§ Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his most recent estimate of the cost of extending entitlement to the long-term rate of supplementary benefit to unemployed people (a) after a year on supplementary benefit and (b) after a year of unemployment; and how many people would benefit in either case.
§ Mrs. Chalker[pursuant to her reply, 22 February 1982, c. 295]: It would cost about £240 million at November 1981 benefit rates to extend the long-term rate to supplementary benefit claimants after they had been unemployed for a year. About 670,000 would qualify. However, these figures do not take account of the additional cost of £20 million in respect of the 60,000 people who, it is estimated, have been receiving supplementary benefit for more than a year, but have been unemployed for less than a year. In addition, some
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Numbers and costs of visits by financial years 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 (to date) Committee Number of Total cost Number of Total cost Number of Total cost visits £ visits £ visits £ Agriculture Abroad — — 3 11,246.44 1 992.37 Within United Kingdom Defence 1 96.90 5 3,614.27 1 128.80 Defence Abroad 2 5393.11 1 9756.87 2 3,516.23 Within United Kingdom Defence — — 9 6,923.63 5 855.93 Education, Science and Arts