Hansard

Social Security Payments

Volume 976: debated on Wednesday 16 January 1980

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Mr. Field

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the percentage of public expenditure devoted to social security payments for each year since 1948; and if he will estimate the extent to which any increasing proportion of public expenditure on social security benefits is due to (a) an increase in the number of claimants, (b) a real increase in the value of benefits and (c) the introduction of new benefits.

Mr. Prentice

The percentage of total United Kingdom general Government expenditure devoted to social security payments was as follows:

Calendar yearPercentage
1949………13·43
1950………13·57
1951………11·93
1952………12·61
1953………13·60
1954………13·76
1955………14·47
1956………14·20
1957………13·73
1958………16·00
1959………16·21
1960………15·73
1961………15·82
1962………15·87
1963………17·20
1964………16·52
1965………17·16
1966………16·90
1967………16·48
1968………17·33
1969………17·85
1970………17·77

1971………17·35
1972………18·36
1973………17·13
1974………16·48
1975………16·17
1976………18·00
1977………20·18
1978………20·95

The variations in the percentages cannot be separately attributed in the way requested.