The supplementary welfare allowance scheme allows health boards to assist eligible people with the cost of private rented accommodation or mortgage interest payments.
There is no information available on the number of rent allowances in payment to single people living within 20 miles of their families.
At the end of July 1994, there were approximately 30,000 rent supplement cases in payment in all health boards. It is estimated that 12,900 or 43 per cent of these cases are single people with no child dependants. It is estimated that 7,200 of the 12,900 cases are under 25 years of age. This represents 24 per cent of total rent supplement cases in payment.