HC Deb 14 July 1987 vol 119 cc456-7W
Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the value of the long-term supplementary benefit scale rates, excluding housing costs, for a single person and a married couple as a proportion of average net earnings for all males for each year from November 1978 to April 1986.

Mr. Scott:

The information is as follows:

Scale rates as a percentage of average net earnings of all males1
Uprating date Single non-householder Single householder Couple
November 1978 24.4 30.4 45.8
November 1979 23.7 29.7 45.0
November 1980 23.2 29.1 44.4
November 1981 23.4 29.3 44.9
November 1982 24.3 30.4 46.5
November 1983 23.6 29.5 45.0
November 1984 22.7 28.4 43.1
November 1985 22.3 27.9 42.4
July 19862 21.2 26.5 40.3

Supplementary benefit rates are more usually compared with male manual earnings.1 The equivalent percentages are as follows:

Uprating date Single non-householder Single householder Couple
November 1978 26.5 33.0 49.5
November 1979 25.9 32.4 48.9
November 1980 26.2 32.8 49.7
November 1981 26.7 33.4 50.9
November 1982 27.9 34.9 52.9
November 1983 27.1 34.0 51.4
November 1984 26.2 32.8 49.4
November 1985 26.0 32.4 48.9
July 19862 24.8 31.0 46.7
1 Net average earnings is gross average earnings less tax and national insurance contributions at the non.contracted out rate.
2 Provision. The comparison is based on July benefit rates, when the uprating took place in 1986.

Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate (a) the total savings, (b) the number of people affected, and (c) the average loss per person resulting from the changes in the regulations for the payment of mortgage interest for people on supplementary benefit.

Mr. Scott

Our latest estimates of the effect of the changes made in January to the amount allowed for mortgage interest in supplementary benefit for new claimants under 60 are:

  1. (a) savings of £38 million in the year 1987–88;
  2. (b) just over 70,000 claimants affected at any one time;
  3. (c) an average amount of mortgage interest of £170 would not be met for someone staying on benefit the full 16 weeks.