§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the gross and net cost of allowing married, and cohabiting, women to claim (a) family income supplement, (b) supplementary benefit, (c) invalid care allowance, (d) adult dependants' additions to sickness/invalidity and unemployment benefit and (e) children's additions to sickness/invalidity and unemployment benefit, assuming 1978–79 benefit rates.
§ Mr. OrmeIt is not possible to provide precise gross and net costs because of uncertainty about the numbers of married and cohabiting women who would quality for the benefits concerned and the likelihood of their husbands already being in receipt of social security benefits. However, using the rates which will be introduced in November 1978 it is estimated that the annual extra costs would be of the order of:
- (a) £3 million to £4 million;
- (b) £2 million to £3 million, on the basis of the "nominated breadwinner" scheme outlined in the report of the review of the supplementary benefits scheme*;
- (c) between £50 million and £80 million, including the cost of paying increases for dependent husbands;
- (d) £4 million, rising to about £12 million as the married women's contribution option is phased out;
- (e) £7 million, rising to over £40 million with the phasing out of the option.
*Social assistance: a review of the supplementary benefits scheme in Great Britain, July 1978.