§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total cost of unemployment support 239W for each year since 1949, at current prices and at 1974 prices; and if she will distinguish between the cost of unemployment benefit, earnings related benefit, national assistance/supplementary allowance, and income tax rebates.
Flat-rate unemployment benefit Earnings-related supplement National Assistance/Supplementary Allowance Total 1974 1974 1974 1974 Year Cost Prices Cost Prices Cost Prices Cost Prices (£m.) (£m.) (£m.) (£m.) (£m.) (£m.) (£m.) (£m.) 1949–50 … 19 66 — — 4 14 23 80 1950–51 … 17 58 — — 5 17 22 75 1951–52 … 15 46 — — 5 15 20 61 1952–53 … 27 77 — — 8 23 35 100 1953–54 … 22 61 — — 8 22 30 83 1954–55 … 16 43 — — 8 21 24 64 1955–56 … 16 41 — — 7 18 23 59 1956–57 … 21 52 — — 8 20 29 79 1957–58 … 25 60 — — 11 26 36 86 1958–59 … 49 114 — — 17 40 66 154 1950–60 … 42 98 — — 22 51 64 149 1960–61 … 30 69 — — 21 48 51 117 1961–62 … 36 79 — — 21 46 57 125 1962–63 … 64 137 — — 30 64 94 201 1963–64 … 65 136 — — 35 73 100 209 1964–65 … 45 91 — — 28 56 73 147 1965–66 … 49 94 — — 26 50 75 144 1966–67 … 69 128 9 17 30 55 108 200 1967–68 … 104 189 18 33 62 112 184 334 1968–69 … 103 185 20 36 75 135 198 356 1969–70 … 106 173 21 34 74 121 201 328 1970–71 … 125 190 25 38 88 134 238 362 1971–72 … 197 273 42 58 148 205 387 536 1972–73 … 174 224 35 45 182 234 391 503 1973–74 … 151 178 23 27 159 187 333 392 1974–75* … 196 196 32 32 190 190 418 418 *Provisional.