HC Deb 31 January 1973 vol 849 cc412-3W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will tabulate the total net weekly income of a man with a wife and three children under 11 years of age, assuming a weekly wage of £15, £20, £25, £30 and £35, respectively, and that the previous year's pay was at the same rates, allowing for relevant tax repayments and any welfare benefits in the following circumstances—for a week's work after 39 weeks at the appropriate rate and when unemployed after 39 weeks employment and when qualifying for earnings-related supplement; and how many weeks of the year the take-home pay when out of work could exceed the take-home pay when at work.

Mr. Nott

The figures are:

Weekly wage A B Number of weeks when take-home pay when out of work could exceed take-home when at work
£ £ £
15 15.72 17.20
FIS 3.60 3.60
19.32 20.80 25
20 20.47 19.75
FIS 1.10 1.10
21.57 20.85 nil
25 24.34 29.65 3
30 27.60 30.95 11
35 30.86 31.00 16

Column A shows the man's net weekly income when at work for week 40 of the tax year.

Column B shows his total income from unemployment benefit (including earnings related supplement) and (where appropriate) tax refunds for week 42 on the assumption that that is his third consecutive week of unemployment.

The figures take account of the family allowances and the National Insurance (including graduated pension) contributions but they do not include any supplementary benefit that might be receivable during unemployment.

Family Income Supplement payments are shown separately. They appear under column B as well as column A because a man who becomes entitled to FIS will receive it for the period of the award regardless of whether he becomes unemployed during that period.