§ 41. Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is satisfied with the current benefits available for one-parent families; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. MeacherAll social security benefits are kept under review, resulting in three upratings over the last two years; and a further uprating is due to take place later this year. All told, the value of the increases in social security benefits for one-parent families has already been about £150 million. Also, following the Finer Report, a number of improvements170W have been made in the supplementary benefits scheme of particular help to one-parent families; and we have announced that we will legislate for an increase in the earnings disregard for lone parents as soon as possible.
Payment of child interim benefit, which in effect extends family allowance to the first child in one-parent families, will begin on 5th April next, and will be followed in April 1977 by the full child benefit scheme. We shall continue to keep the financial position of lone parents under review in the light of family support policies generally and the child benefit scheme in particular.
§ 55. Mr. Ovendenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of one-parent families in receipt of supplementary benefit receive long-term rates.
§ Mr. MeacherAbout one-half in November 1974, the date of the latest available information.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate she has made of the number of one-parent families who will be better off in cash terms if they apply for interim child benefit and the number who will be worse off.
§ Mr. Jim Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of one-parent families who are likely to be better off financially as a result of the new child interim benefit scheme.
§ Mr. O'MalleyI estimate that a quarter of a million one-parent families stand to gain financially if they now claim child interim benefit. Taking the financial effects over the full year from April 1976 for which the interim benefit is payable, it is only in quite unusual circumstances that a person could be worse off as a result of claiming, even where paying tax and receiving means-tested benefits.
§ Mr. Jim Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of families who have so far applied for the new child interim benefit for one-parent families.
§ Mr. O'MalleyUp to 17th February, the latest date for which information is 171W available, 87,510 claims for child interim benefit had been received.