§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will confirm that a man with a wife and two children, whose rent is £4.72, rates £1.90 and work expenses £1.75 per week and whose previous wage was £55 per week, would have a net weekly spending power of £47.66 when unemployed and in receipt of tax refunds and £37.16 after all refunds have been paid; and what his net weekly spending power would be (a) if he returned to work and his work expenses were £1.75 and (b) if he became long-term unemployed and received supplementary benefit only.
§ Mr. OrmeThe tables included in my reply to the hon. Gentleman on 15th October 1976—[Vol. 917, c.245–50]—set out the information requested in the first two parts of his Question. If the man concerned became long-term unemployed and received supplementary benefit only, the family would have a net weekly spending power, after payment of rent and rates, of £30.02.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will compare the net weekly spending power of a man with a wife and two children whose rent is £4.72 per week and rates £1.90 per week who is earning the basic agricultural wage of £36.50, with his net weekly spending power when unemployed 740W and (a) receiving tax refunds and (b) after tax refunds are no longer payable.
§ Mr. OrmeOn the assumptions made by the hon. Gentleman, the man's net weekly spending power would be (a) £34.28 when working and (b) £33.22 during weeks 3–28 of unemployment, assuming that payment of family income supplement continued throughout this period. Tax refunds, where payable, would be approximately £10.50 a week.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what tax and national insurance contribution would be deducted from a man with a wife and two children whose rent was £4.72 and rates £1.90, if his wage was £36.64 per week, bearing in mind that he would be left with £36.64 spending power per week if he were premanently unemployed.
§ Mr. OrmeOn the assumptions made by the hon. Gentleman, the deductions for income tax and national insurance contributions for a married man with two children aged 4 and 6, and weekly earnings of £36.64, would be £2.36 and £2.11 respectively, leaving the family with a net weekly spending power of approximately £34.28, after taking other relevant benefits into account. If the man were permanently unemployed and receiving supplementary benefit, the family would have a net weekly spending power, after payment of rent and rates, of £30.02.