§ Mr. Lomasasked the Minister of Social Security if she will list in a table in the OFFICIAL REPORT what percentage of the average earnings are the various social security benefits at the latest available date; and what the percentage was of the average earnings in 1938, 1945, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, and 1964.
§ Mr. PentlandThe following table gives this information for the main benefits of the War Pensions, National Insurance and Industrial Injuries Schemes:
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SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS IN SELECTED YEARS* Per cent. 1938 1945† 1947 1952 1957 1962 1964 1966 Unemployment benefit Single man 25 20 19 18 16 18 19 20 Single woman 46 35 32 34 31 36 38 40 Married couple 39 33 31 30 26 29 30 32 Sickness benefit Single man 22 15 14 18 16 18 19 20 Single woman 37 24 22 34 31 36 38 40 Married couple 22 15 14 30 26 29 30 32 Retirement pension Single person 14 8 20 18 16 18 19 20 Married couple 29 16 33 30 26 29 30 32 Widow's pension 14 8 8 18 16 18 19 20 Allownce for widowed mother 26 15 14 25 26 31 37 37 with two childrent‡ (16) (28) (29) (34) (39) (39) Injury benefit § Single person 31 27 31 32 33 Married couple 43 37 42 43 46 Industrial disablement benefit § Disablement assessed at 100 per cent. 31 27 31 32 33 with maximum supplementary allowances for a very severely disabled married man. 89 77 85 89 107 Industrial death benefit for a widow (Standard Rate) § 21 18 20 21 22 War pension (Ex-private) 100 per cent, disabled man Single under 65 58 33 35 31 27 31 32 33 over 65 58 33 35 31 33 35 36 37 with maximum supplementary allowances for a very severely disabled married man under 65 101 79 94 96 82 93 97 114 over 65 101 79 94 96 88 98 101 118 War widow over 40 39 27 27 24 21 24 25 26 over 70 39 27 27 24 21 27 28 28 with two children and maxi- 64 55 56 44 46 51 57 57 mum rent allowance‡ (60) (47) (49) (54) (59) (59) * All figures other than those for 1945 relate to October and represent proportions of the average earnings of manual workers in manufacturing and some of the principal non-manufacturing industries shown by the Ministry of Labour's half-yearly enquiries into earnings. Figures for single men, married couples and widows are proportions of the average earnings of men; figures for single women other than widows are proportions of the average earnings of women. † In 1945 the Ministry of Labour's half-yearly enquiries were carried out in January and July and the figures in this table relate to the position in July. ‡ Figures in brackets include allowances under the Family Allowances Act. § Payable from 5th July, 1948.