§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the latest available figures on the numbers of one-parent families receiving child benefit increase: how many of those do not benefit financially from doing so; how many lone parents who would benefit financially from child benefit increase do not receive it; and what is the percentage take-up rate.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe number of families receiving child benefit increase on 1 October 1980 was 427,000.
In November 1979, the latest date for which information is available, 95,000 out of 375,000 recipients of the increase were not gaining financially from it, and the number of lone parents who might gain financially, but were not receiving the increase, was about 180,000.
The estimated take-up, also based on November 1979 information, among those who stand to gain is about 60 per cent.
I am considering the position in the light of these figures, and will make an announcement in due course.