HC Deb 24 October 1979 vol 972 cc220-5W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update the written answers given to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, Official Report, 1 August 1978, c. 272–6, and the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker), Official Report, 2 August 1978, c. 434, showing the numbers of people living below, at, or near supplementary benefit level in 1977.

Mrs. Chalker

[pursuant to her reply, 21 May 1979, c. 50]: The information is as follows:

ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF FAMILIES AND PERSONS WITH INCOMES AT VARIOUS LEVELS RELATIVE TO SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT LEVEL ANALYSED BY EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Great Britain, December 1977 (thousands)
Income below supplementary benefit level (excluding supplementary benefit recipients) Receiving supplementary benefit Income at or above supplementary benefit level but within 10 per cent. of it Income at or above supplementary benefit level but within 20 per cent. of it Income at or above supplementary benefit level but within 40 per cent. of it
(excluding supplementary benefit recipients)
Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons
Over pension age (60 for women, 65 for men) 620 760 1,700 2,000 560 810 1,350 1,860 2,150 3,010
Under pension age
Family head or single person normally in full-time work 230 640 — — 140 500 390 1,440 1,070 3,820
Sick or disabled for more than 3 months [40] 70 180 240 [30] 70 90 250 160 400
Unemployed for more than 3 months 150 290 420 980 [30] 60 80 150 110 200
Others 220 270 350 940 [40] [50] 110 200 240 410
Total under pension age 640 1,270 950 2,160 230 680 670 2,040 1,580 4,830
Of which in large families (3 children or more) 60 320 140 720 [40] 220 140 760 310 1,700
Of which one-parent families [40] 110 320 900 [20] 70 [50] 180 90 290
Totals (over and under pension age) 1,260 2,020 2,650 4,160 790 1,490 2,010 3,890 3,730 7,840

ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF FAMILIES AND PERSONS WITH INCOMES AT VARIOUS LEVELS RELATIVE TO SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT ANALYSED BY FAMILY TYPE
Great Britain, December 1977 {thousands)
Income below supplementary benefit level {excluding supplementary benefit recipients) Receiving supplementary benefit Income at or above supplementary benefit level but within 10 percent, of it Income at or above supplementary benefit level but within 20 per cent. of it Income at or above supplementary benefit level but within 40 per cent. of it
(excluding supplementary benefit recipients)
Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons
Over pension age
Married couples 130 260 290 580 250 500 510 1,020 860 1,720
Single persons 490 500 1,410 1,410 310 310 830 830 1,290 1,290
All over pension age 620 760 1,700 2,000 560 810 1,350 1,860 2,150 3,010
Under pension age
Married couples with children 160 670 150 700 120 500 360 1,520 880 3,690
Single persons with children [40] 110 320 900 [20] 70 [50] 180 90 290
Married couples without children [50] 90 80 160 [20] [50] 80 160 230 450
Single persons without children 390 390 390 390 70 70 180 180 390 390
All under pension age 640 1,270 950 2,160 230 680 670 2,040 1,580 4,830
Totals (over and under pension age) 1,260 2,020 2,650 4,160 790 1,490 2,010 3,890 3,730 7,840

ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF PERSONS IN FAMILIES WITH INCOMES BELOW SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT LEVEL: FAMILY HEAD IN FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT OR SELF EMPLOYED
Great Britain 1977
Number of persons 640,000
Number of families 230,000
ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AND OF CHILDREN IN SUCH FAMILIES, WITH INCOMES BELOW SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT LEVEL: FAMILY HEAD IN FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT OR SELF EMPLOYED
Great Britain 1977
Two-parent families One-parent families All families
Families Children Families Children Families Children
110,000 250,000 110,000 130,000 120,000 280,000
ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF CHILDREN IN FAMILIES WITH INCOMES AT VARIOUS LEVELS
Great Britain 1977
Below supplementary benefit level Above but less than 10 per cent. above supplementary benefit level Above but less than 40 per cent. above supplementary benefit level Receiving supplementary benefit
440,000 300,000 2,150,000 980,000
NOTES ON THE TABLES
1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000. Consequently the sum of the component parts may not equal the totals.
2. The estimates for those not receiving supplementary benefit are based on the Department of Health and Social Security analysis of incomes and other information recorded by respondents to the family expenditure survey for 1977. The estimates are subject to statistical error; those figures in square brackets are subject to very considerable proportionate statistical error. Estimates of those receiving supplementary benefit are derived from the annual statistical inquiry of supplementary benefit claimants.
3. These estimates relate only to the population living in private households. Families and persons in institutions are not sampled in the family expenditure survey.
4. The supplementary benefit level is taken as being the supplementary benefit scale rate(s) appropriate to the family, using the long term rates for pensioners only. Income refers to net income—including all benefits—less housing costs, work expenses, income tax and national insurance contribution, as appropriate.
5. The comparison is based on the family's normal income in the normal employment of the family head. For example, where the head of the family had been off work due to sickness or unemployment for less than three months at the time of the survey, the family's normal income when the head was at work was used in determining the level of income.
6. The estimates of numbers of families with income below the supplementary benefit level do not indicate unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit. For example, those who are in full-time work or undertaking full-time further education would not normally have entitlement to supplementary benefit. For others not precluded from claiming, no regard is had in these estimates to factors such as disregarded income, treatment of capital or exceptional circumstances additions, each of which can affect payment of supplementary benefit.
7. Separate estimates of families with apparent unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit are now made annually. Those for 1976 were published in the annual report of the Supplementary Benefits Commission for 1977—Cmnd. 7392. Estimates for 1977 will be published in the Commission's report for 1978.
8. The 1977 estimates of families with incomes below the supplementary benefit level are directly comparable with those for 1974, 1975 and 1976 but not with those for 1972 and 1973. In earlier years it had been assumed that the income distribution of the self-employed was the same as for employees. Self-employed sample records were included in the analysis in 1974 for the first time and this has been repeated since. The figures on the self-employed are specially liable to error because their incomes recorded in the family expenditure survey tend to be particularly low in relation to their recorded expenditure. This discrepancy is partly due to the incomes of the self-employed being recorded in many cases for a much earlier period than that to which their expenditure relates and the data in the tables for 1975, 1976 and 1977 have been adjusted to take account of this. The 1977 data contained more information so a finer adjustment was possible for that year.