§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he proposes to take to ensure that pensioners and people on supplementary, sickness and unemployment benefit in the West Midlands receive their due payments and Christmas bonuses in time and do not suffer as a result of the strike action and overtime ban proposed to be taken
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Family constitution Supplementary benefit requirements (scale rates) Heating addition Free welfare milk Free school meals Total £ £ £ £ £ Single person 18.30 — — — 18.30 Married couple 29.70 — — — 29.70 Married couple and 1 child (aged 3) 34.90 0.95 1.05 — 36.90 Married couple and 2 children (4 and 6) 41.15 0.95 1.05 1.50 44.65 Married couple and 2children(12andl4) 46.75 — — 3.00 49.75 Married couple and 3 children (3, 8 and 12) 48.85 0.95 1.05 3.00 53.85 Married couple and 4 children 3, 8 11 and 16) 60.10 0.95 1.05 4.50 66.60 restore the purchasing power of the present disregards to the 1966 level, to which the Finer committee recommendation referred, increases would have to be made as follows:
by the Society of Civil and Public Servants.
§ Mrs. ChalkerIndustrial action in the West Midlands is affecting only a small number of payments and the steps taken to minimise the effect on beneficiaries vary according to the nature of the difficulty. It is not possible to say what steps are proposed for the future as they too will be fitted to the situation arising.