HC Deb 02 November 1988 vol 139 c644W
Sir Ian Gilmour

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures showing the proposed family credit ceilings in 1989–90 for each of(a) a married couple with one child under five years, (b) a married couple with two children under 11 years and two over 11 years, (c) a married couple with three children under 11 years and three children over 11 years and (d) a married couple with two children under 11 years and two children over 11 years.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The information requested is as follows:

Maximum family credit1 at proposed April 1989 rates (£) Level of gross earnings2 at which entitlement to family credit runs out (£ per week3)
(a) Married couple with one child under 5 40.90 138
(b) Married couple with two children under 11 and two aged between 11 and 15 74.00 210
(c) Married couple with three children under 11 and three aged between 11 and 15 94.20 254
1 Maximum family credit would be payable where net income was £54.80 or less.
2 Assumes an inflation-related increase in tax and national insurance contributions thresholds from April 1989.
3 Approximate.

Sir Ian Gilmour

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of families with children who will be above the entitlement ceilings for 1989–90 family credit, but whose net resources defined as in "Low Income Families" are within(a) 140 per cent. and (b) 200 per cent. of their income support levels.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The low income families statistics, which used the concept of relative net resources, have been discontinued and the alternative measures of net income before and after housing costs have been introduced. Figures on this alternative basis covering the years 1981, 1983 and 1985 can be found in "Households Below Average Income", copies of which are in the Library.