HC Deb 26 March 1975 vol 889 c194W
Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families in Great Britain had an income below the supplementary benefit level in 1973 and 1974, distinguishing between those where the head of the household was in work, and those where he was not.

Mr. Alec Jones

It is estimated that at the end of 1973 there were 90,000 families with children with an income below the supplementary benefit level and where the head of the family was not receiving supplementary benefit. In 50,000 of these families the head of the family was working. These estimates have been made from the 1973 Family Expenditure Survey and are subject to sampling error. Equivalent estimates for 1974 will not be available until the late autumn.