§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will compare the net weekly spending power of a man with a wife and two children when earning £130 weekly and paying £50 in mortgage repayments with his net weekly spending power when unemployed;
(2) if he will compare the net weekly spending power of a man with a wife and two children when earning £100 per week with mortgage repayments of (a) £40, (b) £30 and (c) £25 with his net weekly spending power when unemployed.
§ Mr. NewtonI refer my hon. Member to my reply to his question on 11 March 1983—[Vol. 38, c.519–20]—which gave the information requested so far as the position in work is concerned.
On the basis of the same assumptions made in that reply, the new weekly spending power of an unemployed man with a wife and two children aged 4 and 6 paying £50, £40, £30 or £25 a week in mortgage repayments would be £66.77, assuming he takes up entitlement to supplementary benefit. The amount is not affected by the previous level of earnings.