§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many new claims for supplementary benefit were received in (a) 1985 and (b) 1986 by his Department's Camberwell office between 18 May and 18 August and between 18 August and 18 November.
§ Mr. LyellInformation is not available in the precise form requested. The table shows that the numbers of new and repeat claims for supplementary benefit received by Camberwell office in the periods 8 May to 27 August and 28 August to 19 November in 1985 and 7 May to 26 August and 27 August to 18 November 1986 were:
1985 1986 May — August 3,432 3,016 August — November 2,622 2,788 Source: 100 per cent. count of claims received.
§ Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate, for supplementary benefits claimants in receipt of needs allowance, the percentage increase in meals consumed outside the home from 1982 to 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986; if he will provide separately figures for Scotland, and England and Wales; whether there are any regional variations in the cost of meals taken outside the home; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MajorI assume the hon. Member is concerned with the appropriate retail prices index for meals bought and consumed outside of the home, for which information is given in the table. Information for 1985–86 is not yet available; and separate figures for Scotland, England and Wales are not available as official price indices are not compiled on a regional basis.
Social security programme 1981–82 to 1986–87 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 Percentage of increase in benefit expenditure over previous year due to (a) Real increase in average amount of benefit paid to
elderly people
25 30 20 — 35 35 sick and disabled people — — 15 — — 10 unemployed people 5 15 — 10 20 — families 10 25 30 30 15 10 (b) Increased numbers of elderly people 10 10 20 20 10 20 sick and disabled people — 5 -10 30 20 20 unemployed people 40 15 30 15 — 10 (c) Others 10 — -5 — — -5 Note: Due to rounding figures may not sum to totals in the previous answer.
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Retail prices index for meals bought and consumed outside the home Annual average percentage increase 1982–83 6.5 1983–84 7.4 1984–85 5.8
§ Mr. Chris Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing, for the financial year 1986–87, the entitlement to standard housing benefit (excluding rate rebate or allowance), for a one-child family with one working partner and paying £16 per week rent, for the following income bands; £3,000 per year, £4,000 per year, £5,000 per year, £6,000 per year and £7,000 or more.
§ Mr. LyellThe information requested is set out in the table:
Weekly Rent Rebate of Allowance payable to a one-child family with one working partner Annual Income £ Weekly Rent Rebates or Allowance £ 3,000 16.00 4,000 16.00 5,000 11.25 6,000 5.94 7,000 Nil Notes:
(1) Income is assumed to consist of gross earnings including; child benefit (but not one-parent benefit).
(2) Family Income Supplement is assumed not to be in payment.
(3) July 1986 benefit levels and rules have been used throughout.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how, pursuant to the reply of 24 November, Official Report, columns 147–8, the figures given for real terms percentage increases in expenditure relating to (a) real increases in benefit levels and eligibility and (b) increases necessitated by increased numbers of claimants are made up for each year from 1979–80 to 1986–87.
§ Mr. MajorThe table shows the percentage of the real increase in benefit expenditure attributable to the reasons given.
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§ Mr. Clayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate (a) the gross and (b) the annual net cost of each extra £1 on (i) unemployment benefit, (ii) sickness benefit, (iii) invalidity pension, (iv) severe disablement allowance and (v) maternity allowance.
§ Mr. MajorThe table gives the estimated costs in 1987–88 of increasing the basic rate of the stated benefits for a single person by £1 per week. The costs are given gross, and net of offsetting savings on supplementary benefit and housing benefit, and assume that the rates for a couple would go up pro rata to existing rates.
Great Britain £ million Gross Net (i) Unemployment benefit 50 30 (ii) Sickness benefit 5 3 (iii) Invalidity benefit 60 50 (iv) Severe disablement allowance 10 5 (v) Maternity allowance 2 2
§ Mr. Clayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will estimate the annual cost of each extra £1 on (a) the basic rate and (b) the long term rate of supplementary benefit for single householders;
(2) if he will estimate the annual cost of each extra £1 on the children's rates of supplementary benefit for children aged under 11 years and between 11 and 15 years.
§ Mr. MajorThe estimated cost of the increases to current supplementary benefit recipients would be as follows:
£ million (a) Ordinary rate for single householders: 30 (b) Long-term rate for single householders: 90 (c) Children aged under 11: 70 (d) Children aged 11 to 15: 30 Source: Annual statistical inquiry 1984.
These estimates do not take account of the extra cost arising from the additional claims to benefit that would result from the higher rates of benefit.