§ Mr. McTaggartasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of the number and percentage of the total number of families in Scotland who are in the following categories: (a) below supplementary benefit, (b) in receipt of supplementary benefit and (c) up to 40 per cent. above supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information requested is given in the following table:
385W4. The estimates for families with incomes above and below supplementary benefit level include examples where the head of the family had been off work due to sickness or unemployment for less than 13 weeks at the time of the survey. In these cases, the family's normal income when the Lead was in work was used in determining the level of income. Correspondingly, the figures derived from the annual statistical inquiry exclude those who had been in receipt of supplementary benefit for less than 13 weeks.
5. The estimates are subject to statistical error.
6. The estimate of the number of families with income below the supplementary benefit level does not indicate unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit. For example, those who are in full-time work or undertaking full-time education would not normally have entitlement to supplementary benefit. Furthermore, no regard is had in these estimates to factors such as disregarded income, treatment of capital or exceptional circumstance additions, each of which can affect payment of supplementary benefit.