§ Dame Patricia Hornsby-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many deserted wives and unmarried mothers granted maintenance orders are drawing the comparable sum from the National Assistance Board due to nonpayment of such court orders.
§ Mr. DeanI regret that this information is not available as the reasons for the payment of supplementary benefit (formerly national assistance) are not analysed.
55WMy right hon. Friend may, however, wish to know that, on the basis of information obtained annually of the amount of supplementary benefit paid to various categories of claimants, it is estimated that in 1972 about £80 million was paid to about 148,100 separated wives and about £24 million to about 47,300 single women with illegitimate children where it was necessary to pursue the question of liability to maintain. These sums were paid after taking into account maintenance payments of about £7 million and £1½ million respectively received by the wives and single women themselves.
It is not possible to make a reliable estimate of how much of the total of £104 million was paid as a direct consequence of the failure to meet maintenance and affiliation orders.
During the financial year 1972–73 the Department recovered about £12½ million from persons liable to maintain. It is not known how much of this sum was in respect of separated wives or single women with children.