§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if she will list in the Official Report the number of single-parent families drawing supplementary benefit, or national assistance expressed (a) as an annual total and (b) as a percentage of all families drawing supplementary benefit in 1948, 1960, 1970 and each subsequent year respectively;
(2) if she will list in the Official Report the number of single-parent families claiming national assistance supplementary benefits each year since 1960, and indicate also the percentage increase for each year.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThe available information is as follows:
SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES DRAWING SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT ON A DAY IN NOVEMBER Year* Number (Thousands) Percentage increase over the previous year As percentage of all recipients of supplementary benefit 1968 191 — — 1969 Not available — — 1970 218 — 8.0 1971 246 12.6 8.4 1972 259 5.4 8.9 1973 257 −0.7 9.6 1974 269 4.9 10.1 1975 —† —† —† Based on samples of 1 in 80 supplementary benefit cases for 1968 and 1 in 160 supplementary pension cases and 1 in 40 supplementary allowance cases from 1970 to 1974. * Similar information is not available prior to 1968. † Information for 1975 will not be available until Summer 1976.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if she will estimate from the latest family expenditure survey data the number and percentage of lone parents in (i) part-time and (ii) full-time work.
§ Mr. O'MalleyIt is estimated from Family Expenditure Survey data that at the end of 1974 there were 220,000 one-parent families in full-time work, and 130,000* in part-time work. In addition there were about 60,000 self-employed one-parent families in either full or part-time work. Those in full-time work comprise rather more than 30 per cent. of 347W all one-parent families, those in part-time work about 20 per cent. and the self-employed a little under 10 per cent.
These estimates are subject to sampling error.
* A proportion of these will be families also in receipt of supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will estimate from the latest family expenditure survey data the number and percentage of (a) fatherless and (b) motherless families with income below the supplementary benefit scale rate.
§ Mr. O'MalleyInformation is not available in precisely the form requested, since it is not feasible from the data to make separate estimates for fatherless and motherless families with incomes below supplementary benefit level. It is estimated from Family Expenditure Survey data that at the end of 1974, about 20,000 single-parent families (about 3 per cent. of all one-parent families) had incomes below the supplementary benefit level, and were not in receipt of supplementary benefit. This estimate is subject to considerable sampling error, and does not of course indicate numbers with potential entitlement to supplementary benefit as, for example, disregards and income from capital are not considered in the basic comparison of income with supplementary benefit scale rates, and some families, where the head was in full-time work, would not be eligible.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will estimate the number and percentage of all (a) fatherless and (b) motherless families claiming supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. O'MalleyIn 1971 about 7 per cent. of motherless, and about 46 per cent. of fatherless, families were receiving supplementary benefit. Firm estimates of the total numbers of motherless and fatherless families are not available for the years since 1971.
As at November 1974, the latest date available, about 8,000 motherless and 261,000 fatherless families were in receipt of supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the number and percentage of single-parent families on supplementary benefit who 348W declare part-time earnings; and what is the average amount.
§ Mr. O'MalleyAs at November 1974, the latest date for which information is available, the number was about 35,000, representing 13 per cent. of single-parent families on supplementary benefit. The average amount of earnings was £4.43 a week.
§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will update the information on page 251 of the Finer Report concerning the length of time for which fatherless families have been drawing supplementary benefits.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThe latest available information, which relates to November 1974, is given in Social Security Statistics 1974, Table 34.90. Information for December 1975 will not be available until the summer of 1976.
§ Mr. Carterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many single-parent families are currently in receipt of social security benefit.
§ Mr. O'MalleyI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker) on 13th February—[Vol. 905, c.415.]—which gave numbers of single-parent families in receipt of supplementary benefit and widowed mother's allowance. Single-parent families are not separately identified in statistics covering other national insurance benefits or family allowance. As at November 1975, there were 33,000 single-parent families in receipt of family income supplement.