HC Deb 03 December 1981 vol 14 cc218-9W
Mr. Rooker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the savings in each national insurance benefit effected by section 4 of the Social Security (No. 2) Act 1980 from January 1982 in weekly terms of the average benefit payable to a claimant.

Mrs. Chalker

I gave estimates of the average amounts of earnings-related supplement and earnings-related allowance that would have been payable with new claims for benefit in 1982 if section 4 of the Social Security (No. 2) Act 1980 had not been enacted, in reply to the hon. Member's question on 29 July 1980.—[Vol. 989, c. 616.] Revised estimates, based on the latest available statistics for earnings-related benefits updated to the 1980–81 tax year in line with earnings index figures, are as follows:

Sickness benefit £13.00
Unemployment benefit £11.20
Injury benefit £14.10
Maternity allowance £8.80
Widow's allowance £14.90

Unemployed claimants by benefit entitlement
Great Britain (thousands)
Date Unemployment benefit only Unemployment benefit and supplementary allowance Supplementary allowance only No Benefit*
February 1978 468 134 548 260
February 1979 450 105 524 205
February 1980 470 101 496 219
February 1981 940 225 735 294

Source: 100 per cent. count of claimants to unemployment benefit or credits.

* Includes those whose benefit entitlement had not been determined at the date of the count.