§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish a table of figures giving the single and married couples' retirement pension and all stated welfare benefits as at October, 1969, and allowing
VALUE OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT RATES AT OCTOBER, 1969 COMPARED WITH THE RATES AT FEBRUARY. 1972 AND THE PROPOSED RATES FOR OCTOBER, 1972, AFTER ALLOWING FOR INCREASES IN PRICES Standard rate of benefit in October, 1969 Equivalent of October 1969 rate of February, 1972 Prices* Rate in payment at February, 1972 £ Increase in value of February, 1972 rate over equivalent of October, 1969 Percent. Equivalent of October, 1969 rate of October, 1972 Prices*† Proposed rate of benefit in October, 1972 Increase in value of proposed October, 1972 rate over equivalent of October 1969 rate Percent. £ £ £ Per cent. £ £ Per cent. Unemployment benefit sickness benefit and retirement pension: Single person 4.50 5.40 6.00 11.1 5.64 6.75 19.8 Married couple 7.30 8.76 9.70 10.8 9.14 10.90 19.2 Single person 80 or over 4.50 5.40 6.25 15.8 5.64 7.00 24.2 Married couple both 80 or over 7.30 8.76 10.20 16.5 9.14 11.40 24.7 Industry injury benefit: Single person 7.25 8.70 8.75 0.6 9.08 9.50 4.6 Married couple 10.05 12.06 12.45 3.3 12.59 13.65 8.5 100 per cent. Disablement Pension 7.60 9.12 10.00 9.7 9.52 11.20 17.7 Supplementary benefit: Single householder 4.55 5.46 5.80 6.3 5.71 6.55 14.8 Married couple 7.'45 8.94 9.45 5.7 9.35 10.65 14.0 Notes *Based on the General Index of Retail Prices, except in the case of supplementary benefit, where the General Index less housing costs has been used because rent is provided for separately in the assessment of individual entitlement. † October, 1972 prices estimated on assumption of movement of Index of Retail Prices continuing at the rate of movement between October, 1971 and February, 1972 i.e. 0.54 per cent. a month, compound, for General Index of Retail Prices and 0.56 per cent., compound, for the General Index less housing costs.