HC Deb 16 July 1975 vol 895 cc500-1W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish a table showing unemployment benefit, including earnings related benefit, as a percentage of the average post-tax manual wage for a man with a wife and two children not over 11 years of age, for each year since 1949.

Mr. O'Malley

The information requested is given in the table below.

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PLUS EARNINGS-RELATED SUPPLEMENT* IN RESPECT OF A MARRIED COUPLE AND TWO CHILDREN AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE EARNINGS† LESS TAX
Year (October) Benefit plus ERS as a percentage of earnings less tax
1949 34.7
1950 33.1
1951 33.1
1952 37.5
1953 35.5
1954 33.1
1955 36.0
1956 33.9
1957 32.3
1958 40.5
1959 38.6
1960 36.3
1961 40.5
1962 39.3
1963 43.4
1964 40.8
1965 45.4
1966 63.9
1967 68.1
1968 67.1
1969 70.6
1970 66.6
1971 71.8
1972 67.9
1973 64.9
1974 64.6
1975 (April)‡ 64.6
* Earnings-related supplement calculated on estimated earnings of male adult, full-time, manual workers in manufacturing and certain other industries based on the Department of Employment's October Inquiry. The supplement is only taken into account from its introduction in 1966.
† Estimated earnings of male adult, full-time manual workers in manufacturing and certain other industries based on the Department of Employment's October Inquiry.
‡ Provisional.

Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish a table showing unemployment benefit, including earnings related benefit, as a percentage of the average manual wage for each year since 1949 up to the latest available date.

Mr. O'Malley

The information requested is given in the table below.

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PLUS EARNINGS-RELATED SUPPLEMENT* IN RESPECT OF A MARRIED COUPLE AND TWO CHILDREN AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE EARNINGS†
Year (October) Benefit plus ERS as a percentage of gross earnings
1949 34.7
1950 32.9
1951 32.8
1952 37.5
1953 35.4
1954 32.8
1955 35.9
1956 33.6
1957 31.8
1958 39.8
1959 37.6
1960 35.1
1961 39.0
1962 37.7
1963 42.1
1964 38.9
1965 42.6
1966 59.6
1967 62.9
1968 59.4
1969 61.4
1970 56.9
1971 62.2
1972 59.2
1973 55.2
1974 53.8
1975 (April)‡ 53.5
* Earnings-related supplement calculated on estimated earnings of male adult, full-time, manual workers in manufacturing and certain other industries based on the Department of Employment's October Inquiry. The supplement is only taken into account from its introduction in 1966.
† Estimated earnings of male adult, full-time manual workers in manufacturing and certain other industries based on the Department of Employment's October Inquiry.
‡ Provisional.