§ 25. Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average time for processing a new claim for supplementary benefit nationally and in the offices dealing with the constituency of the Isle of Ely now and in May 1979, respectively.
§ Mr. NewtonThe Cambridge local office handles claims from people living in the Isle of Ely. Information is not recorded about the average time taken to process claims to supplementary benefit made in person at local offices, but these claims would normally be processed on the day of call or within the following two days.
The average number of days taken by Cambridge local office to process claims made other than by personal call—for instance, by post—was five days in May 1979 and also in November 1982, the latest period for which figures are available. The national average in comparable periods was six days.