Supplementary Benefit

HC Deb 21 December 1981 vol 15 cc294-5W

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers of unemployed people receiving supplementary benefit, the number of those who have been unemployed for longer than one year, the number of children in families with an unemployed head receiving supplementary benefit and the number of children in families with a head receiving supplementary benefit who has been unemployed for longer than one year; and, in each case, if he will distinguish between one- and two-parent families.

Mrs. Chalker

Information relating to December 1980 is given in the table below. I regret that it is not available in the form requested.

	Thousands
Unemployed supplementary beneficiaries	854
forming two-parent families	221
forming one-parent families	11
Children of all unemployed beneficiaries	509
in two-parent families	494
in one-parent families	15
Supplementary beneficiaries unemployed for over one year	245
Children of beneficiaries unemployed for over one year	153

Source: Annual Statistical Inquiry.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest figures for the number of people receiving supplementary benefit, the total number of their dependants and the number of children; and if he will give separate figures for them using the lower rate and the higher rate of benefit.

Mrs. Chalker

Information is not available in the form requested. On 3 December 1980, there were, however, 3,118,000 supplementary beneficiaries with 621,000 dependent wives and 1,125,000 children. 2,061,000 beneficiaries were receiving the long-term rate, and 1,057,000 the ordinary rate.

Source: Annual Statistical Enquiry, December 1980.

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many lone parents receive supplementary benefit; and what percentage this is of all lone parents.

Mrs. Chalker

336,000 lone parents were receiving supplementary benefit at December 1980, the latest date for which the information is available. This represents about 37 per cent. of all lone parents.