asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons the maintenance allowance for deserted wives is £15.00 while this allowance is £21.00 per week for a single mother and if he will remedy this discrepancy in view of the similar circumstances of the people involved.
Written Answers. - Deserted Wives Allowance.
391.
There is no discrepancy between the amount of social assistance allowance payable to a deserted wife and a single mother.
A deserted wife, who has no qualified child residing with her and whose means do not exceed £6 weekly, is entitled to the allowance at the maximum rate of £16.80 a week (£15.80 a week prior to October 1979). She is, however, entitled to an increase of £5.50 a week in respect of each qualified child residing with her. The rate with one child is therefore £22.30.
Social assistance allowance is payable to an unmarried (single) mother only when she has at least one qualified child residing with her. The maximum rate of allowance payable with one child, £22.30 a week (£21.00 prior to October 1979), is equal to the maximum rate payable to a deserted wife with one child.