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Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of help there were from the independent living fund in each region in the United Kingdom in 1991-92 ; and how many people are expected to be helped by the successor fund to the independent living fund in each region in the United Kingdom in 1993-94.
Mr. Scott : The number of people, in each region of the United Kingdom, in receipt of awards from the independent living fund, as at 31 March 1992, is in the table.
It is expected that, nationally, around 1,500 of the most severely disabled people of working age will receive cash payments to supplement services provided by local authorities. It is not possible to estimate a regional breakdown of this figures.
Region |Number |Percentage of total -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- England |9,402 |68.8 Northern Ireland |1,321 |9.7 Scotland |2,288 |16.7 Wales |659 |4.8
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) under the proposed arrangements for replacing the independent living fund for new applicants how many people he estimates will be provided for by local authorities only and how many he estimates will be eligible for assistance from the new proposed trust fund ; what funding he will make available to local authorities to meet the additional costs ; and if he will ensure such funding is ring-fenced ;
(2) what proportion of severely disabled people requiring provision from the local authority he estimates will require a cash payment from the new trust fund under the proposed new arrangements for providing personal assistance to severely disabled people following the closure of the independent living fund ; what average percentage of their total cost of personal assistance he estimates this will represent ; and how many people will lose entitlement to cash that they would have received had the independent living fund continued.
Mr. Scott : From April 1993 local authorities have the primary responsibility for community care. All disabled people, including around 11,500 severely disabled people who might otherwise have looked to the independent living fund for cash help, will look to their local authority for help to live in the community. Additional funding for local authorities was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 26 November. This funding will be within the ring-fenced special transitional grant for community care.
We expect that around 1,500 of the most severely disabled people who get help from their local authority will also be able to get a cash payment from the new fund. For these cases, the local authority will be expected to pay for services up to the cost of residential or nursing care, with
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the new fund providing a cash payment in addition. The size of the cash payment will vary according to the circumstances of the individual. Payments from the current independent living fund are entirely discretionary : there is no entitlement to any payment from the fund, which is a charitable trust.Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provision will be made under the proposed arrangements for replacing the independent living fund for severely disabled people seeking personal assistance provision following the winding up of the independent living fund and before the start of the new scheme in April 1993.
Mr. Scott : Local authorities have statutory duties to help disabled people. Help from the independent living fund (ILF) has always been in the form of a discretionary top-up to local authority services and the vast majority of ILF beneficiaries--and potential beneficiaries--are already getting help from their local authorities. Severely disabled people who would have applied to the ILF between now and April 1993 will, of course, be able to apply to the new body.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of the budget of the independent living fund in 1991-92 was taken up in administration costs.
Mr. Scott : The administration costs of the independent living fund during 1991-92 were approximately 4 per cent. of total expenditure.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people over retirement age received help from the independent living fund in (a) 1991-92 and (b) from April 1992 until the fund was closed.
Mr. Scott : (a) the only age breakdown available for 1991-92 is for November 1991. At that time, 37 per cent. of those receiving help were over 60.
(b) Figures for the current financial year show the position as at 30 November 1992 as being :
1. Number of independent living fund (ILF) clients over 60 (both sexes)-- 7,435--this figure represents 40.6 per cent. of the total caseload.
2. Number of ILF clients over 65 (both sexes)--6,218--this figure represents 34 per cent. of the total caseload.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much the median and mean payments from the independent living fund were in (a) 1991-92 and (b) in 1992 until the fund was closed.
Mr. Scott : Data on median payments are not available. The mean award for 1991-92 was £88 per week. For the period to 31 October 1992 the mean award was £104, but this figure may change because awards are still being processed.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Canterbury (Mr. Brazier) of 2 December, Official Report, column 233, what right of independent appeal there will be for an applicant refused help under the arrangements to replace the independent living fund.
Mr. Scott : Arrangements for appeal will be a matter for the trustees of the successor body. I understand that under
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the current scheme any disagreement with a decision is considered by two trustees or, exceptionally, by the whole body of trustees.Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Canterbury of 2 December, Official Report, column 233, how much of the budget of £4 million for the successor fund to the independent living fund is for administration costs.
Mr. Scott : It is estimated that the administration costs of the successor fund for new cases will not exceed 10 per cent. of the total provision of £4 million.
Women's Pension Rights
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the rights of women to a pension from their husband's former employer if the husband divorces his wife before retirement age.
Miss Widdecombe : Under the present law, the courts have powers to take account of occupational pension rights in divorce settlements. The Pensions Management Institute currently has a working party looking at all aspects of occupational pensions and divorce with the aim of producing a report in March 1993. When that report is published we will give careful consideration to its recommendations.
War Pensions
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 4 December, Official Report, column 424, if he will list the different rank differential payments for each rank under war disablement pension arrangements.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is contained in schedule 1, parts I and II of the Naval, Military and Air Forces etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 1983, a copy of which is in the Library.
Social Fund
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to allow social fund grants and loans to be applied for the purpose of rent bonds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : Social fund budgeting and crisis loans can be paid to provide help with rent in advance. Assistance with deposits is specifically excluded from the social fund. There are no present plans to change these arrangements.
However, I am always ready to consider proposals for improvements and hold regular discussions with the voluntary and other organisations involved. I shall also be looking with interest at the outcome of a pilot deposit scheme in west London currently being sponsored by the Department of the Environment.
EMPLOYMENT
Published Papers
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list for the last 12 months the titles of papers published by the Employment Service.
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Mr. McLoughlin [pursuant to his reply, 27 October 1992, c. 589] : The chief executive of the Employment Service has written further to the hon. Member.
