HC Deb 10 December 1979 vol 975 cc488-9W
Mr. Foulkes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in Scotland are receiving supplementary benefit; and what are the comparative figures for the same time in each of the last 10 years.

Mrs. Chalker

The information in the following table relates to May, or thereabouts, of each year as that is the most recent month in the current year for which the available figures are unlikely to have been affected by seasonal distortion.

Year Number of recipients of supplementary benefit (Thousands)
1969 283
1970 285
1971 316
1972 326
1973 (a) 315
1974 292
1975 267
1976 283
1977 296
1978 (b) 290
1979 285
Notes
(a) Prior to May 1973 the figures included some unemployment claimants who received no supplementary benefit during the week preceding the count.
(b) Figures after May 1977 are not directly comparable with earlier figures due to a change in the method of estimation.