§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will publish tables comparing the net weekly spending power defined as in previous replies to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, for a married man with a wife and four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and 10 children, in each of the following circumstances (a) when the father is employed and earning £40, £50 and £60 per week (b) when the father is unemployed and in receipt of supplementary allowance without unemployment benefit (c) when the father is not working and in receipt of invalidity benefit and (d) when the father is not 252W working and in receipt of noncontributory invalidity benefit.
§ Mr. O'MalleyI have already indicated my doubts, in answers to previous Questions from the hon. Member, as to the validity of the assumptions which have to be made, of the resulting figures and of any conclusions which might be drawn from such figures. I am not satisfied that the very considerable expenditure of staff time which would be involved in making all these calculations would be justified in terms of the information which would be provided. However, set out below is the information requested in relation to families with four and 10 children.
The basic assumptions necessarily differ in some respects from those used in previous answers. In the non-earning categories it is assumed, as the cases instanced are all longer-term cases, that work stopped more than six months previously and that neither tax rebates nor family income supplement (FIS) are relevant. Rent and rates have been taken as the same for both family sizes—not differing as in some earlier answers. In calculating entitlement to supplementary benefit gross rent and rates have been used, thus avoiding calculations of rent and rate rebates. Rent and rates are an average figure based on information from local authorities. The age distribution of the children has been assumed to be constant. Work expenses, where relevant, have been assumed at £1 a week; account is also taken of increases in the price of milk. In category (c), invalidity benefit, invalidity allowance of £l.70—the middle rate paid where incapacity began between 35 and 45—is assumed to be payable.
Net weekly spending power is defined as earnings or benefits as appropriate plus family allowances (FAM), FIS, rent and rate rebates, the value of free school meals and welfare milk, less rent, rates, tax, national insurance contributions and work expenses as appropriate.
253W
MARRIED COUPLE WITH 4 CHILDREN Earnings/ Benefit FAM Tax NI Contribution FIS Rent Rent Rebate Rates Rates Rebate Work Expenses Free School Meals Free Welfare Milk Net weekly spending power £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ (a) Earning: £40 … … … … … 40.00 4.50 3.06 2.20 — 4.94 3.80 1.88 1.40 1.00 2.25 0.60 39.47 £50 … … … … … 50.00 4.50 1.65 2.75 — 4.94 1.83 1.88 0.73 1.00 0.75 0.60 41.28 £60 … … … … … 60.00 4.50 10.06 3.30 — 4.94 0.13 1.88 0.13 1.00 — — 43.58 (b) Receiving supplementary allowance … 38.22 4.50 — — — 4.94 . 1.88 — — 2.25 0.60 38.75 (c) Receiving invalidity benefit … … … 44.40 4.50 — — — 4.94 2.78 1.88 1.07 — — — 45.93 (d) Receiving non-contributory invalidity pension … … … … … 34.30 4.50 — — — 4.94 4.94 1.88 1.85 — 1.50 — 40.27 In all cases children aged 1.3.5,7.8,9, 11,13,15 and 16, 254W
MARRIED COUPLE WITH 4 CHILDREN Earnings Benefit FAM Tax NI Contribution FIS Rent Rent Rebate Rent Rates Rebate Work Expenses Free School Meals Free Welfare Milk Net weekly spending power £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ (a) Earning: £40 … … … … … 40.00 13.50 — 2.20 4.80 4.94 4.94 1.88 1.88 1.00 6.00 1.19 62.29 £50 … … … … … 50.00 13.50 6.56 2.75 — 4.94 4.94 1.88 1.88 1.00 6.00 1.19 65.29 £60 … … … … … 60.00 13.50 5.15 3.30 — 4.94 3.45 1.88 1.28 1.00 6.00 1.19 69.15 (b) Receiving supplementary allowance … 54.77 13.50 — — — 4.94 — 1.88 — — 6.00 1.19 68.64 (c) Receiving invalidity benefit … … … 74.40 13.50 — — — 4.94 0.84 1.88 0.38 — — — 82.30 (d) Receiving non-contributory invalidity pension … … … … … 64.30 13.50 — — — 4.94 2.56 1.88 0.99 — — — 74.35 In all cases children aged 3,8,11 and 16.