§ Mrs. Haymanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many staff would be needed (a) to administer the new non-contributory non-means tested allowance for one-parent families at the level of widowed mother's allowance assuming that maintenance payments from fathers were not collected by the State and did not affect the benefit paid, were collected by the State and did not affect the benefit paid, and (b) what would be the savings on staff if widowed mother's allowance were to be made noncontributory; and how many widowed mothers would receive extra benefit and at what cost.
§ Mr. DeakinsI shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as the available information can be assembled.
§ Mrs. Jegerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the widowed mother's allowance is being reduced by £1 simultaneously with the increase in child benefit by £1.
§ Mr. OrmeAll rates of national insurance benefits payable in respect of children, including the rate of increases of widowed mothers' allowance, are being reduced by the same amount, £1, by which child benefit is being increased on 899W 2 April 1979. As a result, the cash income of beneficiaries, which was last increased in November 1978, remains unchanged. The April increase completes the phasing-in of child benefit which commenced in April 1977 and child benefit—usually payable to the mother—will then completely replace the child tax allowances given to the father in two-parent families. Widowed mothers and others receiving taxable benefits are to have the child dependency element of their benefit exempted from tax in the new tax year so as to prevent a fall in income as a result of the withdrawal of the child tax allowances.