§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people in families with a member in full-time employment are in receipt of social security benefit and at what cost to public funds.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Lord Skelmersdale)The major benefits for families with children with a member in full-time employment include child benefit, one-parent benefit, family credit and housing benefit. There were in 1986 up to 5 million such families, containing up to 10 million adults and up to 9 million children. Almost all these families were in receipt of child benefit.
In total, in 1988–89 these families are estimated to have received about £4 billion from these benefits. In addition, some members of these families will also have received other benefits such as sickness benefit, unemployment benefit, statutory maternity pay or invalidity or disablement benefits.