§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is his estimate of the number of supplementary pensioners who receive a supplementary pension of less than the rent addition;
(2) what is his estimate of the number of retirement pensioners who are tenants in rented accommodation who need be no worse off if they no longer applied for supplementary pensions and relied instead on rent and rate rebates and allowances.
§ Mr. OrmeIt is estimated that in December 1975 there were approximately 200,000 tenants whose supplementary pension was less than the rent addition and that, of these, some three-quarters could have transferred to housing benefits without loss of net income after paying rent. This takes no account, however, of other occasional payments or benefits for which supplementary benefit recipients may be eligible.
§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for the Social Services how many of the 1.4 million retirement pensioners receiving supplementary pensions, who are tenants in rented accommodation, are council house tenants.
§ Mr. OrmeOf the 1.5 million retirement pensioners receiving supplementary pension, 1.2 million are tenants in rented accommodation, of whom 840,000 live in council houses.
§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the 1.2 million retirement pensioners receiving supplementary pensions who are tenants in rented accommodation also receive payment from the Supplementary Benefits Commission in respect of rates; and what was the average payment by the Commission in respect of such rates.
§ Mr. OrmeProvision for rates is normally included in the supplementary benefit rent addition and averages about £1.70 in these cases.