§ Mr. Banksasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much was paid in benefits to (a) strikers and (b) strikers' families for the latest convenient period compared with the same periods in the previous three years.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe information is as follows:
Amount of Supplementary Benefit aid Strikers' Families Single Strikers £ £ 1978 3,325,110 5,755 1979 2,525,618 6,100 1980 (to November) 9,832,829 129,580 Payments for day-to- day living expenses (strikers' families) Urgent Need Payments £ £ 1980 (December) 6,640 21 1981 553,861 1,507 NoteThe table from December 1980 reflects the changes introduced into the supplementary benefits scheme from 27 November 1980 whereby strikers without dependants are no longer entitled to benefit except in certain carefully defined situations of urgent need. The figures shown for urgent need payments include payments made to such strikers and those to strikers with dependants—the statistics do not differentiate between the two groups.
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