§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the average cost of unemployment benefit payable to a man who had been earning the average industrial wage before becoming unemployed for the first year of unemployment; and what is his latest estimate of the total annual cost of unemployment benefit for the current financial year.
§ Mr. RossiThe average amount of unemployment benefit, including dependency increases, currently paid to men receiving the standard rate of benefit is £29.65 a week. The rate of benefit depends on a man's contribution record and not directly on the level of his earnings, but a man who earned average earnings throughout the relevant contribution year would receive the standard rate of benefit. The latest estimate of the total cost of unemployment benefit for 1982–83 is £1,650 million.