Benefits (Hansard, 22 April 1987)

§ Mr. Wigley
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people there are in Wales in receipt of, respectively (a) supplementary benefit, (b) supplementary pension and (c) family income supplement.

§ Mr. Lyell
The latest available information is as follows:

Benefit Date Number

(a) Supplementary allowance February 1986 198,000 claimants

(b) Supplementary pension February 1986 92,000 claimants

(c) Family income supplement May 1986 13,000 families

§ Mr. McCrindle
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost in benefits in a full year of unemployed school leavers between the ages of 16 and 18; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Major
[pursuant to his reply, 3 April 1987, c. 656]: The information is not available in the precise form requested. Based on the number of unemployed claimants aged 16 and 17, and the average weekly payment of supplementary benefit to them on a particular day in December 1984, the annual expenditure was £176 million. This figure cannot be regarded as an accurate estimate of the total expenditure on supplementary benefit to this group of claimants because (a) it takes no account of the seasonal variations in the numbers in this group which are likely to arise particularly because of the patterns in school leaving; (b) it does not include occasional payments such as single payments for exceptional needs.

§ Mr. Gordon Brown
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will express (a) the basic pension and (b) the single person's supplementary benefit level if unemployed as a percentage of average earnings in (i) 1957 (ii) 1979 (iii) 1987.
629W

§ Mr. Major
[pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987,c. 412–13]: The table gives the basic pension for a single person and a married couple and the ordinary supplementary benefit scale rate for a single householder as a percentage of average net earnings of single and married male manual workers, as appropriate. Benefit assistance for a householder on the ordinary rate of supplementary benefit would also include the meeting of housing costs. Pensioners reliant on the basic pension or little more would also be likely to be eligible for help from supplementary benefit or housing benefit. These figures therefore understate the extent to which social security benefit help replaces earnings.

Rates of benefit expressed as a percentage of average net earnings¹

Basic retirement pension Supplementary benefit— Single house holder

Single Married

January 1985² 23.9 36.0 21.5

November 1979 31.8 48.4 25.0

1987–88³ 29.1 44.3 22.4

¹ Average gross earnings of male manual workers less tax and national insurance contributions at the not contracted-out rate.

² Comparisons are normally made with benefit rates at uprating dates. No uprating took place in 1957.

³ Benefit rates at April 1987. Earnings information for April not yet available and figures therefore based on estimated average financial year date. This is likely to be higher than actual average earnings at April.

Benefit	Date	Number
(a) Supplementary allowance	February 1986	198,000 claimants
(b) Supplementary pension	February 1986	92,000 claimants
(c) Family income supplement	May 1986	13,000 families

Rates of benefit expressed as a percentage of average net earnings¹
	Basic retirement pension	Supplementary benefit— Single house holder
	Single	Married
January 1985²	23.9	36.0	21.5
November 1979	31.8	48.4	25.0
1987–88³	29.1	44.3	22.4
¹ Average gross earnings of male manual workers less tax and national insurance contributions at the not contracted-out rate.
² Comparisons are normally made with benefit rates at uprating dates. No uprating took place in 1957.
³ Benefit rates at April 1987. Earnings information for April not yet available and figures therefore based on estimated average financial year date. This is likely to be higher than actual average earnings at April.