asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are (a) the numbers of old people dependent upon supplementary benefits and (b) the numbers claiming as a percentage of all old people in 1948, 1950, 1955, 1965, 1970 and all subsequent years.
I regret the information is not available for 1948 and 1975. For other years the information is given in the following table:
(1) | (2) | (3) | |
Persons of Pension Age estimated number in population (thousand) | Number dependent on Supplementary Benefit/National Assistance (thousands) | (2) as percentage of (1) | |
1950 | 6,623 | 1,066* | 16·1* |
1955 | 7,017 | 1,366* | 19·5* |
1965 | 7,986 | 1,643* | 20·6* |
1970 | 8,633 | 2,283 | 26·4 |
1971 | 8,841 | 2,301 | 26·0 |
1972 | 8,963 | 2,286 | 25·5 |
1973 | 9,037 | 2,188 | 24·2 |
1974 | 9,058 | 2,129 | 23·5 |
Notes: | |||
1. Figures marked * are approximate. | |||
2. Population estimates are for mid-year and numbers of supplementary benefit recipients as at November each year. |
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the numbers of unemployed drawing supplementary benefits; and what is the number expressed as a percentage of the total of unemployed for each year in 1948, 1950, 1955, 1965, 1970 and all subsequent years.
The information is as follows:
(1) | (2) | (3) | |
Number of Registered Unemployed (thousands) | Number receiving Supplementary Benefit/National Assistance (thousands) | Column (2) as percentage of (1) | |
1948 | 328 | 44 | 13·4 |
1950 | 302 | 66 | 21·9 |
1955 | 226 | 55 | 24·3 |
1965 | 321 | 112 | 34·9 |
1970 | 596 | 240 | 40·3 |
1971 | 860 | 387 | 45·0 |
1972 | 789 | 392 | 49·7 |
1973 | 509 | 249 | 48·9 |
1974 | 583 | 302 | 51·8 |
1975 | 813 | 388 | 47·7 |
Note:
Registered unemployed totals are for October each year and supplementary benefit recipients for November. For 1975, however, both figures relate to May.