§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will estimate, from the latest family expenditure survey data, the number of single-parent families with part-time earnings and classify this information into the following income brackets: (i) up to £3.99 per week, (ii) from £4 to £5.99. (iii) from £6 to £7.99, (iv) from £8 to £9.99; and (v) above £10 per week.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThe table below gives the information requested:
Income from Part-Time Earnings Number of Families (Thousands) Up to £3.99 50 £4-£5.99 £6.£7.99 [30] £8-£9.99 £10 and over 50 All 130 Notes:
1. The estimates are based on 1974 Family Expenditure Survey data and are subject to sampling error. The figure in square brackets is subject to very considerable sampling error.
2. Items have been banded together where small sample numbers make it impractical to show separate totals.
3. Families where the head is self-employed are not included as FES data does not identity them as full or part-time.
4. The estimate includes families who may be in receipt of supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many lone parents will gain from claiming child interim benefit; of those, how many will pay tax and how many will not pay tax; and in each case of the tax paying or non tax paying parents how many will (a) lose some rent and/or rate rebate and (b) lose entitlement to free school meals for one or more children;
(2) how many lone parents who could claim child interim benefits will not lose any of the £1.50 from other means tested benefits, or to tax; and what categories of people are likely to be involved.
731W
§ Mr. O'MalleyIt is estimated that about 255,000 lone parents stand to gain financially if they now claim child interim benefit, of whom some 45,000 are currently below the tax threshold, and not in receipt of either family income supplement or supplementary benefit. This latter group will generally gain the full £1.50 since even if they are receiving free school meals or rate and rent rebates the extra income will not affect the extent to which they benefit under these schemes. As to those paying tax, no information is available about the numbers who might lose some rent and /or rate rebate or entitlement to free school meals for one child because they had child interim benefit: but it is only in relatively unusual circumstances that a person could be worse off over the full
ONE AND TWO-PARENT FAMILIES IN GREAT BRITAIN ACCORDING TO NORMAL FULL-TIME EARNINGS (Thousands) One-parent families Two-parent families (Earnings of man) Two-parent families (Joint earnings of man and wife) Earnings per week(1) Full-time(2) Self employed(3) Full-time(4) Self employed(5) Full-time(6) Self employed(7) Up to £14.99 £15-£19.99 … [20] 40 [0] 60 [0] [30] £20-£29.99 … 60 80 70 50 50 £30-£30.99 … 60 [20] 590 160 330 120 £40-£49.99 … [30] 1,210 170 830 160 £50-£59.99 … [20] 1,350 80 1,030 110 £60-£69.99 … [10] [0] 900 80 960 70 £70 and over … [10] 1,330 180 2,270 250 All … 220 60 5,480 800 5,480 800 Notes: 1. The estimates are based on 1974 FES data and are subject to sampling error. Figures in square brackets are subject to very considerable sampling error. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000 and therefore the sum of the components does not necessarily equal the total. Items have been banded together where small sample numbers make it impractical to show separate totals. 2. Columns 3, 5 and 7 show the distribution of earnings of the self-employed. The FES data does not identify them separately as full or part-time. 3. Columns 6 and 7 show the effect of including wives' earnings. This includes full and part-time earnings of wives.