§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, pursuant to his statement of 25 October,Official Report, column 843, he will provide a breakdown of the 95,000 lone parents who will benefit from (a) the increase in the lone parents premium for housing benefit/community charge benefit and (b) the increase in the earnings disregard for lone parents claiming housing/community charge benefit.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe number of gainers of housing benefit and community charge benefit from the increase in the lone parent premium announced for April 1990 is around 80,000. The majority of these also gain from the increase in the earnings disregard which will take effect in October 1990. In addition, we estimate that a further 15,000 lone parents will float on to benefit as a result of the increase in the earnings disregard.
§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish for the last 10 years the number of(a) unmarried and (b) separated mothers on social security, the numbers of children for which they are responsible and the numbers of mothers with maintenance payments in operation against the fathers of the children.
§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard[holding answer Wednesday 8 November 1989]: The information requested is set out in the table. 171W
Unmarried, separated and divorced mothers receiving Supplementary Benefit/Income Support; numbers of children and numbers with maintenance payments. Unmarried mothers Separated mothers Divorced mothers 1979 Claimants 89,000 101,000 100,000 Children 116,000 194,000 194,000 Claimants with maintenance payments 29,000 59,000 71,000 1980 Claimants 99,000 99,000 106,000 Children 130,000 187,000 199,000 Claimants with maintenance payments 33,000 52,000 71,000 1981 Claimants 144,000 120,000 120,000 Children 147,000 226,000 220,000 Claimants with maintenance payments 33,000 62,000 80,000 1982 Claimants 134,000 134,000 127,000 Children 177,000 249,000 234,000 Claimants with maintenance payments 34,000 61,000 79,000 1983 Claimants 144,000 145,000 140,000 Children 186,000 271,000 248,000 Claimants with maintenance payments 32,000 61,000 76,000 1984 Claimants 168,000 157,000 141,000 Children 228,000 291,000 247,000 Claimants with maintenance payments 35,000 56,000 69,000 1986 Claimants 211,000 176,000 163,000 Children 282,000 330,000 287,000 Claimants with maintenance payments 37,000 56,000 74,000 1987 Claimants 247,000 176,000 178,000 Children 334,000 338,000 311,000 Claimants with maintenance payments 38,000 52,000 73,000 1988 Claimants 286,000 191,000 185,000 Children 400,000 384,000 335,000 Claimants with maintenance payments 35,000 49,000 73,000 Notes:
1. Figures are for mothers with children on Supplementary Benefit or Income Support. The table only includes mothers with children under age 16. It does not include the small number of families whose only dependent children were age 16 or over. This is because (until the passage of the Social Security Act 1989) liability of absent parents to maintain their children for Social Security purposes ended at age 16.
2. Divorced mothers are included for completeness.
3. The figures for claimants with maintenance payments include any case where there is a Court Order or voluntary payment whether for 172W mother or child.
4. Source: Annual Statistical Enquiries for the relevant years. There was no Enquiry in 1985.