§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the ordinary and long-term supplementary benefit rates, excluding rent, for a single person, a couple and a couple plus one, two and four children, as a percentage of average net earnings for the years 1965 to 1980.
§ Mrs. ChalkerFollowing is the information:
665W666W
Supplementary Benefit Scale Rates*†‡║ Expressed as Percentage of Net Average Earnings Family Type
Date** Single Person Married Couple Married Couple plus 1 child Married Couple plus 2 children Married Couple plus 4 children Ordinary Long Term Ordinary Long Term Ordinary Long Term Ordinary Long Term Ordinary Long Term per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. March 1965 26.5 — 41.2 — 46.0 — 49.9 — 59.1 — November 1966 26.6 — 41.1 — 45.8 — 49.5 — 58.3 — October 1967 27.1 — 41.9 — 46.8 — 50.5 — 59.1 — October 1968 26.9 — 41.7 — 46.8 — 50.8 — 59.4 — November 1969 26.6 — 41.4 — 46.5 — 50.5 — 59.1 — November 1970 25.7 — 39.9 — 45.0 — 49.1 — 58.2 — September 1971 26.3 — 41.0 — 46.0 — 50.0 — 58.6 — October 1972 24.9 — 38.9 — 44.0 — 48.2 — 57.3 — October 1973 24.1 27.5 37.9 41.8 43.0 46.8 47.3 50.9 56.9 60.2 July 1974 26.1 32.3 40.5 48.5 45.5 53.2 49.8 57.1 59.5 66.1 April 1975 26.1 32.6 40.5 48.7 45.7 53.6 49.7 57.3 59.0 65.8 November 1975 27.1 34.1 42.2 51.2 47.7 56.4 52.1 60.4 62.4 69.9 November 1976 28.2 34.8 43.6 52.4 49.1 57.6 53.5 61.6 63.8 71.1 November 1977 28.5 35.2 43.5 52.3 49.0 57.5 53.8 61.9 64.8 72.3 November 1978 26.9 34.4 41.1 51.4 45.6 55.3 49.6 58.8 58.8 67.1 November 1979 26.1 33.8 40.2 51.0 46.1 56.3 50.2 59.9 59.6 68.4 November 1980¶ 26.6 33.9 40.9 51.4 48.5 58.4 53.8 63.2 63.0 71.5 Notes: * November 1979 and November 1980 includes age related heating addition in respect of child under 5 years of age. † Up to and including November 1979 net average weekly earnings are the estimates of gross average weekly earnings of male manual workers (aged 21 and over) in full time employment in the United Kingdom and are derived from the Department of Employment's October enquiry by interpolation using the seasonally adjusted index of average earnings (older series) with deductions for income tax and national insurance contributions at the non contracted out rate. For November 1980 net average weekly earnings are the estimates of gross average weekly earnings derived by interpolation from the Department of Employment's October enquiry using the seasonally adjusted index of average earnings of production industries (new series) with deductions for income tax and national insurance contributions at the non contracted out rate. ** The dates shown are those on which an uprating of benefits occurred. ‡ The ages of children included in the calculations are: 1 child family—under 5 years. 2 child family—both under 5 years. 4 child family—two children under 5 years, two children 5–10 years. ║ Family allowances/child benefit, where appropriate is included in net average earnings. ¶ Provisional.