§ Mr. Forthasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current average state benefit payment for a married couple with two children aged under 11 years.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe 1983 "Family Expenditure Survey" indicates that on average married couples with two children aged under 11 years received £19 weekly in social security benefits.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update to November 1984 at assumed November 1984 prices, the information on the value of benefits and allowances provided in the reply of 23 December 1982, Official Report, column 690, to the hon. Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley).
§ Mr. WhitneyThe information is as follows: 339W
Notes to tables: * Based on the movement in the General Index of Retail Prices. 1. Tax allowances available to all earners in 1955 comprised three elements; the personal allowance, national insurance relief and earned income relief, and all are included. Earned income relief is that for average earnings.
2. In respect of average earnings of £10.87. Estimates of average earnings have been obtained by interpolation between October estimates, using the seasonally adjusted monthly index of average earnings (older series) published by the Department of Employment.
3. Includes dependency allowance for children.
4. Rates as at May 1955 when Sickness Benefit was increased. Real value at November 1984 (Col (b) of table) calculated from May 1955 base.
5. Child tax allowance for the family illustrated would have been £200 per annum in 1955. It has been assumed that the family's income subject to tax is more than £200 below the top of the standard rate tax band.
§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update to November 1984 the
(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) Date Married couple's UB rate Dependency increase Child Benefitl Family Allowance Total * child Support Column (e) as per cent. of Colum (b) Column (e) expressed at November 1984 prices† Column (g) as index November 1984=100 £ £ £ £ £ July 1948 2.10 0.375 0.25 0.625 29.8 7.18 52.4 August 1951 2.10 0.625 0.25 0.875 41.7 8.55 62.4 July 1952 2.70 0.65 0.25 0.90 33.3 8.12 59.3 May 1955 3.25 0.75 0.40 1.15 35.4 9.74 71.1 February 1958 4.00 1.10 0.40 1.50 37.5 11.27 82.3 April 1961 4.625 1.35 0.40 1.75 37.8 12.49 91.2 March 1963 5.45 1.60 0.40 2.00 36.7 13.27 96.9 January 1965 6.50 1.85 0.40 2.25 34.6 14.14 103.2 October 1967 7.30 2.10 0.40 2.50 34.2 14.37 104.9 April 1968 7.30 2.05 0.75 2.80 38.4 15.44 112.7 October 1968 7.30 1.90 0.90 2.80 38.4 15.24 111.2 November 1969 8.10 2.20 0.90 3.10 38.3 15.98 116.6 September 1971 9.70 2.80 0.90 3.70 38.1 16.38 119.6 October 1972 10.90 3.30 0.90 4.20 38.5 17.13 125.0 October 1973 10.90 3.70 0.90 4.60 38.7 17.08 124.7 July 1974 13.90 4.50 0.90 5.40 38.8 17.66 128.9 April 1975 15.90 4.70 1.50 6.20 39.0 17.23 125.8 November 1975 18.00 5.50 1.50 7.00 38.9 17.42 127.2 November 1976 20.90 6.60 1.50 8.10 38.8 17.53 128.0 April 1977 20.90 5.60 2.50 8.10 38.8 16.12 117.7 November 1977 23.80 6.50 2.50 9.00 37.8 17.23 125.8 April 1978 23.80 4.40 4.60 9.00 37.8 16.59 121.1 November 1978 25.50 3.70 6.00 9.70 38.0 17.19 125.5 April 1979 25.50 1.70 8.00 9.70 38.0 16.25 118.6 November 1979 29.95 3.40 8.00 11.40 38.1 17.21 125.6 November 1980 33.40 2.50 9.50 12.00 35.9 15.71 114.7 November 1981 36.40 1.60 10.50 12.10 33.2 14.15 103.3 November 1982 40.45 0.60 11.70 1230 30.4 13.53 98.8 November 1983 43.75 0.30 13.00 13.30 30.4 13.96 101.9 November 1984 46.00 — 13.70 13.70 29.8 1370 100.0 Notes: * Does not show the effect of child tax allowances to the standard rate taxpayer. In year prior to April 1979 some recipients of unemployment benefit would also have derived advantage from child tax allowance because of their receipt of earnings in the course of the tax year. † Based on the movement in the general index of retail prices at November 1984, the latest date available.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he can give the latest estimate of the number of recipients of (a) supplementary benefit, (b) standard housing benefit and (c) family income supplement in the Greater Manchester county council area, or the nearest
340Winformation provided in the reply of 8 November 1982 to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Dr. McDonald) Official Report, columns 51–2, relating to child support.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe information is as follows:
region available; and what is the total adult population in the regions chosen giving comparable information for 1979.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe Greater Manchester county council area is served by 23 of the Department's local offices. Their boundaries are conterminous with the Greater 341W Manchester county council. The number of recipients of supplementary benefit from these offices were 186,029 in February 1979 and 302,300 in February 1985.
Information is not available in the precise form requested for standard housing benefit. Estimates of the numbers of recipients of rent rebates, rent allowances and rates rebates in the Greater Manchester county council area for the financial years 1979–80 and 1984–85 are:
1979–80 1984–85 Rent rebate *60,000 *90,000 Rent allowance *10,000 *20.000 Rates rebate *160,000 *200,000 * Figures rounded to the nearest 10,000. Figures for recipients of Family Income Supplement are available only on a regional basis. In 1983 regional boundaries were re-drawn. Figures for 1979 and 1985 are not therefore comparable since the new north western region is much larger than the old north-west (Manchester) region. Figures available — rounded to the nearest thousand—are 5,000 in January 1979 and 35,000 in January 1985.
Figures of adult population are available only for the Greater Manchester metropolitan county area for June 1979 and June 1983 — the latest available. They are 2,016,400 in June 1979 and 2,027,600 in June 1983.
§ Rev. Martin Smythasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of those entitled to social security benefits in the United Kingdom have opted to have their benefits paid by advance credit transfer rather than by giro at their local post office; what percentage have opted for advance credit transfer; and how this compares with the Department's projected estimate of cost savings from his programme.
§ Mr. WhitneySome 1 million beneficiaries in Great Britain have opted to receive payment by automated credit transfer and this represents about 7 per cent. of those currently receiving benefits for which the option is available. The exercises to invite beneficiaries to change their method of payment are not yet complete, but it is clear that the take-up of payment by automated credit transfer is lower than envisaged.