HC Deb 01 August 1978 vol 955 cc252-6W
Mr. Rooker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the value of a war pension for (a) a widow, and (b) a widow with two and four children, for each year since 1946; and if he will express these data as a percentage of gross earnings and net earnings.

Mr. Orme

The following table gives the information based on the standard rate war widow's pension, payable to the widow of a private or comparable ranks in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The percentage figures are expressed in relation to the gross and net earnings of a married couple with similar family circumstances.

WAR PENSION FOR A WIDOW, A WIDOW WITH TWO CHILDREN* AND A WIDOW WITH FOUR CHILDREN*; STANDARD RATES OF BENEFTT†; STANDARD RATES OF BENEFIT EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS‡; AND NET AVERAGE EARNINGS, 1946–77
Standard rate of war pension for; Benefit expressed as a percentage of Goss earnings for: Benefit expressed as a percentage of Net earnings for:
Date║ Widow Widow plus two children Widow plus four children Married couple Married couple plus two children Married couple plus our children Married couple Married couple plus two children Married couple plus four children
£ £ £ Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.
January 1946 … … … … 1.625 2.725 3.825 28.5 47.8 67.1 33.4 49.6 67.6
February 1946 … … … … 1.75 2.85 3.95 30.5 49.7 68.8 35.7 51.6 69.3
October 1947 … … … … 1.75 3.10 4.70 27.3 46.6 65.7 29.6 47.0 66.3
October 1948 … … … … 1.75 3.10 4.70 25.4 43.4 61.4 28.1 44.9 63.5
October 1949 … … … … 1.75 3.10 4.70 24.5 42.0 59.6 27.4 43.5 61.6
October 1950 … … … … 1.75 3.10 4.70 28.3 39.9 56.8 25.8 41.4 58.6
October 1951 … … … … 1.75 3.10 4.70 21.1 36.3 51.9 23.7 37.6 53.4
May 1952 … … … … 2.10 3.45 5.05 24.1 38.5 53.3 26.4 39.6 54.8
October 1953 … … … … 2.10 3.60 5.50 22.2 36.5 51.6 24.4 37.7 53.0
October 1954 … … … … 2.10 3.60 5.50 20.5 33.9 48.2 22.8 35.2 49.4
January 1955 … … … … 2.625 4.675 7.125 24.9 42.7 60.6 27.7 44.5 62.2
August 1956 … … … … 2.625 5.175 8.125 22.2 42.2 62.3 25.0 43.9 63.9
October 1957 … … … … 2.625 5.175 8.325 20.9 39.9 59.5 23.7 41.7 61.2
January 1958 … … … … 3.30 6.20 9.70 26.1 47.6 69.2 29.9 50.0 71.1
October 1959 … … … … 3.30 6.20 9.70 24.4 44.4 64.9 27.9 47.3 67.1
October 1960 … … … … 3.30 6.20 9.70 22.7 41.5 60.9 26.3 44.5 62.9
April 1961 … … … … 3.80 7.10 11.00 25.2 45.9 66.8 29.8 50.0 70.0
October 1962 … … … … 3.80 7.10 11.00 24.0 43.7 63.7 28.6 47.9 67.0
May 1963 … … … … 4.50 8.30 12.70 27.2 49.0 70.8 32.1 53.3 74.1
March 1964 … … … … 4.50 9.05 14.20 25.9 50.9 75.6 31.1 56.4 79.6
March 1965 … … … … 5.25 10.05 15.45 28.1 52.6 76.9 34.5 59.4 81.8

WAR PENSION FOR A WIDOW, A WIDOW WITH TWO CHILDREN* AND A WIDOW WITH FOUR CHILDREN*; STANDARD RATES OF BENEFTT†; STANDARD RATES OF BENEFIT EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS‡; AND NET§ AVERAGE EARNINGS, 1946–77
Standard rate of war pension for: Benefit expressed as a percentage of Gross earnings for: Benefit expressed as a percentage of Net earnings for:
Date║ Widow Widow plus two children Widow plus four children Married couple Married couple plus two children Married couple plus four children Married couple Married couple plus two children Married couple plus four children
£ £ £ Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.
October 1966 … … … … 5.25 10.05 15.45 25.9 48.6 71.2 32.4 55.1 76.2
October 1967 … … … … 5.85 10.65 16.05 27.4 48.9 69.7 34.8 56.3 75.6
April 1968 … … … … 5.85 11.20 17.15 26.3 48.7 69.4 33.6 57.4 77.9
October 1968 … … … … 5.85 11.20 17.15 25.4 46.9 66.2 32.7 56.1 76.3
November 1969 … … … … 6.50 12.20 18.50 26.0 47.1 66.3 34.3 57.9 78.4
October 1970 … … … … 6.50 12.20 18.50 23.2 42.1 59.8 30.8 52.6 72.0
February 1971 … … … … 6.50 12.20 18.50 22.4 40.7 57.9 29.9 50.5 67.6
September 1971 … … … … 7.80 14.50 21.80 25.4 45.9 64.9 33.8 56.4 75.8
October 1972 … … … … 8.80 16.20 24.20 24.6 44.1 62.5 32.2 54.0 73.2
October 1973 … … … … 10.10 18.50 27.50 24.7 44.2 62.8 32.9 55.6 75.7
July 1974 … … … … 13.00 23.60 34.80 28.1 50.1 70.9 38.5 63.7 85.3
April 1975 … … … … 15.00 27.20 39.90 27.7 48.8 68.0 38.8 64.0 84.9
November 1975 … … … … 17.20 31.10 45.50 28.7 50.7 70.7 40.9 67.7 90.3
November 1976 … … … … 19.80 35.60 51.90 29.3 51.6 72.0 41.9 68.5 90.6
November 1977 … … … … 22.70 41.60 60.60 30.7¶ 54.3¶ 76.2¶ 41.9¶ 70.5¶ 94.3¶
* Children assumed to be under 11 years of age.
† Includes family allowance/child benefit where appropriate.
‡ Based on average gross weekly earnings of male, adult, full-time manual workers as determined by the Department of Employment's October inquiry into the earnings of manual workers employed in manufacturing and certain other industries and the monthly index of average earnings. Includes family allowance/child bench where appropriate.
§ Gross earnings, plus family allowance/child benefit where appropriate, less tax and national insurance contributions.
║ In the years when no uprating occurred, the position has been shown at October.
¶ Provisional.