§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the value in real terms and in relation to average male earnings of(a) retirement pensions, (b) unemployment benefit, (c) sickness benefit, (d) industrial disablement benefit, (e) industrial death benefit, (f) maternity allowance, (g) non-contributory retirement pension, (h) war disablement pension, (i) war widows' pension, (j) attendance allowance, (k) invalid care allowance, (l) severe disablement allowance, (m) mobility allowance, (n) child benefit and (o) one-parent benefit, giving in each case the single and couple rate where applicable and the higher and lower rate in the case of attendance allowance, paid in November 1979 and April 1989; and if he will give the cash figure for each benefit in each year.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardComparisons over the period in question are complicated by the change in 1983 from uprating partly based on forecasts of future inflation to upratings based on known movements in the retail prices index to the latest available date. Moreover, in November 1979 long-term benefit rates were increased by 2 per cent. more than forecast inflation to make up for the fact that the forecast underlying the 1978 uprating had proved 2 per cent. lower than the actual growth in earnings of 13.3 per cent. between November 1977 and November 1978. The table gives the figures requested in relation both to November 1978 and November 1979. It also shows the change in the average real value of benefit in the uprating years November 1978 to November 1979, and between April 1988 and April 1989.
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Nov. 1978 rates in cash Nov. 1979 rates in cash Nov. 1978 rates in April 1989 prices Nov. 1979 rates in April 1989 prices April 1989 rates in cash Ratio of benefit to gross earnings Nov. 1978 Ratio of benefit to gross earnings Nov. 1979 Ratio of benefit to gross earnings April 1989 Nov. 1978 to April 1989 per cent. change Nov. 1979 to April 1989 per cent. change Per cent. Change3 between uprating periods Nov. 1978–79 to April 1988–89 £ £ £ £ £ per cent. per cent. per cent. Single person 11.70 14.00 26.05 26.56 26.20 16.2 16.2 12.3 0.6 -1.3 7.32 Married couple 18.75 22.40 41.75 42.49 41.85 25.9 26.0 19.6 0.2 -1.5 7.02 Mobility Allowance1 10.00 12.00 22.75 22.76 24.40 13.8 13.9 11.4 7.3 7.2 13.46 Child Benefit2 3.00 4.00 6.68 7.59 7.25 4.1 4.6 3.4 8.5 -4.5 3.41 One Parent Benefit 2.00 2.50 4.45 4.74 5.20 2.8 2.9 2.4 16.9 9.6 24.30 1 For Mobility Allowance, the initial uprating period is July 1978 to November 1979 2 For Child Benefit, the initial uprating period runs from April 1979 to November 1980. 3 The percentage change between uprating periods is calculated as the percentage change in the average real value of benefit during the uprating period April 1988 to April 1989, as compared to the period November 1978 to November 1979. Note: Average gross weekly earnings, all full-time workers on adult rates (Source: New Earnings Survey). Interpolated by the seasonally adjusted monthly index of average earnings, all employees in industries and services (published by DE).