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42.
Mr. Meacher
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reply he sends to letters he receives concerning the alleviation of poverty.
Sir K. Joseph
I take every opportunity to affirm that the alleviation of
| NATIONAL ASSISTANCE/SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT | |||||||||
| Date | Average Earnings | Effective Date of Rate | Single Non-householder +rent addition | Per cent. of Average Earnings | Single Householder +average rent | Per cent. of Average Earnings | |||
| October: | |||||||||
| 1948 | … | £6·90 | July, 1948 | … | … | £1·00* | 14·5 | £1·20* | 17·4 |
| 1949 | … | £7·13 | July, 1948 | … | … | £1·00* | 14·0 | £1·20* | 16·8 |
| 1950 | … | £7·52 | June, 1950 | … | … | £1·10* | 14·6 | £1·30* | 17·3 |
| 1951 | … | £8·30 | September, 1951 | … | £1·30* | 15·7 | £1·50* | 18·1 | |
| 1952 | … | £8·93 | June, 1952 | … | … | £1·55* | 17·4 | £1·75* | 19·6 |
| 1953 | … | £9·46 | June, 1952 | … | … | £1·55* | 16·4 | £1·75* | 18·5 |
| 1954 | … | £10·22 | June, 1952 | … | … | £1·84 | 18·0 | £1·75* | 17·1 |
| 1955 | … | £11·15 | February, 1955 | … | £1·98½ | 17·8 | £1·87½* | 16·8 | |
| 1956 | … | £11·90 | January, 1956 | … | £2·12 | 17·8 | £2·00* | 16·8 | |
| 1957 | … | £12·58 | January, 1956 | … | £2·13 | 16·9 | £2·00* | 15·9 | |
| 1958 | … | £12·83 | January, 1958 | … | £2·40 | 18·7 | £3·08 | 24·0 | |
| 1959 | … | £13·35 | September, 1959 | … | £2·70 | 19·9 | £3·38 | 24·9 | |
| 1960 | … | £14·53 | September, 1959 | … | £2·73 | 18·8 | £3·41 | 23·5 | |
| 1961 | … | £15·34 | April, 1961 | … | £2·91½ | 19·0 | £3·64½ | 23·8 | |
| 1962 | … | £15·86 | September, 1962 | … | £3·04½ | 19·2 | £3·91½ | 24·7 | |
| 1963 | … | £16·75 | May, 1963 | … | … | £3·23 | 19·3 | £4·30½ | 25·7 |
| 1964 | … | £18·11 | May, 1963 | … | … | £3·27 | 18·1 | £4·38½ | 24·2 |
| 1965 | … | £19·59 | March, 1965 | … | £3·91½ | 20·0 | £5·12 | 26·1 | |
| 1966 | … | £20·30 | November, 1966 | … | £3·95 | 19·5 | £5·77 | 28·4 | |
| 1967 | … | £21·38 | October, 1967 | … | £4·05 | 19·0 | £6·18 | 28·9 | |
| 1968 | … | £23·00 | October, 1968 | … | £4·25 | 18·5 | £6·54 | 28·4 | |
| 1969 | … | £24·83 | November, 1969 | … | £4·40 | 17·7 | £6·86 | 27·6 | |
| 1970 | … | £28·05 | November, 1970 | … | £4·75 | 16·9 | £7·39 | 26·3 | |
| The figures marked with an asterisk do not include an allowance for rent as the relevant statistics were not kept at the time. | |||||||||
| The value of supplementary benefit in respect of those who are over pension age and certain other long-term claimants has been increased since November, 1966 by the long-term addition (45p increased to 50 p.) in October, 1968. | |||||||||
poverty is a main objective of the Government in general and my own Department in particular. Where appropriate I draw attention to what the Government have already achieved in this field.