Unemployment and Supplementary Benefits (Hansard, 13 May 1976)

§ Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT AND SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT INCLUDING FAMILY ALLOWANCES FOR A MAN, WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN (1) AS A PERCENTAGE OF NET EARNING (2)
Date(October)	Unemployment benefit Percentage	Average earnings Unemployment benefit plus earnings related supplement (3) Percentage	Supplementary benefit (4) Percentage	Unemployment benefit Percentage	Half average earnings Unemployment benefit plus earnings-related supplement (3) Percentage	Supplementary benefit (4) Percentage
1950	…	36.4	Not applicable	44.5	72.5	Not applicable	88.4
1960	…	39.5	Not applicable	45.9	76.7	Not applicable	89.3
1970	…	48.3	72.7	54.8	81.2	81.4	92.1
1975	…	54.7	73.4	57.1	89.3	89.3	93.2
1976 (5) (7)	…	57.1	76.3	59.2	87.4	87.4	90.7
1976 (6) (7)	…	58.1	77.6	60.3	89.8	89.8	93.2
Notes:
(1) Children aged 3 and 8.
(2) Estimated earnings, net of tax and national insurance contributions, of male, adult full-time manual workers in manufacturing and certain other industries based on the Department of Employment's October Enquiry.
(3) Earnings-related supplement calculated on estimated earnings as in (2), assuming that these average weekly earnings remained constant throughout the relevant tax year. The supplement was introduced in 1966.
(4) Supplementary benefit scale rates only (i.e. rent not included).
(5) Effects of the unconditional as well as conditional tax changes proposed in the Budget.
(6) Effects of only the unconditional tax changes originally proposed in the Budget.
(7) For the purposes of these calculations, gross earnings for October 1976 have been estimated as October 1975 gross earnings plus £6.

236W

publish a table showing for a married man who has two children and whose previous earnings were half the national manual average (a) unemployment benefit and (b) supplementary benefit as a percentage of those earnings net of tax and national insurance contribution, in 1950–51, 1960–61, 1970–71, 1975–76 and 1976–77, with alternative figures for the current year to show the different effects of the conditional and unconditional tax changes proposed in the Budget and using the increased benefit rates for 1976–77 announced on 7th April;

(2) if he will publish a table showing for a married man who has two children and whose previous earnings were the national manual average (a) unemployment benefit and (b) supplementary benefit as a percentage of those earnings net of tax and national insurance contribution, in 1950–51, 1960–61, 1970–71, 1975–76 and 1976–77, with alternative figures for the current year to show the different effects of the conditional and unconditional tax changes proposed in the Budget and using the increased benefit rates for 1976–77 announced on 7th April.