HC Deb 01 February 1990 vol 166 cc346-7W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the administrative cost incurred per £100 paid in benefit for(a) national insurance retirement benefit, (b) income support, (c) the social fund and (d) housing benefit for the latest available year.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

[holding answer 22 January 1990]: Details of the costs of administering social security benefits are published in the public expenditure White Paper. The following information for 1987–88 has been extracted from the latest edition (Cm. 1014) published on 30 January 1990:

  1. (a) national insurance retirement benefit—administrative cost £1.37 per £100 benefit paid
  2. (b) housing benefit—administrative cost £4.30 per £100 benefit paid.

Income support was introduced in April 1988 and figures for administration costs are not yet available. The social fund was introduced in a limited way in 1987–88 for funeral and maternity payments only but no separate figures are available—the cost for 1987–88 is included in the overall supplementary benefit administrative costs for that year.

Table one Number of working families with children at various income levels: Great Britain 1986
Thousands
Gross weekly income exclusing state benefits

£

 Total One parent families Two parent families One wage families Two wage families Number of dependent children
1 2 3 4 or more
Under 80 150 20 130 150 10 60 50 30 10
80–89 70 10 60 70 1 20 30 20 2—
90–99 100 10 90 80 20 40 30 10 10
100–109 110 20 90 90 20 50 40 10 2—
110–119 90 20 70 70 20 60 20 10 10
120–129 140 20 120 120 20 60 60 20 10
130–139 120 20 100 80 30 60 40 20 1—
140–149 130 10 120 80 50 60 40 20 10
150–159 160 10 150 100 60 80 70 10 2—
160–169 160 10 160 110 60 90 60 10 2—
170–179 190 10 180 110 80 70 90 30 10
180–189 220 20 210 120 110 80 110 30 2—
190–199 210 10 200 110 100 90 90 20 10
200–219 380 10 370 160 220 180 140 50 10
220–239 390 10 380 150 240 160 170 50 10
240–259 390 10 380 140 260 150 170 60 10
260–279 330 2— 330 110 220 140 130 50 10
280–299 300 10 290 100 200 140 120 30 10
300 and over 1,690 20 1,670 480 1,210 660 810 190 40
Total 5,330 230 5,100 2,410 2,920 2,240 2,280 650 150
1—Nil.
2—Less than 5,000.

Notes:

  1. 1. The figures are derived from the 1986 Family Expenditure Survey and are subject to sampling error. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and so rows and columns may not sum exactly to the totals shown.
  2. 2. Gross weekly income is the income reported in 1986 without any updating.
  3. 3. A "working family" is defined as one where at least one parent is in full-time (30 hours or more) employment or self employment.
  4. 4. The figures exclude any families not living in private households.
  5. 5. A "two wage family" is one where the second wage exceeds £4 a week.

Table Two Number of non-working families of working age with children at various income levels: Great Britain 1986
Thousands
Gross weekly income including state benefits
Under

£50

 £50 to

£59

 £60 to

£69

 £70 to

£79

 £80 to

£89

 £90 to

£99

 £100 to

£109

 £110 to

£119

 £120 to

£129

 £130 to

£139

 £140 to

£149

 £150 and

over

 Total
Total 100 40 100 200 230 170 170 130 60 60 20 190 1,460
One parent families 80 30 90 150 90 90 80 60 30 20 10 40 760
Two parent families 20 10 10 60 130 80 90 70 30 40 20 150 700
Number of dependent children:
One 70 30 80 130 140 50 40 20 20 10 10 40 630
Two 20 * 20 60 70 90 60 50 10 20 10 90 520
Three 10 10 o 10 20 30 50 30 10 10 10 20 200
Four or more — — — * * * 10 20 20 20 10 30 110
National Insurance benefits being received: