Social Service Benefits (Value) (Hansard, 9 April 1963)

§ Sir T. Beamish

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance if he 149W will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing all social service benefits for which he was responsible on 1st November, 1951, and the same benefits on 1st June, 1963; by how much the latter exceed or fall below the amount needed to offset exactly the rise in the cost of living during the same period, assuming

SOCIAL SERVICE BENEFITS WHICH ARE NOW THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MINISTER OF PENSIONS AND NATIONAL INSURANCE
	November, 1951
—	Standard Rate	Equivalent value in June, 1963 (a)	Standard Rate in June, 1963	Excess of amount in col. (3) over amount in col. (2)
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
NATIONAL INSURANCE ACTS:
Unemployment and sickness benefits:
Single person	1	6	0	1	17	8	3	7	6	1	9	10
Married couple	2	2	0	3	0	11	5	9	0	2	8	1
Increase for first child		10	0		14	6	1	0	0		5	6
Increase for each other child		2	6		3	7		12	0		8	5
Maternity benefit:
Maternity grant (and attendance allowance, in 1951)	8	0	0	11	12	0	16	0	0	4	8	0
Maternity allowance (b)	1	16	0	2	12	2	3	7	6		15	4
Increase for adult dependant		—			—		2	1	6	2	1	6
Increase for first child		—			—		1	0	0	1	0	0
Increase for each other child		—			—			12	0		12	0
Home confinement grant		—			—		6	0	0	6	0	0
Widow's benefit:
Widow's allowance	1	16	0	2	12	2	4	15	0	2	2	10
Increase for first child		10	0		14	6	1	10	0		15	6
Increase for each other child		2	6		3	7	1	2	0		18	5
Widowed mother's allowance	2	0	0	2	18	0	4	17	6	1	19	6
Increase for each child after the first		2	6		3	7	1	2	0		18	5
Widow's pension	1	6	0	1	17	8	3	7	6	1	9	10
10s. widow's pension or contributory old age pension		10	0		14	6		10	0	—	4	6^*
Guardian's allowance (payable for each child)		13	6		19	7	1	17	6		17	11
Child's special allowance		—			—		1	10	0	1	10	0
Increase for each additional child		—			—		1	2	0	1	2	0
Retirement pension:
Single person	1	10	0	2	3	6	3	7	6	1	4	0
Married couple	2	10	0	3	12	6	5	9	0	1	16	6
Death grant	20	0	0		(c)		25	0	0		(c)
NATIONAL INSURANCE (INDUSTRIAL INJURIES) ACTS (d):
Injury benefit:
Single person	2	5	0	3	5	3	5	15	0	2	9	9
Married couple	3	1	0	4	8	5	7	16	6	3	8	1
Increase for first child		10	0		14	6	1	0	0		5	6
Increase for each other child		2	6		3	7		12	0		8	5
Disablement benefit:
Disablement pension at 100 per cent, rate	2	5	0	3	5	3	5	15	0	2	9	9
Disablement gratuity (maximum)	150	0	0	217	8	7	380	0	0	162	11	5
Unemployability supplement	1	0	0	1	9	0	3	7	6	1	18	6
Constant attendance allowance:
(i) Normal maximum	1	0	0	1	9	0	2	10	0	1	1	0
(ii) Exceptional maximum in cases of very severe disablement	2	0	0	2	18	0	5	0	0	2	2	0
Special hardship allowance (maximum)	1	0	0	1	9	0	2	6	0		17	0

150W

there is no rise between now and 1st June; and if he will indicate with an asterisk all benefits the real value of which has been reduced during this period by the rise in the cost of living.

