§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his Written Answer to the hon. Member for Norfolk North, on 28th October 1976, Official Report, column 348, if he will give a breakdown of his figures of child support in each set of family circumstances.
§ Mr. OrmeI regret that in my reply to the hon. Member on 28th October 1976 account was not taken, in calculating the element of child support in various benefit payments, of the interaction of FIS or increases of benefit for children with the child needs allowance in housing benefits. More representative figures are given below, but it should be recognised that they are purely hypothetical.
338W
£ (i) Working:— Family allowance 3.00 Family income supplement 9.50 Value of free school meals 2.25 Rent and rate rebates (see note) 1.17 15.92
(ii) Receiving short-term national insurance benefit:— £ Family allowance 3.00 Increase in benefit for children 9.15 Value of free school meals 2.25 Rent and rate rebates (see note) 1.29 15.69 £ (iii) Receiving supplementary benefit:— Scale rates for children aged 13, 11 and 9 16.20 Vaue of free school meals 2.25 18.45 Note. The amount of rent and rate rebates attributable to child support is the housing needs allowance element for three children (£16.05) less family allowances less FIS or increase of benefit for children, multiplied by the appropriate percentages under the housing rebate schemes—25 per cent. for rent rebates and 8 per cent. for rate rebates.
Any addition for housing costs received by the family on suplementary benefit is not attributable to the children.