§ 2.43 p.m.
§ Lord Stallard asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ How many one-parent families are currently receiving social security benefit.
§ Baroness BlatchMy Lords, virtually all lone-parent families receive child benefit, but many also receive other benefits. I shall arrange for a table showing the most recent information for the main income-related benefits and for one-parent benefit to be inserted in the Official Report.
§ Following is the table referred to:
| NUMBERS RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS | ||
| Number | Date | |
| Income Support(3) | 722,000 | May 1988 |
| Family Credit | 120,000 | September 1989 |
| Housing Benefit | 650,000 | May 1988 |
| One Parent Benefit | 696,000 | January 1990 |
§ Notes:
§ 1. Number of lone parent families: OPCS estimates that in 1986 there were 1,010,000 lone parent families in Great Britain.
§ 2. Claimants can be entitled to more than one benefit.
§ 3. Income Support: Figure does not include prisoners' partners.
§ Lord StallardMy Lords, I am grateful for that constructive reply, but is the noble Baroness aware that among those families are to be found some of our most challenging social, educational and housing problems? Does she accept that a firm government commitment to a package of measures is needed to support such families, not just a Treasury directive aimed at making absent fathers fulfil their legal responsibilities?
§ Baroness BlatchMy Lords, it is fair to say that the Government's record in addressing multiple problems concerned with lone parents is good. Certainly, the range of benefits available to lone-parent families who do not work and to those lone-parent families involved in part-time or full-time work takes into account the housing needs and the numbers and ages of children. The pursuit of the absent parent who does not meet his financial responsibility is probably a measure welcomed by Members on all sides of the House.
The Lord Bishop of ManchesterMy Lords, will the Minister confirm that the take-up rate among families or mothers who earn low wages is extraordinarily low? The take-up of family credit is, I believe, as low as 32 per cent. according to the latest figures, whereas the target was 60 per cent.? Can she give any reason for that state of affairs?
§ Baroness BlatchMy Lords, the Government certainly take seriously the issue of take-up rates. All noble Lords will be aware of the high-profile campaign to increase awareness of rights to benefit. It is a pity that some Members of the party opposite in another place were critical of the campaign. However, the evidence shows that a much higher number of people are claiming benefit. The take-up of family credit is a good example: take-up today far exceeds that of its predecessor benefit, family income supplement.
§ Lord Stoddart of SwindonMy Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that the income of lone-parent families is only about 37 per cent. of the income of two-parent families which must mean that there are some poor and deprived children within those families? What do the Government intend to do to remedy that situation?
§ Baroness BlatchMy Lords, in relative terms one person will always be poorer than another, but I must reiterate some points that I made in my original Answer. There are a range of benefits to meet the different and varied needs of lone parents according to, for example, the numbers and ages of children and the amount of interest paid on mortgages. I would mention housing benefit, community charge benefit, income support and family credit. The Government's response and the way in which they address the problems have been good. They continue to pursue all ways of making it possible for lone-parent families out of work to exist and to encourage lone-parent mothers who wish to return to work to benefit financially from doing so.
§ Lord GisboroughMy Lords, in view of the increasing trend towards equality of parents and those children born in or out of wedlock, does it not follow that the responsibility of maintenance should increasingly fall on the father, whether married or not?
§ Baroness BlatchMy Lords, my noble friend will notice that I referred to lone parents without distinguishing between men or women. However, it is true to say that the absent parent is predominantly 837 the father. There should therefore be a responsibility and any way of increasing that obligation to meet the financial needs of the parent who cares for the child or children is important.
§ Lord Taylor of BlackburnMy Lords, is it not true that many mothers do not want the father to come anywhere near them, would prefer that he kept away, and in fact would opt to accept nothing rather than have him back?
§ Baroness BlatchMy Lords, I imagine that that is true. However, we are talking about the financial obligation. There is no requirement for the father to have physical contact with the parent, but there is a financial responsibility. It must be noted that there is a considerable burden on taxpayers who meet that bill exclusively. There must therefore be a balance between the cost to the taxpayer of meeting that bill and the proper obligation of the absent parent to meet responsibilities.
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, we all agree that parents who default on maintenance payments should not be able to hide behind the social security system. However, does the Minister agree that the most important consideration in question is the welfare of the 1.6 million children in lone-parent families? Does she agree that by far the easiest, cheapest and most effective way of keeping all children in lone-parent families would be to uprate child benefit annually in line with inflation?
§ Baroness BlatchMy Lords, I am well aware that there is general concern in the House about the uprating of child benefit. However, it is not relevant in the context of helping single-parent families because the application of income support and family credit compensates for whatever the level of child benefit happens to be at any given time.
§ Lord CarterMy Lords, how does that help the 600,000 children in families which are not receiving income support?
§ Baroness BlatchMy Lords, if they are not receiving income support, they must be above the level to qualify for it.
§ Lord CarterBut, my Lords, they would still get the child benefit.
§ Lord BleaseMy Lords, in the information that the noble Baroness proposes to provide in the Official Report, will she indicate the regional United Kingdom figures rather than give that information on a national basis?
§ Baroness BlatchMy Lords, if that is at all possible I shall certainly make sure that it happens.
§ Lord StallardMy Lords, the noble Baroness dislikes the criticism from this side of the House. Is she aware that our criticism is aimed at the constant nil-cost approach to social security benefits taken by this Government? Is it not that single minded, non-caring, nil-cost approach that has worsened the 838 problems for many of the most vulnerable members of our society?
§ Baroness BlatchMy Lords, the particular criticism to which I referred was criticism of the high profile campaign to increase awareness of people's rights to benefit. I believe that it has been a good campaign that is increasingly shown to be effective. Benefit is therefore reaching more people who are entitled to it.