HC Deb 28 February 1978 vol 945 cc207-12W
Mr. Rooker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the numbers of persons in full-time employment where their income was less than the supplementary benefit poverty line, assuming average rent and rates, for each year since 1970.

Mr. Deakins,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 27th January 1978; Vol. 942, c. 822], gave the following answer:

I regret that not all the information requested is available. The table below, however, shows the numbers of persons in families with incomes below supplementary benefit level where the family head was under pension age and in full-time employment, or in full-time or part-time self-employment, at the end of each of the years 1972 to 1975. "Families" include for this purpose single persons without dependants as well as married couples without children. In making these estimates, the actual housing costs have been taken into account rather than average figures. Further information about the estimates is given in the notes accompanying the table.

NUMBERS OF PERSONS IN FAMILIES WITH INCOMES BELOW SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT LEVEL: FAMILY HEAD IN FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT OR SELF-EMPLOYED
Great Britain
Year Numbers of persons Numbers of families
1972 250,000 80,000
1973 260,000 90,000
1974 360,000 130,000
1975 630,000 210,000

NOTES

1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000. Consequently, the sum of the component parts may not equal the total in every case.

2. The estimates, except those of numbers receiving supplementary benefit, are based on a DHSS analysis of incomes and other information recorded by respondents to the Family Expenditure Survey (FES). The estimates are subject to sampling error; those figures in square brackets are subject to very considerable proportionate sampling error. Estimates of numbers receiving supplementary benefit are derived from the DHSS Annual Statistical Enquiry. Families with the head sick or unemployed and in receipt of benefit for less than three months are excluded to make the estimates consistent with those from the FES (see note 5 below).

3. The estimates relate only to the population living in private households; families and persons in institutions are not sampled in the FES.

4. The supplementary benefit level is taken as being the supplementary benefit scale rate(s) appropriate to the family. Income refers to net income less net housing costs less work expenses where appropriate.

5. The comparison is based on the family's normal income in the normal employment situation of the family head. For example, where the head of the family had been off work due to sickness or unemployment for less than three months at the time of the survey, the family's normal income when the head was at work is used in determining the level of income.

6. The estimates for numbers of families with incomes below the supplementary benefit level do not indicate unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit. For example, those who are in full-time work or undertaking full-time further education would not normally have entitlement to supplementary benefit; for others not precluded from claiming, no regard is had in these estimates to factors such as disregarded income, treatment of capital or exceptional circumstances additions, each of which can affect payment of supplementary benefit.

7. Separate estimates of families with apparent unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit are now made annually. Those for 1975 were published in the "Annual Report of the Supplementary Benefits Commission for 1976" (Cmnd. 6910).

8. The 1975 estimates of families with incomes below the supplementary benefit level are not directly comparable with those for 1973 or 1972. In earlier years it had been assumed that the income distribution of the self-employed was the same as for employed persons. Self-employed sample records were included in the analysis in 1974 for the first time and this has been repeated in 1975. The effect is to increase the overall estimate of families with the head under pension are with incomes below supplementary benefit level by 80,000 (250,000 persons) in 1974 and by 90,000 (260,000 persons) in 1975. The figures on the self-employed are especially liable to error because their incomes recorded in the FES tend to be particularly low in relation to their recorded expenditure. This discrepancy is partly due to the incomes of the self-employed being recorded in many cases for a much earlier period than that to which their expenditure relates and the data in the tables for 1975 have been adjusted to take account of this.

9. The increase in the estimated number of families with income below the supplementary benefit level between 1974 and 1975 is attributable partly to the fact that the relationship of supplementary benefit rates to net earnings deteriorated during 1974 but was largely restored by the end of 1975 as a result of the two upratings in that year, whereas there had been only one uprating in 1974 and that in July. As a consequence, end of year comparisons of net income against supplementary benefit levels are at relatively different levels in the two years, the 1974 scale rates having eroded over five months while those for 1975 had eroded only over one month.

Mr. Rooker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of persons with children where the head of the family was working (a) full-time and (b) part-time and where their net resources were below the supplementary benefit level for each year since

NUMBERS OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, AND OF CHILDREN IN SUCH FAMILIES, WITH INCOMES BELOW SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT LEVEL: FAMILY HEAD IN FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT OR SELF-EMPLOYED
Great Britain
Two-parent families One-parent families All families
Year Number Number of children Number Number of children Number Number of children
1970 60,000 * * * * *
1971 60,000 * * * * *
1972 [40,000] 130,000 [10,000] [10,000] 50,000 140,000
1973 [40,000] 110,000 [10,000] [10,000] 50,000 130,000
1974 60,000 150,000 [10,000] [10,000] 60,000 160,000
1975 100,000 250,000 [10,000] [30,000] 110,000 280,000
* Not available.

Mr. Rooker

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the numbers of children living in families with incomes (a) below the supplementary benefit level, excluding those on supplementary benefit, (b) up to 10 per cent. above the supplementary benefit level, excluding those on supplementary benefit, (c) up to 40 per cent. above the supplementary benefit level, excluding those on supplementary benefit and (d) in families drawing supplementary benefit for each year since 1970.

Mr. Deakins,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 27th January 1978; 1970; and if he will distinguish between two-parent and single-parent families, also giving the numbers of children involved in the different households.

Mr. Deakins,

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 27th January 1978; Vol. 942, c. 822], gave the following answer:

I regret that not all the information requested is available. The table below, however, shows:

  1. (a) the numbers of two-parent and one-parent families with children and the numbers of children in such families at the end of each of the years 1972 to 1975; and
  2. (b) the numbers of two-parent families at the end of 1970 and 1971;
where the family head was under pension age and in full-time employment, or in full-time or part-time self-employment, and the family income was below supplementary benefit level. Further information about the estimates is given in the notes accompanying the table in my other reply to my hon. Friend's similar Question today.

Vol. 942, c. 822], gave the following answer:

I regret that not all the information requested is available. The table below, however, shows the numbers of children in families where the family head was under pension age and the family income was at those levels at the end of each of the years 1972 to 1975. Further information about the estimates is given in the notes accompanying the table in my other reply today to my hon. Friend's similar Question.

NUMBERS OF CHILDREN IN FAMILIES WITH INCOMES AT VARIOUS LEVELS—GREAT BRITAIN
Not receiving supplementary benefit
Year (a) Below supplementary benefit level (b) Above, but less than 10 per cent. above supplementary benefit level (c) Above, but less than 40 per cent. above supplementary benefit level (includes (b)) (d) Receiving supplementary benefit
1972 270,000 210,000 * 790,000
1973 270,000 220,000 * 700,000
1974 260,000 200,000 1,250,000 740,000
1975 410,000 250,000 1,950,000 810,000
* Not available.