§ Mr. N. Macpherson

The comparison requested is made in the following table:

151W

	November, 1951
—	Standard Rate	Equivalent value in June, 1963 (a)	Standard Rate in June, 1963	Excess of amount in col. (3) over amount in col. (2)
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Industrial death benefit:
Widow's pension (first 13 weeks of widowhood	1	16	0	2	12	2	4	15	0	2	2	10
Allowance for first child		10	0		14	6	1	10	0		15	6
Allowance for each other child		2	6		3	7	1	2	0		18	5
Widow's pension (widow with child(ren)or over 50 at date of husband's death or over 40 on cessation of allowance for child(over 50 untill953) or permanently incapable of self-support at deceased's death)	1	10	0	2	3	6	3	15	0	1	11	6
Widow's pension (other)	1	0	0	1	9	0	1	0	0	—	9	0^*
Widower's pension	1	10	0	2	3	6	3	15	0	1	11	6^*
Parents' pension:
Two parents living together (15s. each)	1	10	0	2	3	6	1	10	0	—	13	6^*
Otherwise	1	0	0	1	9	0	1	0	0	—	9	0^*
Parents' gratuity:
Two parents entitled (maximum)	78	0	0	113	1	3	78	0	0	—35	1	3^*
One parent entitled (maximum)	52	0	0	75	7	6	52	0	0	—23	7	6^*
Relative's pension	1	0	0	1	9	0	1	0	0	—	9	0^*
Relative's allowance (for 13 weeks)	1	16	0	2	12	2	1	16	0	—	16	2^*
Relative's gratuity (maximum)	104	0	0	150	15	0	104	0	0	—46	15	0^*
Allowance to woman having care of deceased's child(ren)	1	0	0	1	9	0	1	0	0	—	9	0^*
Children's allowance:
For deceased's children living with or maintained by widow—
First child		10	0		14	6	1	10	0		15	6
Each other child		2	6		3	7	1	2	0		18	5
Otherwise—
First child		10	0		14	6	1	0	0		5	6
Each other child		2	6		3	7		12	0		8	5
Allowances payable out of the Industrial Injuries Fund to persons injured before 5th July, 1948:
Men on Workmen's Compensation— Injured before 1st January, 1924 and Totally incapacitated(maximuro) (e)	2	0	0	2	18	0	5	5	0	2	7	0
Partially incapacitated (maximum)	2	0	0	2	18	0	3	10	0		12	0
Injured on 1st January, 1924 or later and Totally incapacitated		—			—		3	5	0	3	5	0
Partially incapacitated (maximum)		—			—		1	10	0	1	10	0
Men suffering from certain industrial diseases (mainly pneumoconiosis) but not entitled to Workmen's Compensation—
Totally disabled		—			—		5	5	0	5	5	0
Partially disabled		—			—		2	2	6	2	2	6
FAMILY ALLOWANCES ACTS:
Second child		5	0		7	3		8	0			9
Third and subsequent children		5	0		7	3		10	0		2	9
WAR PENSIONS (d) (f):
Disablement pension at 100per cent. rate	2	5	0	3	5	3	5	15	0	2	9	9
Allowance for wife		10	0		14	6		10	0	—	4	6^*
Allowance for each child		7	6		10	10		7	6	—	3	4^*
Supplementary allowances:
Unemployability supplement	1	15	0	2	10	9	3	14	0	1	3	3
Constant attendance allowance:
Normal maximum	1	0	0	1	9	0	2	10	0	1	1	0
Exceptional maximum in cases of very severe disablement	2	0	0	2	18	0	5	0	0	2	2	0

