§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to the reply of the Under-Secretary of State on 7 December, Official Report, c. 304, if he will estimate the short-term savings that will be made in 1982–83, as a result of the switch to paying child benefit four-weekly in arrears, over and above any administrative savings.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe once-and-for-all benefit saving in 1982–83 will be about £56 million on the assumption that half the mothers who could opt to continue weekly payments will do so.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present level of child benefit; how many (a) families, and (b) children draw the benefit; and what is the annual cost to the Exchequer.
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§ Mrs. ChalkerThe current rate of child benefit is £5.25. It is being paid in respect of 13.2 million children in 7.2 million families. The annual cost in 1981–82 will be £3, 500 million. Of these families 470, 000 also receive one-parent benefit at the rate of £3.30 a week and an annual cost of about £80 million.