HC Deb 18 January 1982 vol 16 cc44-5W
Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the number of persons in receipt of invalidity benefit who have to pay for their prescriptions.

Mr. Rossi

Not all recipients of invalidity benefits need frequent prescriptions. However, it is calculated that of the 785, 100 in receipt of invalidity benefits, including contributory, non-contributory and housewives non-contributory, in 1980, 66, 200 were entitled to exemption on age grounds—men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over—and that 91, 000 were exempt because they were in receipt of supplementary benefit.

Many other recipients of invalidity benefits will qualify for exemption because they suffer from one of the specified medical conditions, are in receipt of family income supplement or because their income falls below a certain level. Detailed information about these categories of exemption is not collected.