HC Deb 24 February 1983 vol 37 cc533-4W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the net weekly spending power of a man with a wife and two children, calculated on the same basis as in the tax benefits model tables for November 1982 whose wage was £150 per week if he was paying mortgage interest of (a) £10, (b) £20, (c) £30, (d) £40 and (e) £50 per week, comparing it with the net weekly spending power (i) while receiving unemployment benefit and (ii) when unemployment benefit had ceased and he is totally dependent on supplementary benefit.

Mr. Newton

I have been asked to reply.

The following table shows the net weekly spending power of a man with a wife and two children aged 4 and 6:

1 2 3 4
Mortgage interest paid Employed earning £150 a week Unemployed receiving unemployment benefit only* Unemployed receiving supplementary benefit
£ £ £ £
10 98.78 45.42 66.77
20 91.78 35.42 66.77
30 84.78 25.42 66.77
40† 77.78 15.42 66.77
50† 73.28 5.42 66.77
Note
* In all these cases the individual would be entitled to supplementary benefit. If taken up net weekly spending power would be £66.77 a week as in column 4.
† These interest payments would not be consistent with normal building society policy for advances against an earnings level of £150 per

Nihe District Office Average arrears per household* Average overall housing maintenance cost per dwelling† Average staff cost per dwelling† Number of Squatters
£ £ £ New cases in 1982 at 31 December 1982
Belfast 1 178 260 52.55 112 287
2 62 287 61.88 7 30
3 233 393 59.89 194 610
4 89 329 66.49 23 71
5 111 281 58.11 19 98
6 111 183 66.01 66 99
7 63 414 67.04 44 59
Antrim 115 333 45.34 5 —
Ballycastle 42 281 56.36 4 1
Ballymena 53 224 44.30 4 1
Ballymoney 46 168 51.74 1 —
Carrickfergus 110 171 47.69 — 12
Larne 62 167 49.72 1 —
Newtownabbey* 71 169 45.06 2 8

week.

Assumptions

  1. 1. The wife has no earnings or income other than child benefit.
  2. 2. Mortgage capital repayment is ignored because it is not met in supplementary benefit awards. General rates are £5.10 a week and water rate is £1.30 a week.
  3. 3. Fares to work are £5.50 a week.
  4. 4. All means-tested benefits are taken up in full except supplementary benefit in the column 3 examples.
  5. 5. Local authorities continues to exercise their discretion to allow free or cheap meals on low income bounds.
  6. 6. No tax repayments are received out of work.