§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number of retirement pensioners 567W receiving supplementary benefit during the three months prior to April 1988 and income support in the first three months following the change.
§ Mr. Peter LloydI regret that information is not available in the form requested. However, in November 1987, about 1.6 million retirement pensioners were claiming supplementary benefit. A comparable figure for income support is not yet available. For information about the numbers of income support claimants in receipt of a pensioner premium, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Mr. Bowden) on 14 December 1988 at column588. [Source: November 1987 Quarterly Statistical Enquiry.]