§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take additional steps to publicise in simple terms social service benefit entitlements, for example, by arranging for the distribution of explanatory leaflets to the homes of all disabled, handicapped, and registered unemployed persons; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DeakinsWe are constantly looking for new ways of describing social benefits in simple terms. Since October we have printed 1 million leaflets specifically for handicapped people and 1¾ million for unemployed people. Local authority social services departments, health authorities and citizens' advice bureaux have been asked to distribute the booklet to handicapped people; the leaflets for the unemployed are available at offices of the Department of Employment. These are among the simplest and most direct methods of spreading knowledge of benefits, and we are always prepared to reprint leaflets in bulk as necessary.