HC Deb 29 November 1974 vol 882 cc286-7W
Mr. George

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the value of national assistance/supplementary benefit payments for (a) a single person, (b) a married couple without children, (c) a married couple with two children and (d) a married couple with four children, as a percentage of average net earnings for each year since 1948.

Mr. O'Malley

I regret that it is not possible to provide this information for the years 1948 to 1953. The following table gives estimated percentages for each year from 1954 to 1973, the latest year for which figures are available.

Mr. George

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will list in the Official Report the average value of national assistance/supplementary benefit as a percentage of net average earnings for each year since 1948.

Mr. O'Malley

The information requested is contained in the following table:

SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT ORDINARY SCALE RATES (TO WHICH IN PRACTICE AN ALLOWANCE FOR RENT WOULD BE ADDED) AS A PERCENTAGE OF NET AVERAGE EARNINGS OF MALE MANUAL WORKERS IN OCTOBER
Year Single householder Married couple
1948 20.7 32.2
1949 20.0 31.3
1950 20.2 32.1
1951 21.6 33.9
1952 22.9 36.3
1953 21.4 34.3
1954 20.0 32.0
1955 20.0 31.4
1956 20.1 31.6
1957 19.2 30.2
1958 21.5 34.1
1959 22.4 36.0
1960 21.1 33.9
1961 22.0 34.8
1962 22.9 35.9

ORDINARY SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT RATES (INCLUDING RENT) AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS OF MALE MANUAL WORKERS IN OCTOBER*
Married Persons
Year Single householder Without children With 2 children (both aged under 5) With 4 children (two aged under 5 and two aged 5–10)
1954 22.8 35.8 46.8 60.0
1955 22.3 35.0 46.0 59.0
1956 22.9 35.5 47.6 59.7
1957 20.0 34.0 44.6 56.9
1958 24.7 38.3 49.9 63.1
1959 25.5 40.0 52.0 66.1
1960 24.1 37.6 48.9 61 .9
1961 24.7 38.1 49.5 62.6
1962 25.5 39.0 50.6 63.9
1963 26.7 40.7 52.5 66.3
1964 24.8 37.8 48.8 61.5
1965 27.3 41.6 53.4 67.2
1966 28.4 43.1 54.9 68.7
1967 28.9 43.7 55.7 69.7
1968 28.4 42.9 55.0 68.9
1969 27.6 41.7 53.3 66.6
1970 26.3 39.8 50.8 63.6
1971 26.9 40.5 51.8 64.7
1972 25.9 39.0 49.9 62.4
1973 26.1 37.0 48.3 58.3
* Taken from the inquiries conducted by the Department of Employment.