HC Deb 03 December 1991 vol 200 cc124-5W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing for each uprating date since 1970 (i) the supplementary benefit basic single non-householders scale rate, or income support, for an adult aged under 25 years, (ii) the percentage increase in (i) for each uprating date compared with the previous uprating date, (iii) the percentage increase in the average gross weekly earnings of all adult males between each uprating date and (iv) the actual movement in the retail prices index for all items between uprating dates.

Miss Widdecombe

The figures requested are in the table. The earnings and retail prices index—RPI—percentages quoted in columns D and E are for the period between upratings. However, the uprating percentage itself is based on different periods; for the percentage increase in earnings and RPI over these I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 3 June at columns116–18.

A B C D E
Benefit uprating date Benefit rate Percent increase in 'B' Earnings percent increase RPI percent increase
2 November 1970 4.15 — — —
20 September 1971 4.60 10.8 7.5 8.0
2 October 1972 5.20 13.0 15.7 8.5
1 October 1973 5.70 9.6 11.6 9.9
22 July 1974 6.70 17.5 14.2 13.5
7 April 1975 7.65 14.2 20.2 17.7
17 November 1975 8.70 13.7 11.5 11.7
15 November 1976 10.15 16.7 12.5 15.0
14 November 1977 11.60 14.3 9.3 13.0
13 November 1978 12.45 7.3 14.9 8.1
12 November 1979 14.65 17.7 19.1 17.4
24 November 1980 17.05 16.4 18.4 15.3
23 November 1981 18.60 9.1 10.7 12.0
22 November 1982 20.55 10.5 7.4 6.3
21 November 1983 21.45 4.4 7.3 4.8
26 November 1984 22.45 4.7 8.7 4.9
25 November 1985 23.60 5.1 6.5 5.5
28 July 1986 23.85 1.1 5.7 1.7
6 April 1987 24.35 2.1 6.2 4.4
11 April 1988 26.05 7.0 9.7 3.9
10 April 1989 27.40 5.2 9.6 8.0
9 April 1990 28.80 5.1 9.7 9.4
8 April 1991 31.15 8.2 7.9 6.4

Notes:

Column B—shows the Supplementary Benefit basic single non-householder scale rate for the years 1970–87. From April 1988 the figures are the Income Support basic personal allowance for a single person aged 18–24. No additions which might have been payable within Supplementary Benefit or Income Support premiums for special needs have been included. Nor has the non-householder addition paid to Supplementary Benefit claimants.

Column C—shows the percentage increase from one uprating date to the next. This will not necessarily reflect the uprating index for that year because of rounding. Also in the earlier years uprating was calculated by forecasting likely changes in the RPI and this sometimes meant that adjustments has to be made the following year.

Column D—gives the percentage increase in the average gross weekly earnings of all adult males from the New Earnings Survey.

Column E—shows the actual movement in the Retail Price Index for all items between uprating dates.