§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 3 June,Official Report, column 116–18 on the value of income support, if he will give the figures for columns D and E for the period on which each year's uprating was based.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe information requested is in the table, although from 1974 only. The production of figures for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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A Benefit uprating date B Benefit rate C Percentage increase in 'B' D Earnings percentage increase E RPI percentage increase 22 July 1974 8.40 17.5 17.1 17.1 7 April 1975 9.60 14.3 20.2 17.7 17 November 1975 10.90 13.5 15.0 13.2 15 November 1976 12.70 16.5 12.5 15.0 14 November 1977 14.50 14.2 9.3 13.0
A Benefit uprating date B Benefit rate C Percentage increase in 'B' D Earnings percentage increase E RPI percentage increase 13 November 1978 15.55 7.2 14.9 8.1 12 November 1979 18.30 17.7 19.1 17.4 24 November 1980 21.30 16.4 18.4 15.3 23 November 1981 23.25 9.2 10.7 12.0 22 November 1982 25.70 10.5 7.4 6.3 21 November 1983 26.80 4.3 6.6 3.7 26 November 1984 28.05 4.7 8.3 5.1 25 November 1985 29.50 5.2 7.7 7.0 28 July 1986 29.80 1.0 5.0 1.1 6 April 1987 30.40 2.0 5.1 2.1 11 April 1988 33.40 9.9 8.7 4.2 10 April 1989 34.90 4.5 9.4 5.8 9 April 1990 36.70 5.2 9.6 7.6 8 April 1991 39.65 8.0 9.8 10.9 Notes:
Column B—shows the Supplementary Benefit basic single householder scale rate for the years 1974–87 excluding housing costs. These were paid through Supplementary Benefit until 1982–83 (not included in the scale rates) and then paid via Housing Benefit. From April 1988 the figures are the Income Support basic personal allowance for a single person over 25. No Supplementary Benefit additional requirements or Income Support premiums for special needs have been included.
Column C—shows the percentage increase from one uprating date to the next. This will not necessarily reflect the uprating index for that year because of rounding. Also in the earlier years uprating was calculated by forecasting likely changes in the RPI and this sometimes meant that adjustments had to be made the following year.
Column D—gives the percentage increase in the average gross weekly earnings of all adult males from the New Earnings Survey. This percentage is for the period on which each year's uprating was based.
Column E—shows the actual movement in the Retail Price Index for all items calculated for the period on which each year's uprating was based.
§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what level of basic income support would be provided currently to a single individual under 24 years of age who claims as a result of being refused unemployment benefit and has no other form of income.
§ Mr. Jack; For a claimant aged 18 or over, the level of basic income support would be £31.15, assuming the normal conditions of entitlement are satisfied.