HC Deb 24 June 1981 vol 7 c113W
Miss Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the value of flat rate unemployment benefit for a single person, a married couple and a married couple with two children, for each year since 1948 as an index with 1948 equal to 100.

Mrs. Chalker

The following table gives the information, based on the index of retail prices, for the months in which benefits were increased. The column for the married couple with two children does not take account of family allowances/child benefit.

Date Single Person Married Couple Married Couple with Two Children
July 1948 100.0 100.0 100.0
August 1951 85.0 85.0 93.6
July 1952 98.2 101.0 106.3
May 1955 113.4 114.1 119.2
February 1958 125.8 124.6 134.8
April 1961 137.4 136.8 150.0
March 1963 150.0 149.9 164.5
January 1965 168.3 169.3 184.6
October 1967 173.2 174.0 190.1
November 1969 172.6 173.1 186.7
September 1971 177.8 178.0 194.6
October 1972 184.3 184.3 203.7
October 1973 182.6 183.1 203.7
July 1974 188.3 1884 211.6
April 1975 182.4 183.2 201.4
November 1975 184.9 185.6 205.7
November 1976 186.9 187.5 209.3
November 1977 188.4 188.9 204.1
November 1978 186.9 187.3 182.0
November 1979 186.9 187.4 177.1
November 1980 181.0 181.2 165.3