Children (Hansard, 16 July 1992)

§ Mrs. Anne Campbell
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to equalise benefits for men and women with dependent children on the death of their spouse.

§ Miss Widdecombe
This is one of the issues which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be addressing in his consideration of the equalisation of state pension age.

§ Mr. Bradley
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number of dependent children aged under 16 years who are living in families receiving regular weekly payment of income support in April 1991 and April 1992; and how many of these dependent children were living in(a) one-parent families and (b) unemployed families.

§ Mr. Burt
The latest available figures are for May 1991. There were 2.37 million dependent children under 16 in families receiving income support, 1.49 million were in lone parent families and 0.64 million were in the families of claimants who were receiving income support on the grounds that they were unemployed.
Source: income support statistics, annual inquiry 1991.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will make it his policy to ensure that the value of benefits for children of war widows, other widows and invalidity pensioners, is increased in real terms in the 1993 benefit uprating.

§ Miss Widdecombe
The policy of successive Governments has been to take account of child benefit when setting the rates of benefits for children. We have no plans to alter this long-standing principle.

§ Mr. Flynn
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will publish tables similar to those in his answer of 11 May,Official Report, columns 43–44, showing the combined value of child benefit and child dependency increases, including figures for April 1992 and showing equivalent values at April 1992 instead of 1991 prices.

§ Mr. Burt
The information is in the tables.
955W

A B C D E

Uprating date Rate of child benefit plus child dependency increase Equivalent value of column B amounts at April 1992 prices Cross male weekly average earnings, with amounts in column B as percentage Equivalent weekly earnings net of income tax and national insurance contributions, with amounts in column B as percentage

Single person Married couple

(£) (£) (£) (per cent.) (£) (per cent.) (£) (per cent.)

July 1986 15.15 21.56 210.90 7.2 143.80 10.5 151.20 10.0

April 1987 15.30 20.86 224.00 6.8 155.90 9.8 163.00 9.4

April 1988 15.65 20.53 245.80 6.4 174.80 9.0 182.00 8.6

April 1989 16.20 19.67 269.50 6.0 191.30 8.5 198.90 8.1

April 1990 16.90 18.75 295.60 5.7 212.80 7.9 221.10 7.6

April 1991 ¹18.95 19.76 318.90 5.9 230.00 8.2 238.30 8.00

April 1991 ²17.95 18.72 318.90 5.6 230.00 7.8 238.30 7.5

October 1991 ¹19.95 20.50 330.00 6.0 237.20 8.4 245.50 8.1

October 1991 ²1820 18.70 330.00 5.5 237.20 7.7 245.50 7.4

April 1992 ¹20.50 20.50 337.50 6.1 235.30 8.7 301.30 6.8

April 1992 ²18.65 18.65 337.50 5.5 235.30 7.9 301.30 6.2

¹ Rate for the eldest or only child.

² Rate for each other child.

War widows

A B C D £

Uprating date Rate of child benefit plus war widow's child's allowance Equivalent value of column B amounts at April 1992 prices Gross male weekly average earnings, with amounts in column B as percentage Equivalent weekly earnings of income tax and national insurance contributions, with amounts in column B as percentage

Single person Married couple

(£) (£) (£) (per cent.) (£) (per cent.) (£) (per cent.)

November 1979 14.00 32.25 114.10 12.3 79.90 17.5 83.60 16.7

November 1980 15.35 30.66 135.10 11.4 93.40 16.4 97.80 15.7

November 1981 16.10 28.73 149.50 10.8 101.00 15.9 105.40 15.3

November 1982 17.10 28.71 160.60 10.6 107.40 15.9 112.50 15.2

November 1983 17.45 27.95 172.40 10.1 115.50 15.1 121.30 14.4

November 1984 17.90 27.32 187.40 9.6 125.90 14.2 132.50 13.5

November 1985 18.55 26.84 199.50 9.3 134.40 13.8 141.60 13.1

July 1986 18.65 26.55 210.90 8.8 143.80 13.0 151.20 12.3

April 1987 18.85 25.70 224.00 8.4 155.90 12.1 163.00 11.6

April 1988 19.25 25.25 245.80 7.8 174.80 11.0 182.00 10.6

April 1989 19.85 24.10 269.50 7.4 191.30 10.4 198.90 10.0

April 1990 20.65 22.91 295.60 7.0 212.80 9.7 221.10 9.3

April 1991 ¹21.90 22.84 318.90 6.9 230.00 9.5 238.30 9.2

October 1991 ² 22.90 23.53 330.00 6.9 237.20 9.7 245.50 9.3

October 1991 ³22.15 22.76 333.00 6.7 237.20 9.3 245.50 9.0

April 1992 ² 23.40 23.40 337.50 6.9 235.30 9.9 301.30 7.8

April 1992 ³ 22.65 22.65 337.50 6.7 235.30 9.6 301.30 7.5

¹ Where the new higher rate of child benefit for the eldest qualifying child applied, the war widow's child's allowance was adjusted so that the total level of support remained the same for all children.

