HC Deb 03 November 1958 vol 594 cc591-3
26. Mrs. L. Jeger

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what consideration he has given to the abolition of the earnings rule for widowed mothers.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I have no proposal to make on this subject which, as the hon. Member will be aware, was in 1956 before the National Insurance Advisory Committee, to whose reports (Cmd. 9684 and 9752) I would refer her.

Mrs. Jeger

Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is growing public opinion in the country on this matter, as indicated by resolutions which, I think, have been sent to him by the National Council of Women and the British Federation of University Women? Surely he must give some attention to a situation in which the widow of a Service man or the widow of a man who died as a result of industrial injury or disease suffers through no earnings rule but a second class of widow is created by this legislation in which an earnings rule does apply? Is that not inconsistent?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Of course, I appreciate that this is a matter on which there are widely differing opinions, but the hon. Lady must give weight to the very careful consideration which, as I said in my Answer, was given by the National Insurance Advisory Committee when it clearly recommended that the right way to deal with the problem of the widowed mother was, not to abolish the rule, but to give aid by improving the rates of benefit. Since that Report, the allowances in respect of a widow's children, which, of course, are not affected by the rule at all, have been increased from 11s. 6d. for the first two children to 20s. and 22s. for the remaining children, while the widowed mother's own rate has been increased from 40s. to 50s.

27. Mrs. L. Jeger

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what is the total number of widowed mothers with dependent children; how many suffer deduction from their widowed mother's allowance because of earnings; and how many forfeit their allowance completely on account of earnings.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

As at June, 1958, approximately 117,000, of whom it is estimated that 22,000 and 1,500 were reduced and extinguished, respectively.

Mrs. Jeger

Why does the Minister's right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer allow a married woman to earn up to £180 before he makes any demand for tax, whereas a widowed mother who goes to work in order to keep her children is allowed to earn only £156 before he starts taking money back from her?

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

One of the reasons is that these are quite different systems. One of the main purposes of the National Insurance benefits generally is to replace earnings which, for one reason or another, are lost. As far as the tax concession is concerned, if the hon. Lady wishes my right hon. Friend to reduce that, perhaps she will put down a Question to him.

Mrs. Jeger

I ask the right hon. Gentleman to bring his standards a little nearer to those of his right hon. Friend.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

As I have already explained, the National Insurance provision here is designed to deal with cases where earnings are not obtainable; that is quite different from a system involving tax on earnings which are made.

28. Mrs. L. Jeger

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance how many widowed mothers with dependent children are in receipt of National Assistance allowances.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

I assume the hon. Member has in mind the widows receiving National Insurance widowed mother's allowances, about which I gave the figures in reply to her Question on 5th May, 1958 (OFFICIAL REPORT, column 849). The National Assistance Board informs me that a later figure is not yet available.