HL Deb 29 June 1981 vol 422 c78WA
Baroness Seear

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their latest estimate of the cost of extending the availability of the long-term rate of supplementary benefit to those unemployed for

  1. (i) over 6 months;
  2. (ii) over 12 months and
  3. (iii) over 24 months;
and how many in these categories are at present in receipt of supplementary benefit.

Lord Cullen of Ashbourne

To extend the long-term rate of supplementary benefit to those who have been unemployed and in receipt of supplementary benefit for over 12 months and for over 24 months would cost, at November 1980 benefit rates, about £130 million and about £70 million respectively in a full year. At December 1980, 375,000 and 200,000 unemployed people respectively came into these categories. I regret that similar information relating to those unemployed for over six months is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

House adjourned at sixteen minutes before eight o'clock.