§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he can now announce details of the uprating of family income supplement in November 1978.
§ Mr. OrmeDetails of our proposals for uprating family income supplement—FIS—in November 1978 are shown below for families including up to four children. There will be corresponding increases for larger families:
Number of children in the family Prescribed amount(£) of gross income below which FIS is payable Maximum payment of FIS (£) Present Proposed Present Proposed 1 43.80 46.00 9.50 10.50 2 47.80 50.00 10.50 11.50 3 51.80 54.00 11.50 12.50 4 55.80 58.00 12.50 13.50 The result of these proposals will be that all families not on the maximum will receive £1.10 more FIS a week in November; and those receiving the maximum will get an FIS increase of £1 a week.
In preparing these proposals, we have taken into account the increases in child benefit effective in April and November 1978 which are disregarded in calculating awards of FIS. Taking these disregarded increases into account, our proposals will be equivalent to increases of about 10 per cent. or more for the majority of FIS 202W families, including those on maximum awards of FIS.
We have accordingly laid before Parliament draft Family Income Supplements (Computation) Regulations 1978 under which the proposed new rates would operate with effect from 14th November 1978. Order books will now be recalled for adjustment to take account of the proposed increases, the adjustments being made on the understanding that the new rates are still subject to parliamentary approval of our proposals.