² Rate for the eldest or only child.

³ Rate for each other child.

A	B	C	D	E
Uprating date	Rate of child benefit plus child dependency increase	Equivalent value of column B amounts at April 1992 prices	Cross male weekly average earnings, with amounts in column B as percentage	Equivalent weekly earnings net of income tax and national insurance contributions, with amounts in column B as percentage
					Single person	Married couple
	(£)	(£)	(£)	(per cent.)	(£)	(per cent.)	(£)	(per cent.)
July 1986	15.15	21.56	210.90	7.2	143.80	10.5	151.20	10.0
April 1987	15.30	20.86	224.00	6.8	155.90	9.8	163.00	9.4
April 1988	15.65	20.53	245.80	6.4	174.80	9.0	182.00	8.6
April 1989	16.20	19.67	269.50	6.0	191.30	8.5	198.90	8.1
April 1990	16.90	18.75	295.60	5.7	212.80	7.9	221.10	7.6
April 1991	¹18.95	19.76	318.90	5.9	230.00	8.2	238.30	8.00
April 1991	²17.95	18.72	318.90	5.6	230.00	7.8	238.30	7.5
October 1991	¹19.95	20.50	330.00	6.0	237.20	8.4	245.50	8.1
October 1991	²1820	18.70	330.00	5.5	237.20	7.7	245.50	7.4
April 1992	¹20.50	20.50	337.50	6.1	235.30	8.7	301.30	6.8
April 1992	²18.65	18.65	337.50	5.5	235.30	7.9	301.30	6.2
¹ Rate for the eldest or only child.
² Rate for each other child.

War widows
A	B	C	D	£
Uprating date	Rate of child benefit plus war widow's child's allowance	Equivalent value of column B amounts at April 1992 prices	Gross male weekly average earnings, with amounts in column B as percentage	Equivalent weekly earnings of income tax and national insurance contributions, with amounts in column B as percentage
					Single person	Married couple
	(£)	(£)	(£)	(per cent.)	(£)	(per cent.)	(£)	(per cent.)
November 1979	14.00	32.25	114.10	12.3	79.90	17.5	83.60	16.7
November 1980	15.35	30.66	135.10	11.4	93.40	16.4	97.80	15.7
November 1981	16.10	28.73	149.50	10.8	101.00	15.9	105.40	15.3
November 1982	17.10	28.71	160.60	10.6	107.40	15.9	112.50	15.2
November 1983	17.45	27.95	172.40	10.1	115.50	15.1	121.30	14.4
November 1984	17.90	27.32	187.40	9.6	125.90	14.2	132.50	13.5
November 1985	18.55	26.84	199.50	9.3	134.40	13.8	141.60	13.1
July 1986	18.65	26.55	210.90	8.8	143.80	13.0	151.20	12.3
April 1987	18.85	25.70	224.00	8.4	155.90	12.1	163.00	11.6
April 1988	19.25	25.25	245.80	7.8	174.80	11.0	182.00	10.6
April 1989	19.85	24.10	269.50	7.4	191.30	10.4	198.90	10.0
April 1990	20.65	22.91	295.60	7.0	212.80	9.7	221.10	9.3
April 1991	¹21.90	22.84	318.90	6.9	230.00	9.5	238.30	9.2
October 1991	² 22.90	23.53	330.00	6.9	237.20	9.7	245.50	9.3
October 1991	³22.15	22.76	333.00	6.7	237.20	9.3	245.50	9.0
April 1992	² 23.40	23.40	337.50	6.9	235.30	9.9	301.30	7.8
April 1992	³ 22.65	22.65	337.50	6.7	235.30	9.6	301.30	7.5
¹ Where the new higher rate of child benefit for the eldest qualifying child applied, the war widow's child's allowance was adjusted so that the total level of support remained the same for all children.
² Rate for the eldest or only child.
³ Rate for each other child.