Supplementary Benefit (Hansard, 13 February 1976)

§ Mr. Ralph Howell
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if she will list in the Official Report the long-term supplementary benefit scale rate for a single person, married couple, married couple with two children under 11 years of age, married couple with four children two under 11, two over 11 years of age, including average rent payments as a percentage of average net earnings for each year since 1954;
(2) if she will list in the Official Report the ordinary supplementary benefit scale rate for a single person, married couple, married couple with two children under 11 years of age, married couple with four children two under 11, two over 11 422W of increases in energy prices, including electricity and gas tariffs and smokeless fuels.

§ Mr. Meacher
As I said in my reply to my hon. Friend's Question on this subject on 30th January—[Vol. 904, c.376]—the Government's general policy is to maintain the value of social security benefits in relation to prices as a whole rather than the cost of individual items of expenditure. The following figures show that, although the fuel element in the retail prices index has risen sharply since benefits were last increased in November, the rise in pensions since October 1973—when our predecessors last raised benefits—still leaves a substantial margin over the rise in the index as a whole.
years of age, including average rent payments as a percentage of average net earnings for each year since 1954.

§ Mr. O'Malley
The information requested by the hon. Member for a single householder, a householder married couple and a householder married couple with two children aged under 11—taken for this purpose as both being under 5—is set out in the following table. For a householder married couple with four children the information in the table for the complete range of years relates not to a family of two children aged under 11 and two children aged over 11, as requested by the hon. Member, but to one with two children aged under 5 and two aged 5 to 10. This is because the information was readily accessible on that age basis, while considerable additional expenditure of time and effort would have been required to assemble it on the age basis in the hon. Member's Question for all the years in the period. The information requested is, however, given in the relevant columns of the table at five-yearly intervals, starting with 1964 and ending with 1974, for four children aged 3, 8, 12 and 14 respectively. Information is not given for 1975 because figures for average rent payments for that year are not yet available.
423W

SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT RATES (INCLUDING RENT) AS A PERCENTAGE OF NET AVERAGE EARNINGS^*

Married couple

Year Single householder Without children With two children both aged under 5 With four children, two aged under 5 and two aged 5 to 10 With four children aged 3, 8, 12 and 14

1954 … … … … 26.7 39.7 46.7 55.1 58.4

1955 … … … … 26.5 38.9 45.8 54.7

1956 … … … … 27.4 39.9 46.9 54.9

1957 … … … … 26.6 38.6 45.2 52.6

1958 … … … … 30.3 44.2 51.2 59.0

1959 … … … … 31.0 45.9 53.7 61.9 65.7

1960 … … … … 29.6 43.5 50.9 58.3

1961 … … … … 31.1 45.3 52.9 60.3

1962 … … … … 32.2 46.6 54.2 61.7

1963 … … … … 34.1 48.5 55.9 64.4

1964 … … … … 32.1 45.9 52.9 60.1 63.7

1965 … … … … 36.1 51.7 59.0 66.7

Ordinary Long-term† Ordinary Long-term Ordinary Long-term Ordinary Long-term Ordinary Long-term

1966 … … … … 37.8 40.8 53.9 56.7 61.2 63.6 68.8 71.0

1967 … … … … 38.9 41.8 55.5 58.2 62.9 65.3 70.2 72.3

1968 … … … … 38.6 41.6 55.1 57.9 63.3 65.8 70.4 72.7

1969 … … … … 37.8 40.6 54.2 56.9 62.4 64.8 69.7 71.8 73.5 75.5

1970 … … … … 37.0 39.5 52.9 55.3 61.4 63.6 69.4 71.3

1971 … … … … 37.6 39.8 53.9 56.1 61.9 63.9 69.2 70.9

1972 … … … … 35.3 37.6 51.1 53.3 59.6 61.6 67.6 69.4

1973 … … … … 36.0 39.4 49.3 53.2 59.3 62.9 65.7 69.0

1974 … … … … 34.6 43.5 49.6 59.6 60.6 67.7 67.2 73.6 72.6 78.9

^* Estimated earnings of male, adult, full-time manual workers based on the Department of Employment's October inquiry into the earnings of manual workers employed in manufacturing and certain other industries plus family allowances less tax and national insurance contributions.

† The long-term addition was introduced in 1966. The long-term rate started in 1973.

424W

SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT RATES (INCLUDING RENT) AS A PERCENTAGE OF NET AVERAGE EARNINGS^*
							Married couple
Year	Single householder	Without children	With two children both aged under 5	With four children, two aged under 5 and two aged 5 to 10	With four children aged 3, 8, 12 and 14
1954	…	…	…	…	26.7	39.7	46.7	55.1	58.4
1955	…	…	…	…	26.5	38.9	45.8	54.7
1956	…	…	…	…	27.4	39.9	46.9	54.9
1957	…	…	…	…	26.6	38.6	45.2	52.6
1958	…	…	…	…	30.3	44.2	51.2	59.0
1959	…	…	…	…	31.0	45.9	53.7	61.9	65.7
1960	…	…	…	…	29.6	43.5	50.9	58.3
1961	…	…	…	…	31.1	45.3	52.9	60.3
1962	…	…	…	…	32.2	46.6	54.2	61.7
1963	…	…	…	…	34.1	48.5	55.9	64.4
1964	…	…	…	…	32.1	45.9	52.9	60.1	63.7
1965	…	…	…	…	36.1	51.7	59.0	66.7

					Ordinary	Long-term†	Ordinary	Long-term	Ordinary	Long-term	Ordinary	Long-term	Ordinary	Long-term
1966	…	…	…	…	37.8	40.8	53.9	56.7	61.2	63.6	68.8	71.0
1967	…	…	…	…	38.9	41.8	55.5	58.2	62.9	65.3	70.2	72.3
1968	…	…	…	…	38.6	41.6	55.1	57.9	63.3	65.8	70.4	72.7
1969	…	…	…	…	37.8	40.6	54.2	56.9	62.4	64.8	69.7	71.8	73.5	75.5
1970	…	…	…	…	37.0	39.5	52.9	55.3	61.4	63.6	69.4	71.3
1971	…	…	…	…	37.6	39.8	53.9	56.1	61.9	63.9	69.2	70.9
1972	…	…	…	…	35.3	37.6	51.1	53.3	59.6	61.6	67.6	69.4
1973	…	…	…	…	36.0	39.4	49.3	53.2	59.3	62.9	65.7	69.0
1974	…	…	…	…	34.6	43.5	49.6	59.6	60.6	67.7	67.2	73.6	72.6	78.9
^* Estimated earnings of male, adult, full-time manual workers based on the Department of Employment's October inquiry into the earnings of manual workers employed in manufacturing and certain other industries plus family allowances less tax and national insurance contributions.
† The long-term addition was introduced in 1966. The long-term rate started in 1973.