§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the total number of people in receipt of supplementary benefit in 1976, distinguishing between the main categories of recipients.
§ Mr. OrmeThe information, relating to December 1976, is as follows:
Thousands ALL SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFITS 2,940 ALL SUPPLEMENTARY PENSIONS 1,687 Retirement pensioners and national insurance widows aged 60 and over 1,592 Others 95 ALL SUPPLEMENTARY ALLOWANCES 1,253 Unemployed (with and without contributory benefit—separate information not available) 654 Sick: with contributory benefit 74 without contributory benefit 169 National insurance widows aged under 60 28 One-parent families not included in the above groups 303 Others 25
§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now take steps to reduce to one year instead of two the qualifying time for entitlement to long-term addition to supplementary benefit in the case of applicants with children.
§ Mr. OrmeI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 22nd July.—[Vol. 935, c. 755.]
§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what account an officer of his Department is required to take, when calculating supplementary benefit due, of the fact that the person claiming benefit runs a car of over £500 in value.
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§ Mr. OrmeI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Brotherton) on 20th July 1976—[Vol, 915, c. 459.]