§ Dame Jill KnightTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what proportion of cases family credit is payable to the mother.
§ Miss WiddecombeIn two-parent families family credit is payable to the mother in almost every case. Legislation provides that in such families the claim has to be made by the woman, which means that she becomes the payee. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State may accept a claim by the man where he is satisfied that this would be reasonable, but this provision is used only in exceptional circumstances.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families in(a) the parliamentary constituency of Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland are in receipt of family credit; and what estimated proportion these families represent of those judged to be entitled to this benefit.
§ Miss WiddecombeInformation about the total number of families eligible for family credit can be obtained only for Great Britain as a whole, and only retrospectively, from family expenditure survey data.
The latest available information for families receiving family credit is as follows:
665W
Families (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow 1,0101 (b) Strathclyde 16,2001 Scotland 39,0002 1 Number of awards actually in payment on 8 February 1991 i.e. excludes awards on claims made before that date but not decided at that stage.
2True case load at the end of July 1990, i.e. including backdated awards. Information on this more comprehensive basis is only available for Scotland as a whole.