asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the 1977 £10 Christmas bonus will be paid to supplementary benefit recipients who were eligible for the invalid care allowance in December 1977 but did not claim it; and if he will estimate the numbers involved.

The Christmas bonus is payable to those who were entitled to invalid care allowance in the week beginning 5th December 1977. Those who believe they could benefit from this provision of the Pensioners Payments Act 1977 and who have not already received the bonus should enquire at their local social security office.It is not possible to identify those who could be involved from existing records and no information is available on which a reliable estimate of their number could be made.