Single-parent Families

HC Deb 04 July 1988 vol 136 cc444-5W

Mr. Ralph Howell

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many(a) single parents, and (b) persons in single-parent families there were in (i) 1979 and (ii) in the current year; and how many in (a) and (b) were dependant on state or family support.

Mr. Portillo

The figures show the most recent information available. Details of the number of persons in single parent families are not available by benefit but the average number of dependent children per family in lone parent families is estimated at 1.6 for 1982–84.

	1979	1984
Number of lone parent families1	815,000	940,000
Number of lone parent families receiving supplementary benefit or FIS at 31 December2	363,000	598,000
[Number of lone parents receiving one-parent benefit	381,000	517,000]

¹Based on a sample survey from the GHS and averaged over the appropriate three years (see "One Parent Families in GB" Population Trends 45 pp 5–13 HMSO 1986.)

²Extracted from information in "Social Security Statistics"—1980 and 1985.