HL Deb 30 January 1979 vol 398 cc122-3WA
Lord NEWALL

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list the total number of social security and other benefits, indicating the annual cost of each benefit and the number of beneficiaries in each case over the past five years and whether they are taxable or means-tested.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

The information requested on social security and other benefits administered by my Department is as in the attached tables:

1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79
Benefits Cost £m Beneficiaries (1) 000s Cost £m Beneficiaries (1) 000s Cost£m Beneficiaries (1) 000s Cost £m Beneficiaries (1) 000s Cost £m Beneficiaries (1) 000s Whether taxable Month of count of beneficiaries
(Provisional) (Estimated)
Unemployment benefit 214.1 254 454.4 525 558.8 566 628.8 561 657.0 492 No Nov or Aug
Sickness benefit 345.3 455 425.2 403 496.1 470 585.4 452 655.0 N/A No Jun
Invalidity benefit 319.6 444 448.2 452 562.8 479 701.2 505 846.0 N/A No Jun
Maternity allowance 47.0 72 55.0 72 81.0 84 92.0 90 103.0 N/A No Mar or Aug
Maternity grant 655 636 582 593 N/A No (2)
Death grant 13.9 544 15.1 561 15.0 565 15.2 567 16.0 N/A No —(2)
Guardian's allowance and 1.5 4(3) 2.0 4(3) 2.2 4(3) 2.1 4(3) 2.0 4(3) Yes(4) Dec or Oct
Child's special allowance 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.8 Yes(4) Oct
Widows' benefit 310.0 528 393.0 509 434.0 486 466.0 470 516.0 N/A Yes(4) Nov
Retirement pension 3,578.4 7,972 4,7910 8,149 5,651.3 8,337 6,591.6 8,458 7,509.0 N/A Yes(4) Nov
Old person's pension 30.6 99 33.9 94 35.8 80 35.9 73 34.0 N/A Yes Nov
Supplementary benefit(5) 835.2 2,680 1,187.3 2,793 1,526.0 2,940 1,847.4 2,991 2,042.0 2,968 No Nov or May
Non-contributory invalidity pension — 11.6 N/A 33.9 130 44.5 130 66.0 N/A No Jun
Attendance allowance 62.4 187 95.9 222 127.3 260 166.7 300 183.0 330 No Dec
Invalid care allowance — — 1.9 2.9 6 4.0 6 Yes(4) Mar or Sept
Mobility allowance — 0.2 8.2 34 19.8 61 48.0 80 Yes Dec
Industrial injury benefit 35.0 50 39.0 45 45.7 49 50.4 46 53.0 N/A No Jun
Industrial disablement pensions 110.1 201 144.6 201 167.2 202 191.1 201 217.0 N/A No Sept
Industrial death benefit 17.2 30 22.5 31 25.5 31 29.0 31 32.0 N/A Yes(4) Dec
Family allowance/child benefit 344.1 4,434 531.7 4,428 544.3 4,419 873.5 7,047 1,787.0 7,060 No(6) Oct or Sept
Family income supplement 11.8 78(7) 11.9 60(7) 17.6 66(7) 25.3 83(7) 25.0 N/A No (7)
War pensions 203.9 457 258.1 430 282.9 413 309.6 397 341.0 384 No(8) Dec or Sept
Welfare food(5) 8.4 415 14.0 450 17.8 455 22.0 440 25.7 457 No
NOTES:
(1) Except for maternity and death grants, the numbers of beneficiaries are the numbers at a given date indicated in the table.
(2) The number of beneficiaries or awards in the twelve months ending in December.
(3) Estimated.
(4) The first £80 in 1978–79 of each payment in respect of a child dependant is not taxable.
(5) Supplementary benefit is means-tested and welfare food is mainly means-tested.
(6) Family allowance was taxable but was replaced by child benefit in 1977 which is not taxable.
(7) Annuat average numbers.
(8) Since 1976 only half of a war widows pension is liable to tax.