Letter from M. Fogden to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 14 December 1992 :
As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, you may recall the Secretary of State asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Question in October about the papers published by the Employment Service in the last 12 months. This was because it was a matter which fell to me as Chief Executive of the Agency. Unfortunately, my reply of 27 October contained an error in the attached annex of papers we had published. The "Revised Administrative Assistant Interview Plan, Guidance and Rating Form" and the "Revised Administrative Officer Interview Plan, Guidance and Rating Form" should not have been included in the annex. These documents give guidance to my managers so that they can make effective use of the structured interviews used for selecting people for positions in the Employment Service. If potential candidates were to obtain copies of this material it would provide them with an advantage over other potential candidates. I am sure that you will agree that this would not be right and as a consequence these documents are not available to the public.
I am sorry this mistake was made and regret any inconvenience caused.
I have attached a corrected annex and a copy of our booklet "Competent to Recruit?", which describes in general terms how our recruitment process was developed and how it operates.
As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
Employment Service Publications--
General information about the employment service
This is the Employment Service (CORP 1 August 1992).
Public Employment Services : Into the 1990s (article in the Employment Gazette October 1992).
Performance and accounts
Employment Service Annual Report and Accounts 1990-91.
Employment Service Annual Report and Accounts 1991-92.
Employment Service Operational Plan 1992-93.
Advisory and information booklets and leaflets
Helping You Back to Work. Information for Claimants (UB40/UBL18 revised September 1991).
Just the Job--New Edition (EMPL45 revised September 1991). Jobseeker's Charter leaflet (JSC1L December 1991).
Jobseeker's Charter. Help us to get it right and how to complain if you think we have got it wrong (JSC3L December 1991).
Restart Course leaflet No. 1 (RCL1 February 1992).
How to be Better Off in Work (BOIWL1 September 1992).
Job search Seminar Leaflet (JSSL3).
Guide for Managers/Executives/Professionals (EXJ1).
Just for the Record Leaflet--Help for People with a Criminal Record (OFJ1).
Working Abroad (OPU1).
Working in Holland (OPU3).
Working in the UK (OPU4).
Working in France (OPU5).
Working in Germany (OPU6).
Working in Belgium (OPU7).
Working in Spain (OPU8).
Working in Portugal (OPU9).
Working in Italy (OPU10).
Working in Ireland (OPU11).
Working in Denmark (OPU12).
Working in Greece (OPU13).
Working in Luxembourg (OPU14).
Employing People with Disabilities--Sources of Help (PEL2). Employing People with Disabilities--PACT Placing,
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Assessment and Counselling Team (PEL).PF1--Folder for A4 inserts entitled "Information on Disability and Employment".
Information leaflet for people with severe disabilities on Sheltered Placement scheme (SPS1).
Information leaflet for host companies about the Sheltered Placement Scheme (SPS2).
Marketing Leaflet for Employers (EMPL46).
Our New Computer System (NUBL1).
Job Interview Guarantee scheme Client Wallet.
Job Interview Guarantee scheme Employer Wallet.
How to make the most of your Work Trial.
Research and Evaluation
The Employment Service Research and Evaluation branch carries out internal studies and commissions studies by external contractors. With the exception of those produced by some contractors the reports of these studies are not published as on sale documents. Copies are placed in the House of Commons Library and sent to people who ask for them. The following lists the reports which have been issued in the past year and, where appropriate, the name of the external contractor concerned. The items marked * are available on sale.
External Contractor Reports
Evaluation of joblink--Qualitative study report (Research Services Limited, November 1991).
National Customer Satisfaction Survey--Report of Findings (Research International Limited, January 1992).
New Clients : A survey of new clients to the Employment Service and their response to New Client Advisor interview (Social Community Planning Research, March 1992).
Quality assessment and guidance in Job Review Workshops (Psychological and Statistical Services, April 1992).
Working with a disability : Barriers and facilitators (Social Community Planning Research, May 1992*)
Job Interview Guarantee (JIG) Evaluation--Report on a survey of JIG employers (British Market Research Bureau, May 1992).
Attitudes to Employment Service Local Offices : Qualitative Survey (Ecotec Research and Consulting Limited, June 1992).
An evaluation of the Pilot Employment Initiatives for Disabled People scheme (Ecotec Research and Consulting Limited, June 1992). Progression, Regression, Turnover, Quality and Support in Sheltered Employment (Policy Research Unit, July 1992*).
Restart Cohort Study (Policy Studies Institute, September 1992). Quality of Assessment and Guidance in Job Review Workshops (Psychological and Statistical Services, October 1992).
Internal Research Reports
Actively Seeking Work--Evaluation (Report 68, November 1991). Survey of non -claimant users of ES local offices (Report 69, January 1992).
Multifunctioning Pilots--an assessment of performance (Report 70, January 1992).
Evaluation of ES461--the initial claim form for unemployment benefit (Report 71, March 1992).
Private Employment Agencies (Report 72, April 1992).
Restart Course Follow-up Survey (Report 73, July 1992). The Effectiveness of the NCA (New Client Advisor) Interview (Report 74, October 1992).
NUBS2 (National Unemployment Benefit Computer System) Business Pilots Staff Views (Report 75 October 1992).
Psychological Service Project Reports
Critical Skills of Employment Service Advisors (Report No. 410 October 1991).
Utility Analysis : A method of costing the impact of a training intervention (Report No. 407 November 1991).
A Questionnaire Survey of Training Needs in Employment Department Corporate Services Branch (Report No. 402 December 1991).
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