§ Ms. Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of one-parent families and two-parent families in receipt of supplementary benefit for each of the last five years; what was the average payment; and what was the average length of time spent on supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe information to the latest date available is as follows:
single, (ii) widowed, (iii) divorced, (iv) seperated and (v) a prisoner's spouse, giving the number of children in each category and the average payment to reach category.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe available information, for December 1983, is as follows:
749W
(a) Female lone parents (b) Male lone parents Number Number of children Average weekly payment Number Number of children Average weekly payment (thousands) (thousands) (thousands) £ (thousands) (thousands) £ iv. separated 148 281 37.37 9 16 39.53 v. prisoner's spouse 4 8 40.95 — — — Totals *451 *755 36.73 24 39 39.66 * The figures do not add up exactly due to rounding. Source: Annual statistical inquiry 1983
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give details of special rules about income earned during the on-season in relation to the eligibility of seasonal workers for supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. WhitneyPeople who engage in seasonal work are entitled to supplementary benefit during their off-season if they are unemployed and available for full-time work, but on-season earnings may affect the amount of supplementary benefit payable.
If the on-season earnings of a claimant exceed two-and-half times his normal and additional requirements (three times the single household ordinary rate, if greater) the excess is regarded as available for the weeks of the off-season. The excess is divided by the number of weeks in the off-season and the result is treated as weekly earnings, subject to the normal earnings disregard.