§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the wording on his Department's form BO 3TD has been changed during 1979.
§ Mrs. ChalkerNo, but a reprint is due in the next two or three months, when the point which the hon. Member raised with my right hon. Friend's predecessor, the right hon. Member for Salford, West (Mr. Orme) will be taken into account.—[Vol. 961, c.532–3.]
§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list for each year since 1974 the number of families with children and the number of persons in these families living below, on and up to 110 per cent., 120 per cent, and 140 per cent of the supplementary benefit level according to the standard employment status groupings.
§ Mrs. Chalker[pursuant to her reply, 22 May 1979, c. 112]: The information is as follows: 305W
Numbers living above supplementary benefit level but less than 10 per cent, above, analysed by employment status (Thousands) 1974 1975 1976 1977 Status Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons Full time work [30] 130 80 380 120 550 110 460 Sick [10] [40] [10] [20] [10] [20] [10]* [50] Unemployed [10]* [10] [10]* [10] [20] 100 [10] [40] Others [10] [50] [10] [30] [10]* [10] [10]* [20] *Under 10,000 cases.
Numbers living above supplementary benefit level but less than 20 per cent, above, analysed by employment status (Thousands) 1974 1975 1976 1976 Status Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons Full lime work 100 460 170 780 340 1,520 320 1,350 Sick [20] 80 [10] 60 [20] 80 [40] 170 Unemployed [10] [40] [10] [40] [30] 150 [20] 80 Others [10] 80 [30] 110 [10] [40] [30] 100
Numbers living above supplementary benefit level but less than 40 per cent above, analysed by employment status (Thousands) 1974 1975 1976 1977 Status Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons Families Persons Full lime work 380 1,790 670 2,970 910 3,970 820 3,430 Sick [40] 190 [40] 180 [30] 140 60 250 Unemployed [10] 60 [30] 120 [50] 200 [30] 100 Others [30] 100 60 190 [40] 140 [50] 190 Notes on the tables: 1. All figures arc rounded to the nearest 10,000 2. The estimates for those not receiving supplementary benefit are based on the DHSS analysis or incomes and other information recorded by respondents to the family expenditure survey The estimates arc subject to statistical error Those figures in square brackets are subject to very considerable proportionate statistical error Estimates of those receiving supplementary benefit are derived from the annual statistical inquiry of supplementary benefit claimants. 3. These estimates relate only to the population living in private households: families and persons in institutions are not sampled in the family expenditure survey. 4. The supplementary benefit level is taken as being the supplementary benefit scale rate(s) appropriate to the family, using the long-term rates for pensioners only. Income refers to net income—Sdingall benefits—less housing costs, work expenses, income tax and national insurance contributions is appropriate. 5. The comparison is based on the family's normal income in the normal employment of the family head For example, where the head of the family had been off work due to sickness or unemployment for less than three months at the time of the survey, the family's normal income when the head was at work was used in determining the level of income. 6. The estimates for numbers of families with income below the supplementary benefit level do not indicate unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit. For example, those who are in full-time work or undertaking full-time further education would not normally have entitlement to supplementary benefit For others not precluded from claiming, no regard is had in these estimates to factors such as affect income, treatment of capital or exceptional circumstances additions, each of which can affect payment of supplementary benefit. 7. Separate estimates of families with apparent unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit are mow made annually. Those for 1976 were published in the annual report of the Supplementary Benefits Commission for 1977 Cmnd. 1976 Estimates for 1977 will be published in the Commission's report for 1978
§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children in each year since 1974 were living in families (a) below, (b) on, (c) up to 110 per cent., (d) 120 per cent, and (e) 140 per cent, of the supplementary benefit level; 306W and in each case how many of these families had a head: (i) in full-time work or self-employed and (ii) unemployed.
