§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the saving in expenditure if all index-linked state pensions, retirement and occupation, welfare, housing, national insurance, and all other national or local government benefits or allowances were indexed to the inflation rate appertaining on the date as at present minus 1 per cent.
§ Dr. BoysonA one percentage point reduction in the amount by which social security benefits and public service pensions are uprated in November 1984 would lead to a saving in expenditure of £365 million in a full year.
§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for Social Service if he will list in the Official Report all the benefits for which his Department is responsible and the average amount of each benefit to the recipient; and if he will give the total cost of these benefits.
§ Dr. BoysonWe shall publish the latest available information shortly, and I shall inform my hon. Friend when it has been published.
§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will show the level of unemployment benefit, as a proportion of average earnings previously earned, for a married man with two children aged under 11 years at the latest convenient date, and at 1 January 1980, 1 January 1970 and 1 January 1960, respectively.
§ Dr. BoysonUnemployment benefit for a married man with two children as a percentage of average gross earnings for male manual workers was 40.4 in February 1958, 41.2 in November 1969, 32.2 in November 1979. The provisional figure for November 1983 is 38.5. Unemployment benefit as a percentage of net income for the same category was 41.3 in February 1958, 48.9 in November 1969, 39.2 in November 1979. The provisional figure for November 1983 is 47.7. These comparisons refer to uprating dates. Some of this information has been derived from table 6.1a of the "Abstract of Statistics for Index of Retail Prices, Average Earnings, Social Security Benefits and Contributions", a copy of which is in the Library, and which makes additional comparisons taking more full account of the effects of other benefits, tax and contribution rules.
§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will show the level of supplementary benefit, or its equivalent, as a proportion of average earnings, for a married man with two children aged under 11 years at the latest convenient date, and at 1 January 1980, 1 January 1970 and 1 January 1960, respectively.
§ Dr. BoysonInformation showing the level of supplementary benefit, or its equivalent, including provision for housing costs, for a couple with two children under 11 as a proportion of average net income from earnings is given in table 6.4a of the "Abstract of Statistics for Index of Retail Prices, Average Earnings, Social Security Benefits and Contributions, June 1983", a copy of which is in the Library. The comparisons relate to up-rating dates, and the information for the nearest dates to those requested is as follows:750W
Per cent. September 1959 54.7 November 1969 66.4 November 1979 60.8 The corresponding figure for November 1983 is 69.9 per cent. but this is provisional and the best estimate available.