Benefits (Hansard, 23 April 1985)

§ Mrs. Beckett
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the following figures as at the November 1984 benefit upratings (a) the tax-free income per week available from the married man's tax allowance and child benefit for a married couple with two children under 11 years of age, (b) the supplementary benefit requirements figure for a married man with two children aged between four and six years, (c) the prescribed amount for family income supplement for a married man with two children, in the manner of his answer to the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Dorrell) on 2 December 1983, Official Report, columns 649–50.

§ Mr. Whitney
I assume the hon. Member has in mind the reply to the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Dorrell) on 2 December 1983, at columns657–58.
The information is as follows:

(a) £74.37^* (including child benefit of £6.85 for each child).

(b) £66.85†.

(c) £100.00.
Notes:^* The tax allowance element has been calculated as 1/52 of the married man's tax allowance of £3,155.† Supplementary benefit requirements (excluding housing costs) are the ordinary scale rates of £64.75 and, assuming one child to be under five, a heating addition of £2.10.

§ Mr. Gordon Brown
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the savings in a full financial year if housing benefit claims were only met up to (a) 80 per cent., (b) 85 per cent., (c) 90 per cent. and (d) 95 per cent. of housing costs.

§ Mr. Whitney
I regret that this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

§ Mr. Gordon Brown
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he now expects to announce the annual uprating in child benefit.

§ Mr. Whitney
An announcement about the rate of child benefit will be made at the usual time in June.

§ Mr. Gordon Brown
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons in receipt of unemployment benefit have been (a) unemployed for six months or less and (b) unemployed for six months to one year.

§ Mr. Whitney
At November 1983 (the latest date for which figures are available) there were 589,700 persons in receipt of unemployment benefit who had been unemployed for six months or less, and 297,900 who had been unemployed for six months to one year.

§ Mr. Gordon Brown
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons in receipt of unemployment benefit receive supplementary benefit; what is the total cost of supplementary benefit paid to them; and what is the average payment.
402W

§ Mr. Whitney
The number of unemployed claimants receiving both unemployment and supplementary benefit at December 1983, the latest date for which figures are available, was 207,000, and their average weekly rate of supplementary benefit was £15.66. The total cost of their supplementary benefit in the 1983–84 financial year was £200 million.

§ Mr. Gordon Brown
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the costs of meeting mortgage payments for claimants of supplementary benefit who are (a) unemployed claimants and (b) other claimants in a full financial year; and how many persons benefit.

§ Mr. Whitney
Information is not available in the precise form requested. Figures are held only for the combined figure of mortgage interest and ground rent. The estimated amount of money added into the assessment for mortgage interest and ground rent, together with the number of claimants for 1982, which are the latest figures available, is as follows:

Number of claimants £ million

Total number of supplementary beneficiaries in receipt of mortgage interest 235,000 170

Number of those who are unemployed 140,000 123

Other claimants 95,000 47

§ Mr. Gordon Brown
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much has been paid so far in 1985 under single payment regulation 28 for help with fuel bills in exceptionally severe weather; and how many households have benefited.

§ Mr. Whitney
Local social security offices are keeping a tally of the number and cost of supplementary benefit lump sum payments made towards extra fuel used in the recent exceptionally severe weather. They will be asked to make a return when the period during which claims should be made is over. The cost of obtaining an interim return would be disproportionately high.

§ Mr. Gordon Brown
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost of (a) the death grant and (b) the maternity grant in the latest full year for which statistics are available; and how many households benefited.

§ Mr. Whitney
The estimated cost (excluding the cost of administration) in 1984–85 of the death grant and maternity grant is £17 million and £18 million respectively. There were some 600,000 successful claims for death grant and 700,000 for maternity grant in 1984–85.

§ Mr. Gordon Brown
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost of (a) additional help with funeral costs and (b) help with maternity benefits for supplementary benefit claimants and low income families in the latest full year for which statistics are available; and how many households benefited.

§ Mr. Whitney
Information from the "Annual Statistical Enquiry" carried out in December 1982 is as follows: 403W

^*Number of payments Total expenditure £

Supplementary benefit

Single payments for funeral expenses 13,000 2.6 million

Single payments for maternity needs 101.000 5.4 million

^* These figures relate to the number of payments made. Figures are not available as to the number of individual households which benefited. Figures from the Annual Statistical Enquiry relate to single payments made during the 12 months preceding the date of the enquiry to persons still in receipt of supplementary benefit at the time of the enquiry, and do not, therefore, record all the single payments made during the year.

Help under the Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Regulation is only available to low income families if they are in receipt of supplementary benefit, or would be eligible for supplementary benefit if they made a claim.

§ Mr. Gordon Brown
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost of raising child benefit from November by (a) 6 per cent. (b) 3 per cent. and (c) 2 per cent. for the financial years 1985–86 and 1986–87.

§ Mr. Whitney
For the financial year 1985–86 it would cost £70 million, £35 million and £26 million respectively to raise child benefit by 6 per cent., 3 per cent. and 2 per cent. from November 1985. The corresponding costs for the full 1986–87 financial year would be £196 million, £98 million and £74 million respectively.

	Number of claimants	£ million
Total number of supplementary beneficiaries in receipt of mortgage interest	235,000	170
Number of those who are unemployed	140,000	123
Other claimants	95,000	47

	^*Number of payments	Total expenditure £
Supplementary benefit
Single payments for funeral expenses	13,000	2.6 million
Single payments for maternity needs	101.000	5.4 million
^* These figures relate to the number of payments made. Figures are not available as to the number of individual households which benefited. Figures from the Annual Statistical Enquiry relate to single payments made during the 12 months preceding the date of the enquiry to persons still in receipt of supplementary benefit at the time of the enquiry, and do not, therefore, record all the single payments made during the year.