HC Deb 03 December 1986 vol 106 c706W
Mr. Hirst

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the latest take-up estimates for supplementary benefit and one-parent benefit.

Mr. Major

The latest estimates by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys of the number of one parent families in Great Britain for each year from 1979 to 1984, suggest that the take-up rate of one parent benefit over that period is as follows:

Per cent.
1979 70
1980 77
1981 78
1982 83
1983 89
1984 93

Notes:

(1) The take-up rate is of those families who stand to gain. Not all families can gain because one parent benefit is taken into account as income for supplementary benefit purposes.

(2) The increase in child benefit (one parent benefit) for a single parent family was introduced in 1977.