152W 153W

	November, 1951
—	Standard Rate	Equivalent value in June, 1963 (a)	Standard Rate in June, 1963	Excess of amount in col. (3) over amount in col. (2)
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Allowance for lowered standard of occupation (maximum)	1	0	0	1	9	0	2	6	0		17	0
Clothing allowance	5	0	0	7	4	11	7	10	0		5	1
	and			and			and			and
8	0	0	11	11	11	12	10	0		18	1
Comforts allowance		10	0		14	6	1	0	0		5	6
Ace allowance		—			—		5s	to	15s	5s	to	15s
Severe disablement occupational allowance		—			—		1	0	0	1	0	0
Education allowance (maximum)	80	0	0	115	19	3	120	0	0	4	0	9
Additional treatment allowance	1	6	0	1	17	8	3	7	6	1	9	10
Dependants' allowances payable with un-employability supplement or additional treatment allowance:
Wife or adult dependant (where no wife)		16	0	1	3	2	2	1	6		18	4
First or only child		10	0		14	6	1	0	0		5	6
Other children		7	6		10	10		12	0		1	2
Widows' pension:
Widow with child(ren) or over 40 or incapacitated	1	15	0	2	10	9	4	10	0	1	19	3
Allowance for each child		11	0		15	11	1	14	0		18	1
Education allowance (maximum)	80	0	0	115	19	3	120	0	0	4	0	9
Rent allowance (maximum)		15	0	1	1	9	1	14	0		12	3
Allowance for elderly widows		—			—			10	0		10	0
Other widow	1	0	0	1	9	0	1	0	0	—	9	0^*
Widowers' pension (maximum)	1	15	0	2	10	9	4	10	0	1	19	3
Unmarried dependant living as wife	1	7	6	1	19	10	4	2	6	2	2	8
Orphans:
Under 15 years		13	6		19	7	2	0	6	1	0	11
15 and over	1	0	0	1	9	0	2	14	0	1	5	0
Adult orphan incapable of self-support	1	6	0	1	17	8	3	7	6	1	9	10
Parents' pension:
Normal maximum—
One parent	1	0	0	1	9	0	1	0	0	—	9	0^*
Two parents living together	1	7	6	1	19	10	1	7	6	—	12	4^*
Exceptional maximum—
One parent	1	7	6	1	19	10	1	7	6	—	12	4^*
Two parents living together	2	0	0	2	18	0	2	0	0	—	18	0^*
Flat rate pension		5	0		7	3		5	0	—	2	3^*
Other dependants'pension	1	0	0	1	9	0	1	0	0	—	9	0^*
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACTS:
Ordinary Scale Rates (g):
Husband and wife	2	10	0	3	12	6	5	4	6	1	12	0
Single householder	1	10	0	2	3	6	3	3	6	1	0	0
Other persons—
Aged 21 or over	1	6	0	1	17	8	2	15	0		17	4
Afied 18–20	1	2	0	1	11	11	2	3	0		11	1
Aged 16–17		18	6	1	6	10	1	17	0		10	2
Aged 11–15		13	6		19	7	1	8	0		8	5
Aged 5–10		11	6		16	8	1	3	0		6	4
Aged under 5		9	6		13	9		19	6		5	9
Scale rate (g) for blind and certain tuberculous persons:
For a husband and wife—
of whom one is such a person	3	5	0	4	14	3	6	9	0	1	14	9
of whom both are such persons	3	15	0	5	8	9	7	5	0	1	16	3
For other persons—
Aged 21 or over	2	5	0	3	5	3	4	8	0	1	2	9
Aged 18–20	1	14	6	2	10	0	3	3	0		13	0
Aged 16–17	1	8	6	2	1	4	2	13	0		11	8

154W 155W

	November, 1951
—	Standard Rate	Equivalent value in June, 1963 (a)	Standard Rate in June, 1963	Excess of amount in col. (3) over amount in col. (2)
	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
OLD AGE PENSIONS ACT, 1936 (as amended):
Non-contributory old age pension—
For a person other than a married woman (maximum) (h)	1	8	4	2	1	1	1	8	4	—	12	9^*
For a married woman (maximum) (h)		18	4	1	6	7		18	4	—	8	3^*
NOTES:
(a) On the basis of the Retail Prices Index for February, 1963.
(b) Maternity allowance was payable for 13 weeks in 1951, but for 18 weeks from 1953 onwards.
(c) There is no prices index available which is relevant to this grant.
(d) In general, pensions for loss of faculty and allowances for special hardship or lowered standard of occupation are payable to unemployed or sick persons in addition to any unemployment or sickness benefit to which they may be entitled; but the total amount paid for a dependant may not exceed the most favourable rate applicable in the particular case.
(e) The 1963 rate includes an allowance of up to 40s. related to loss of earnings plus a flat rate allowance of 65s.
(f) Higher rates are payable to officers and non-commissioned officers, and their widows.
(g) Rates for requirements other than rent, which is allowed for in addition.
(h) The rates in 1951 were £1 6s. and 16s. respectively, but the figure in the table includes 2s. 4d. which was the value of the tobacco token then available separately. The rates were increased in 1958 when tobacco tokens were abolished.