The information, which relates to December 1975 and is provisional, is as follows:

England and Wales	2,517,000
Scotland	276,000

Mr. Peter Walker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of local authority tenants receiving rent payments from the Supplementary Benefits Commission in 1975; and what was the average payment.

Mr. Orme

In August 1975, the latest date for which figures are availabe, 1,267,000 recipients of supplementary benefit were local authority tenants. The average weekly amount added for rent in assessing benefit was £5.05.