§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many single payments for maternity needs were made to one-parent families in the years 1978 to 1984; and what was the average payment for maternity needs.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe information is not available in the form requested. Single payments for maternity needs have been identifiable only from November 1980 when the regulatory based scheme was introduced. The number of single payments for maternity needs to single parents together with the average payment for all groups for the years 1981 and 1982 is as follows. Data for 1983 and 1984 are not yet available.
Table 1 Number of single payments made to one parent families Great Britain 1978 1979 1980 Single payments made for Thousands Average amount Thousands Average amount Thousands Average amount £ £ £ Clothing and footwear 110 22.24 101 25.31 93 35.44 Bedding 23 18.71 37 20.43 46 28.62 Household furniture and equipment 51 39.68 43 45.96 54 53.53 Fuel 3 33.84 4 36.81 9 65.78 Removal expenses 9 29.27 8 35.32 6 48.08 Household repairs and redecoration 7 21.80 6 20.88 6 26.61 Others 11 25.49 11 27.35 7 20.20 Source: Annual Statistical Enquiries of 1978, 1979 and 1980.
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Table 2 Number of single payments made to one parent families Great Britain 1981 1982 Single payments made for Thousands Average amount Thousands Average amount £ £ Clothing and footwear 14 34.85 18 38.96 Bedding 53 42.80 90 47.68 Household furniture equipment 99 67.13 160 74.62 Fuel bills 1 64.92 33 14.36 Removal expenses 9 47.36 11 49.13 Household repair and redecoration 7 30.46 14 29.05 Maternity needs 28 43.35 46 53.61 Funeral cost 1 164.83 1 210.08 Furniture repair 13 23.51 17 26.78 Hire purchase * 45.92 1 47.44 Deposits * 25.02 * 22.25
Year Number to single parents Average amounts all groups £ 1981 28,000 43.45 1982 46,000 53.61 Source: Annual Statistical Enquiries of 1981 and 1982.
Because the figures relate only to claimants who received single payments during one week in December 1981 and 1982 and not to those who received a single payment during the course of the relevant year but who ceased to receive benefit before the week of the enquiry, they are an under-estimate of the total number of single payments made during the particular year.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many single payments or exceptional needs payments before 1980 were claimed by one-parent families on supplementary benefit in the years 1978 to 1984; what they were for; and what was the average payment for (a) one-parent families and (b) other claimants.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe two tables cover the period 1978–82; information for 1983 and 1984 is not yet available. Because of a change in the method of collecting data on the introduction of the regulatory based scheme, the tables are not comparable. The average payment relates to all categories of claimant as the information for one-parent families is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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1981 1982 Single payments made for Thousands Average amount Thousands Average amount £ £ Legal fees * 36.22 * 99.74 Housing requirements — — — — Survey fees — — * 20.00 Gardening expenses * 8.88 * 10.62 Draught proofing * 24.84 * 21.62 Fuel meters 3 15.56 4 23.29 Irregular housing cost * 28.97 * 58.41 Hospital visiting * 15.41 1 11.57 Fares for interviews — — — — Fares for employment * 8.39 * 8.94 Other travel costs 1 11.66 1 12.29 Starting work cost * 19.75 * 19.42 Debts from abroad * 122.47 * 84.01 Others 1 31.09 3 32.18 * Less than 500. Source: Annual statistical enquiries of 1981 and 1982.
Because the figures in the two tables relate only to claimants who received single payments during one week in December of the various years and not to those who received a single payment during that year but who ceased to receive benefit before the week of the enquiry, they are an under-estimate of the total number of single payments made during the particular year.
Number of One Parent Families† with additional requirements/exceptional circumstances additions‡ thousands 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 *1983 (a)Cases with additional requirements/exceptional circumstances additions 123 138 194 234 267 303 (b) Items of additional requirements/exceptional circumstances additions were for:║ (i) extra heating 111 127 183 (i) extra heating 224 261 298 (ii) special diet 13 9 9 (ii) special diet 12 12 14 (iii) extra laundry costs 2 2 2 (iii) extra laundry costs 3 5 10 (iv) other reasons 11 11 9 (iv) extra baths — 1 3 (v) high clothing and footwear costs 1 2 2 (vi) other reasons 5 1 1 (c)Total items ¶ 135 149 205 247 284 329 * Provisional. Notes: † Single parents not included in other categories (eg widows and unemployed). This comprises the bulk of single parents. ‡ Before 1980 additional requirements were known as exceptional circumstance additions, and were discretionary. Since 1980 entitlement to additional requirements has been governed by Regulations. ║ Records after 1981 distinguish more reasons for additional requirements that those for before 1981. ¶ Individual items may not add up to the total due to rounding. Some claimants received more than one item. Sources:
Table 34: 45 of Social Security Statistics from 1978 to 1983, of which copies have been placed in the Library; and the Annual Statistical Inquiry 1983 (provisional figures).