§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the latest estimated figure for the take-up of supplementary benefit by unemployed people; what is the basis for the estimated figure; if he will give estimated numbers of those who, by failing to claim, lose the following amounts of money per week, or similar amounts if other figures are more readily available: (a) £1 or less, (b) £1 to £2.50, (c) £2.50 to £5, (d) £5 to £10 and (e) over £10; and if he will give the same figures for the take-up of supplementary benefit by old people, sick and disabled people, and one-parent families.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe latest available estimates were published in paragraphs 12.22–12.27 of the Supplementary Benefits Commission's annual report for 1978. They were based on the 1977 family expenditure survey—FES. An analysis, based on the 1979 FES and the 1978 family finances survey, will be available later this year.
Estimates of take-up by amounts of money per week are not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but the Supplementary Benefits Commission, in its discussion paper"Take-up of Supplementary Benefits", suggested that a large number of those not claiming were entitled only to relatively small amounts.