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One-Parent Families

Volume 951: debated on Monday 12 June 1978

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asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce amending legislation to ensure that a war pensioner or disablement pensioner who cannot work and who is a lone parent in receipt of supplementary benefit is allowed the same income disregard as he or she would be entitled to if earning.

The Government have no plans to introduce legislation to increase to £6 the £4 disregard on miscellaneous income when a war or industrial disablement pensioner receiving supplementary benefit is a lone parent and incapable of work. The purpose of the £6 supplementary benefit disregard on a lone-parent's earnings is to treat lone parents in a similar way to two-parent families where both parents work; and to give some incentive to those who are able to undertake part-time work to do so in order to avoid social isolation and to keep them in touch with the employment field.The whole question of supplementary benefit disregards is among the matters which have been examined in the current review of the supplementary benefit scheme.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many (a) war pensioners and (b) industrial disablement pensioners are the heads of one-parent families; and of how many claim supplementary benefit.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many one-parent families on supplementary benefit have (a) between £4 and £6 and (b) over £6 other income; and how many of these are war pensioners and industrial disablement pensioners.