§ Mrs. Chalker[pursuant to her reply, 22 May 1979, c. 112]: The information is as follows: 307W
ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF FAMILIES AT VARIOUS INCOME LEVELS Numbers below the supplementary benefit level, showing numbers of children; analysed by full-time work (including self-employed) and unemployed status of family head (Thousands) 1974 1975 1976 1977 Status Families Children Families Children Families Children Families Children Full-time work 60 160 110 280 170 400 120 260 Unemployed [10] [30] [20] [40] [20] [40] [40] 90 All families 100 260 180 400 230 500 200 420
Numbers receiving supplementary benefit, showing the numbers of children Note: The figures available do not break down the number of unemployed families with children receiving supplementary benefit. The table gives the total number of families with children in receipt of supplementary benefit and the total families including those with no children, who are unemployed. (Thousands) 1974 1975 1976 1977 Status Families Children Families Children Families Children Families Children All families with children 340 730 380 810 460 960 470 980 All families unemployed 280 420 290 720 410 910 420 980
Numbers above the supplementary benefit level but less than 10 per cent, above, showing numbers of children; analysed by full-time work (including self-employed) and unemployed status of family head (Thousand) 1974 1975 1976 1977 Status Families Children Families Children Families Children Families Children Full-time work [30] 70 80 220 120 320 110 240 Unemployed [10] [10]* [10]* [10]* [20] 60 [10] [20] All families [50] 140 90 250 150 400 140 310 * Under 10,000 cases.
Numbers above the supplementary benefit level but less than 20 per cent, above, showing numbers of children; analysed by full-time work (including self-employed) and unemployed status of family head (Thousands) 1974 1975 1976 1977 Status Families Children Families Children Families Children Families Children Full-time work 100 270 170 450 340 840 320 630 Unemployed [10] [30] [10] [20] [30] 80 [20] [40] All families 140 380 220 580 410 1,000 410 930 308W 309W
Numbers above the supplementary benefit level but less than 40 per cent, above, showing numbers of children; analysed by full-time work (including self-employed) and unemployed status of family head (Thousands) 1974 1975 1976 1977 Status Families Children Families Children Families Children Families Children Full-time work 380 1,050 670 1,660 910 2,180 820 1,820 Unemployed [10] [30] [30] 60 [50] 110 [30] [50] All families 460 1,250 790 1,950 1,030 2,440 970 2,140 Notes on the tables: 1. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000. Consequently the sum of the component parts may not equal the totals. 2. The estimates for those not receiving supplementary benefit are based on the DHSS analysis of incomes and other information recorded by respondents to the family expenditure survey. The estimates are subject to statistical error. Those figures in square brackets are subject to very considerable proportionate statistical error. Estimates of those receiving supplementary benefit are derived from the annual statistical inquiry of supplementary benefit claimants. 3. These estimates relate only to the population living in private households. Families and persons in institutions are not sampled in the family expenditure survey. 4. The supplementary benefit level is taken as being the supplementary benefit scale rate(s) appropriate to the family, using the long-term rates for pensioners only. Income refers to net income including all benefits, less net housing costs, work expenses, income tax and national insurance contributions as appropriate. 5. The comparison is based on the family's normal income in the normal employment of the family head. For example where the head of the family has been off work due to sickness or unemployment for less than three months at the time of the survey the family's normal income when the head was at work was used in determining the level of income. 310W
6. The estimates of numbers of families with income below the supplementary benefit level do not indicate unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit. For example those who are in full-time work or undertaking full-time further education would not normally have entitlement to supplementary benefit, for others not precluded from claiming, no regard is had in these estimates to factors such as disregarded income, treatment of capital or exceptional circumstance additions earn of which can affect payment of supplementary benefit. 7. Separate estimates of families with apparent unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit are now made annually. Those for 1976 were published in the annual report of the Supplementary Benefits Commission for 1977. Cmnd. 7392 Estimates for 1977 will be published in the Commission's report for 1978. 8. The 1977 estimates of families with incomes below the supplementary benefit level art directly comparable with those for 1974, 1975 and 1976 but not with those for 1972 and 1973. In earlier years it had been assumed that the income distribution of the self-employed was the same for employees. Self-employed sample records were included in the analysis in 1974 for the first time and this has been repeated since. The figures on the self-employed are specially liable to error because their incomes recorded in the family expenditure survey tend to be particularly low in relation to their recorded expenditure. This discrepancy is partly due to the incomes of the self-employed being recorded in many cases for a much earlier period than that to which their expenditure relates and the data in the tables for 1975, 1976 and 1977 have been adjusted to take account of this The 1977 data contained more information so a finer adjustment was possible for that year.