§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will estimate how many people in work would be taken out of dependence on family income supplement and other means-tested benefits by a £5 per week increase in child benefit, on the assumption that the prescribed limits for family income supplement were adjusted to take account of this increase.
§ Mr. NewtonAbout 75,000 families currently receiving family income supplement would have income above the qualifying level if child benefit was increased by £5 a week and the present qualifying level for family income supplement was adjusted accordingly. No estimate is available of the number who might lose entitlement to housing benefit. The annual cost of a £5 a week increase in child benefit would be approximately £2,500 million.