HC Deb 21 April 1995 vol 258 cc314-5W
Mr. Timms

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to publish on a monthly basis the numbers of people refused income support because of the habitual residence requirement broken down into(a) Benefits Agency districts and (b) numbers of British nationals, EEA nationals and others affected. [17879]

Mr. Roger Evans

The information requested will be placed in the Library, on a monthly basis, for the year 1995–96, starting in May.

Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the supplementary benefit or income support for(a) a couple with two children aged six and eight years and (b) a lone parent with one child aged six years as a proportion of average earnings for men and women in each year since 1970. [19937]

Mr. Roger Evans

The information requested is in the table.

Average earnings Supplementary Benefit/Income Support scale rates
Couple Single parent
Rate as a percentage of average earnings for: Rate as a percentage of average earnings for:
Men £ per week Women £ per week Applicable amount £ per week Men percentage Women percentage Long term rate applicable Amount £ per week Men percentage Women percentage
April 1993 353.50 252.60 108.75 30.8 43.1 73.60 20.8 29.1
April 1994 362.10 261.50 113.05 31.2 43.2 76.50 21.1 29.3
April 1995 115.15 77.90

Notes:

1. For supplementary benefit it has been assumed for the couple that the ordinary scale rate for a married couple is in payment and for the lone parent that the long-term rate for a single householder is in payment. Appropriate child additions have been included for each family type but no additional requirements have been allowed for.

2. Income support replaced supplementary benefit in 1988. Entitlement for each family type includes appropriate personal and child allowances plus premiums. However, income support personal allowances and supplementary benefit scale rates are not entirely comparable. For example, income support includes an element for water charges whereas under supplementary benefit these could be met in full via the rate rebate scheme. No account has been taken of this.

3. Average earnings are for all occupations for full-time rates of pay and are taken from the new earnings survey.

4. Up to 1983 the earnings data relate to full-time workers aged 21 and over whose earnings are unaffected by absence. From 1983 the data are in respect of all full time workers on adult rates whose earnings are unaffected by absence.