HC Deb 09 July 1979 vol 970 cc49-50W
Mr. Colvin

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider index-linking the additional tax-free child benefit payment, which is at present £2 per week, for one-parent families.

Mrs. Chalker

No. The Child Benefit Act already provides for the rate of child benefit (increase) to be reviewed annually. The rate of the child benefit (increase) will be going up to £2.50 in November.

Mr. Colvin

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider the introduction of a non-means tested, non-contributory one-parent family allowance, along the lines of the widowed mothers' allowance.

Mr. Prentice

We propose to increase the one-parent family premium, which is non-means tested and non-contributory, to £2.50 a week in November. Other social security benefits for which lone parents may qualify will also be raised in November. Any question of further help to one-parent families will depend on reviving the economy, which must be the Government's first priority.

Mr. Colvin

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his Department's estimate of the number of one-parent families with dependent children resulting from illegitimacy, factual separation, death and divorce in Great Britain, broken down as follows: female: single, married, widowed, divorced and total and male: total.

Mrs. Chalker

The estimated numbers of one-parent families with dependent children in Great Britain in 1976 are as follows:

Sex, marital status and number
Mothers
Single 130,000
Widowed 115,000
Divorced 230,000
Separated (married) 185,000
Total 660,000
Fathers
Total 90,000
Total 750,000

The September 1978 issue of Population Trends gives further information and discusses the problems of making estimates of one-parent families in the years between censuses of population.

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