§ Mr. Maurice Macmillanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the cost of increasing the retirement pension by £1 per week for (a) a married couple and (b) a single person in the fiscal years (i) 1975–76 and (ii) 1976–77;
(2) haw many married couples and how many single persons are in receipt of the State pension.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThere are about 2,090,000 married couples* and about 3,950,000 single persons receiving national insurance retirement pensions.
331WAssuming that supplementary pension scale rates were increased by a corresponding amount but that other social security benefits stayed unchanged, the cost of the suggested increases would be as follows:
Year Increase of Increase of £1 a week for married couples* Increase of £1 a week for single persons (£m.) (£m.) 1975–76 110 210 1976–77 115 210 *The figures in respect of married couples include those cases where the wife has a pension on her own contribution record.