§ Mr. Michael Forsythasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for (a) a single man, (b) a married couple without children and (c) a married couple with two children, the average amount they paid in direct and indirect taxes in each of the last five years and the average amount they received in benefits in cash and in kind in those same years.
§ Mr. MooreThe information requested is as follows. Since not all items of Government revenue and expenditure have been allocated to individual households, undue significance should not be attached to the differences in average taxes and benefits for each of the household types.
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Average payments of direct and indirect taxes and receipts of cash benefits and benefits in kind. 1978–1982. £ per year per household Direct taxes* Indirect taxes Cash benefits Benefits in kind† 1978 Households comprising Single man: non-retired 873 708 234 264 : retired 146 353 1,095 438 Married couple without children: non-retired 1,329 1,005 270 326 : retired 215 532 1,695 584 Married couple with 2 children 1,182 1,026 344 1,087 1979 Households comprising Single man: non-retired 1,036 930 189 307 : retired 132 415 1,216 497 Married couple without children: non-retired 1,404 1,327 338 387 : retired 212 630 1,896 696 Married couple with 2 children 1,383 1,357 512 1,267 1980 Households comprising Single man: non-retired 1,179 1,088 277 375 : retired 133 522 1,477 639 Married couple without children: non-retired 1,769 1,608 367 507 : retired 253 849 2,251 900 Married couple with 2 children 1,691 1,631 553 1,621 1981 Households comprising Single man: non-retired 1,525 1,307 328 369 : retired 253 754 1,761 678 Married couple without children: non-retired 2,135 1,835 406 530 : retired 379 989 2,573 992 Married couple with 2 children 1,801 1,795 716 1,874 1982 Households comprising Single man: non-retired 1,511 1,398 538 450 : retired 228 779 1,912 691 Married couple without children: non-retired 2,253 1,996 521 545 : retired 337 1,106 2,883 1,008 Married couple with 2 children 2,031 1,985 833 1,917 * Including employee's national insurance contributions. † Certain items of Government expenditure are converted by imputation into the equivalent of income flows to individual households, and these are known as benefits in kind. The items for which imputations are made are health and education services and some subsidies. Source: CSO estimates based on family expenditure surveys.