§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the net weekly spending power of a married man with four children, aged 15, 13, 11 and 9 years, with rent of £5.38 and rates of £2.18 in each of the following circumstances: (a) with the husband earning £50 per week, work expenses £4, and the wife earning £25 per week, work expenses £2.50, (a) if the wife stops working and (c) if the family is totally dependent on supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. OrmeAs the time involved in calculating the answer using all the assumptions chosen by the hon. Member would be disproportionate, standard assumptions have been used. These are that the four children are aged 3, 8, 11 and 16, the rent is £5.38, the rates £2.18, and work expenses—when appropriate—£1.75. It is assumed that the wife, when working, has elected not to be liable to pay full NI contributions and therefore cannot herself qualify for unemployment benefit.
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NET WEEKLY SPENDING POWER OF A MARRIED COUPLE WITH FOUR CHILDREN AGED 3, 8, 11 AND 16 Gross earnings FAM Tax NI FIS Rent Rent rebate Rates Rent rebate Work expenses FSM FWM Net weekly spending power (a) Husband and wife working £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Husband 50.00 4.07 2.88 1.75 Wife 25.00 3.80 0.50 1.75 75.00 4.50 7.87 3.38 — 5.38 — 2.18 — 3.50 — — 57.19 (b) Husband only working £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Husband 50.00 Wife not working — 4.50 4.07 2.88 — 5.38 3.17 2.18 1.29 1.75 2.25 0.67 45.62 (c) Family totally dependent on Supplementary Benefit £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 44.81 4.50 — — — 5.38 — 2.18 — — 2.25 0.67 44.67 Notes: FSM = Free School Meals. FWM = Free Welfare Milk.