HC Deb 11 December 1981 vol 14 cc515-6W
Sir Brandon Rhys-Williams

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what have been the percentage increases in child benefit, national insurance, flat-rate pensions and supplementary benefits since May 1979; and what the percentage increase would have been if upratings had kept in conformity with changes in the gross national product in money terms.

(a) Date (b) Married couple's UB rate (c) Dependency Increase (d) Child Benefit/Family Allowance (e) Total Child Support* (f) Col. (e) as per cent. of Col. (b) (g) Col. (e) Expressed at November 1981† prices (h) Col. (g) as Index November 1981: 100
£ £ £ £ £
5 July 1948 2.10 0.375 0.25 0.625 29.8 6.14 50.7
30 August 1951 2.10 0.625 0.25 0.875 41.7 7.31 60.4
24 July 1952 2.70 0.65 0.25 0.90 33.3 6.95 57.4
19 May 1955 3.25 0.75 0.40 1.15 35.4 8.33 68.8
6 February 1958 4.00 1.10 0.40 1.50 37.5 9.65 79.8
6 April 1961 4.625 1.35 0.40 1.75 37.8 10.69 88.3
7 March 1963 5.45 1.60 0.40 2.00 36.7 11.36 93.9
28 January 1965 6.50 1.85 0.40 2.25 34.6 12.10 100.0
28 October 1967 7.30 2.10 0.40 2.50 34.2 12.30 101.7
11 April 1968 7.30 2.05 0.75 2.80 38.4 13.21 109.2
10 October 1968 7.30 1.90 0.90 2.80 38.4 13.04 107.8
6 November 1969 8.10 2.20 0.90 3.10 38.3 13.67 113.0
23 September 1971 9.70 2.80 0.90 3.70 38.1 14.01 115.8
5 October 1972 10.90 3.30 0.90 4.20 38.5 14.66 121.2
4 October 1973 11.90 3.70 0.90 4.60 38.7 14.61 120.7
25 July 1974 13.90 4.50 0.90 5.40 38.8 15.11 124.9
7 April 1975 15.90 4.70 1.50 6.20 39.0 14.74 121.8
20 November 1975 18.00 5.50 1.50 7.00 38.9 14.90 123.1
18 November 1976 20.90 6.60 1.50 8.10 38.8 15.00 124.0
4 April 1977 20.90 5.60 2.50 8.10 38.8 13.79 114.0
17 November 1977 23.80 6.50 2.50 9.00 37.8 14.74 121.8
4 April 1978 23.80 4.40 4.60 9.00 37.8 14.20 117.4
16 November 1978 25.50 3.70 6.00 9.70 38.0 14.71 121.6
2 April 1979 25.50 1.70 8.00 9.70 38.0 13.40 114.9

Mr. Rossi

The percentage increases in child benefit, retirement pension, supplementary pension and the ordinary weekly rate of supplementary allowance are as follows:—

Benefit Percentage increases May 1979 to November 1981
Child benefit 31.3
Retirement pension (standard basic rate for single person) 51.8
Supplementary pension (scale rate for a single householder) 48.7
Supplementary allowance (ordinary rate for a single householder) 49.5

Between the first quarter of 1979 and the first quarter of 1981—latest figure available—the gross national product at market prices, seasonally adjusted, rose by 36.3 per cent.