§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of families now receiving family in come supplement; and what is the average amount of benefit received.
§ Mr. DeanAt the end of February 1973, the latest date for which information is available, 79,000 families were receiving family income supplement; the average weekly payment was £2–05. In addition, families whose supplementary benefit was subject to the wage-stop provision were benefiting from the family income supplement scheme. Information on this was given in my reply to my hon. Friend on 4th April.—[Vol. 854, c. 107.]
§ Miss Lestorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what circum stances women qualify for family income supplement; and how many women are receiving it.
§ Mr. DeanFamily income supplement is available to any woman, married or single, who is not living with her spouse or with another man as his wife, provided she is in full-time employment, has at least one dependent child living with her and has an income which is less than the prescribed amount appropriate to her family. The prescribed amounts depend on the number of dependent children in the family and are the same for one-parent and two-parent families. At the end of February 1973, 33,000 one-parent families headed by a woman were receiving family income supplement.
§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to 368W place mature students within the scope of family income supplement.
§ Mr. DeanNo. The purpose of the family income supplement scheme is to provide help to persons with families who are in full-time remunerative employment and not to provide an alternative or additional means of support for families which are entitled to help through other schemes of State support.