§ Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate (a) the number of (i) pensioners and (ii) others who will cease to be entitled to supplementary benefit after the introduction of the new housing benefit scheme and (b) the annual number of (i) pensioners and (ii) others who would have become eligible for supplementary benefit but for the introduction of the new housing benefit scheme after the transitional provisions have ceased to operate.
§ Mr. RossiI am able to make estimates in relation to part(a) only on a mid-1981 basis. On that basis approximately 50,000 pensioners and 15,000 other claimants would have ceased to be entitled to supplementary benefit. It is not possible to estimate annual numbers for part (b) as reliable information on people moving on and off benefit is not available.