§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many extra people would be eligible for supplementary benefit if the long-term rate was paid to all claimants under pensionable age after a year; and what would be the cost of raising the national insurance benefit rates so as to prevent the earlier payment of the long-term rate increasing the numbers eligible for supplementary benefit.
§ Mrs. ChalkerI shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update to May 1978 the answer given to the hon. Member for Birkenhead,Official Report, 21 May, c.49–50.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe hon. Member presumably refers to May 1979. I shall send him information as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in theOfficial Report the numbers of families receiving supplementary benefit, the numbers of children in those families and the numbers of families with one, two, three, four and five or more children.
§ Mrs. ChalkerFollowing is the information requested:
Families (Thousands)Children All families … 535 1,082 1 child … 227 227 2 children … 163 326 3 children … 85 225 4 children … 38 151 5 or more children … 22 122 The figures relate to November 1978 and the process of rounding accounts for the apparent internal discrepancies.
§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in theOfficial Report the most recent annual 669W estimates for the take-up of supplementary benefit and what the saving in expenditure was in that year because not all those entitled to supplementary benefit claimed.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe latest figures available were published in chapter 5 of the annual report of the Supplementary Benefits Commission for 1977, Cmnd. 7392.
§ Mr. David Atkinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why people on supplementary benefit have that benefit cancelled when they go into hospital even though they have to maintain the same domestic liabilities such as rates.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe supplementary benefit requirements of a claimant without dependants are reduced, not cancelled, on his admission to hospital. He gets an amount for personal expenses—currently £3.90 a week—plus his normal home rent and rates commitment. The reduction is made to prevent duplicate provision from public funds for the claimant's maintenance while he is receiving free treatment in a NHS hospital. The supplementary benefit entitlement for a claimant with dependants normally continues unchanged during the first eight weeks in hospital.