§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will state the number of families expected to be eligible for family income supplement—on the basis of the November uprating—in November 1979.
(2) how many families were estimated to be eligible for family income supplement in November 1978 and July 1979.
§ Mr. PrenticeI regret that information is not available in the form requested. The hon. Member may, however, find it helpful to refer to table 32.16 in "Social Security Statistics 1977" published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office, which gives the most recent reliable estimates of eligibility for, and take-up of, family income supplement—FIS. It is hoped that the family finances survey, now in progress, will yield better information on eligibility for FIS, based on a much bigger sample of low-income families196W with children than is available from the family expenditure survey—the source of table 32.16. It is estimated that, at the end of November 1978, there were 82,200 families in receipt of FIS in Great Britain; and it is forecast that, following implementation of our proposals for the November 1979 uprating of FIS now before the House, the number of families on FIS will rise to a peak of 87,000 in 1979–80.