§ Baroness Seearasked Her Majesty's Government:
For each year since 1961, how many people have been prosecuted for failing to maintain themselves and their family.
§ Lord Cullen of AshbourneUnder Section 25 of the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976, persons may be prosecuted if they persistently refuse or neglect to maintain themselves or their dependents. Broadly similar provisions were contained in Section 30 of the Ministry of Social Security Act 1966 and in Section 51 of the National Assistance Act 1948.
There are two categories of people who may be prosecuted under this legislation: claimants who are unemployed and who refuse or neglect to obtain employment; and non-claimants who are liable relatives—mainly deserting husbands who fail to maintain their wives and children. The numbers of prosecutions for the years in question were as follows: 401WA
The sharp decline in the number of prosecutions of unemployed claimants since 1971 mainly reflects the increasing use of unemployment review officers since then. Their primary task is to get people back into work whenever possible and prosecution is now regarded as very much a last resort.
Year Unemployed Claimants Liable Relatives 1961 180 418 1962 134 406 1963 96 439 1964 131 446 1965 178 604 1966 178 635 1967 95 716 1968 88 597 1969 106 598 1970 58 675 1971 64 614 1972 17 604 1973 8 535 1974 24 564 1975 23 624 1976 12 559 1977 6 378 1978 7 409 1979 6 452 1980 2 759