HC Deb 01 May 1991 vol 190 cc251-2W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the net income at which community charge benefit runs out for the average community charge in(a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) inner London in 1991–92 for the family types (i) a single person aged under 25 years, (ii) a single person aged over 25 years, (iii) a pensioner couple, (iv) a single parent family with a child aged eight and (v) a married couple with two children aged four and six years.

Miss Widdecombe

The information requested is in the following table:

Net Income at which entitlement to Community Charge Benefit ceases
England Scotland Wales Inner London
£ £ £ £
Average community charge 252.00 253.00 121.00 219.00
Average weekly charge 4.82 4.84 2.31 4.19
Maximum 80 per cent, benefit 3.86 3.87 1.85 3.35
Single under 25 61.85 61.96 48.49 58.49
Single over 25 70.35 70.46 56.99 66.99
Pensioner couple 60 to 74 134.56 134.76 107.83 127.83
Pensioner couple 75 to 79 137.01 137.21 110.28 130.28
Pensioner couple 80 139.86 140.06 113.13 133.13
Single parent child under 11 121.70 121.81 108.34 118.34
Couple, two children under 11 158.31 158.51 131.58 151.58

Notes:

1. The average community charge figures take account of the £140 reduction in charge levels, they do not however take account of the community charge reduction scheme. The net income figures given in the table will be lower if the average charges are adjusted to take account of the average reduction under the community charge reduction scheme.

2. People below pension age are assumed to be in employment and subject to relevant earnings disregards.

3. Average weekly charge and maximum 80 per cent. benefit relate to a single person, or each member of a couple.