§ 24. Mr. A. Lewisasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance, taking October, 1951, as being equal to 100, what has been the annual percentage increase to date in all forms of National Insurance benefits; and how these increases compare with the percentage increases in rents, food, wages, salaries, 3W profits, dividends and the national average wage level over the same period.
INCREASE SINCE OCTOBER, 1951 IN NATIONAL INSURANCE BENEFITS HOUSING COSTS, FOOD PRICES, WAGE RATES, PROFITS, DIVIDENDS And AVERAGE EARNINGS National Insurance benefits Year Unemployment and sickness benefit and widow's pension Widowed mother's allowance (widow with two children) (a) Retirement pension (b) Industrial injury benefit and disablement pension at 100 per cent. rate Housing costs (c) Food prices (d) Weekly wage rates (men) (e) Profits (f) Dividends (f) Average earnings of manual workers (men) (g) Average earnings of salaried employees (g) October 1951 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 … 1952 125 113 108 122 103 114 107 88 99 108 … 1953 125 113 108 122 109 116 112 93 107 114 … 1954 125 113 108 122 113 122 117 103 98 123 … 1955 154 133 133 150 116 132 126 114 126 134 100 1956 154 154 133 150 105 134 135 115 129 143 107 1957 154 154 133 150 114 138 143 121 137 152 115 1958 192 189 167 189 124 142 148 116 143 155 119 1959 192 189 167 189 129 141 150 129 164 163 126 1960 192 189 167 189 133 141 154 146 205 175 133 1961 221 226 192 217 140 142 161 141 224 185 140 1962 221 226 192 217 147 146 167 142 229 191 148 1963 260 268 225 256 154 152 171 … … 202 156 1964(h) 260 300 225 256 160 157 177 … … … … (a) Including family allowance. (b) On the basis of the higher of the two rates of retirement pension in payment from the Autumn of 1951. (c) Because of changes in January, 1956, in the composition of the Housing group of the Index of Retail Prices it is not possible to construct an index taking October, 1951 as 100. The series from 1956 is therefore based on January, 1956 = 100. (d) On the basis of the Food components of the Retail Prices Index and of the interim Index of Retail Prices which preceded it. (e) On the basis of the Ministry of Labour's Wages Index. (f) Non-nationalised companies, for calendar years. (g) On the basis of the Ministry of Labour's half-yearly enquiries into the average earnings of manual wage earners and their annual enquiries as to the average earnings of salaried employees. (h) Latest available figures. … Not available.