§ 32. Mr. Wigleyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the average cost to the Exchequer of supporting a man with a wife and two children, previously earning average industrial wages, who is now out of work compared with the position when he was in employment.
§ Mr. BiffenThe amount which an individual who becomes unemployed will be eligible to receive in social security benefits will depend not only on his earnings before being made unemployed and his family circumstances, but also on his contribution record, housing costs and other factors. Similarly, the loss in income tax receipts will depend on the tax allowances which the individual was claiming when employed and the point in the tax year when he becomes unemployed. For the cost in lost revenue and additional social security benefits which applies to an individual under a specific set of assumptions, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State on 18 January 1980.—[Vol. 976, c.893.]