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Benefit Claimants

Volume 974: debated on Friday 30 November 1979

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asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many supplementary benefit claimants have dependants aged under five years;(2) how many supplementary benefit claimants are aged 75 years and over; and how many dependants are covered by these claimants;(3) how many claimants have had (

a) direct payment deduction from the benefit for fuel and ( b) a savings deduction for fuel, for each year since 1974; and if he will classify the information by the amount of the deduction or saving by convenient categories;

(4) if he will update table 10.1 in the Supplementary Benefits Commission report for 1977;

(5) if he will detail the number of deductions for ( a) electricity and ( b) gas bills currently being made from a claimant's weekly benefit; and if these data could be classified according to weekly deductions ( a) under £1, ( b) over £1 but less than £2, ( c) over £2 but less than £3, ( d) over £3 but less than £4. ( e) over £4 but less than £5, ( f) over £5 but less than £6, ( g) over £6 but less than £7. ( h) over £7 but less than £8, ( i) over

£8 but less than £9, ( j) over £9 but less than £10 and ( k) over £10;

(6) if he will update table 12.3 in the Supplementary Benefits Commission annual report 1976;

(7) how much the Supplementary Benefits Commission has paid out to claimants in ( a) extra weekly payments and ( b) lump sum payments for each year since 1970; and if these data could be classified according to (i) the number of claimants helped in each category and (ii) the average payment to each group.