§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the cost to the social security system of making payments to wives not receiving maintenance payments from their husbands as a result of a court order to this effect.
§ Mr. DeanI regret that this information is not available as the only social security benefit at present paid in these circumstances is supplementary benefit, and the reasons for payment of this are not analysed. The hon. Member may, however, wish to know that, on the basis of information obtained annually of the amount of supplementary benefit paid out to various categories of claimants, it is estimated that in 1972 about £80 million was paid to about 148,100 separated wives where it was necessary to pursue the question of liability to maintain. This sum was paid after taking into account about £7 million in maintenance payments received by the wives themselves. It is not possible to make a reliable estimate of how much of the £80 million was paid as a direct consequence of the failure to meet maintenance orders.
During the financial year 1972–73 the Department recovered about £12½ million 65W from persons liable to maintain. It is not known how much of this sum was in respect of separated wives.