| Previous Section | Home Page |
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if seeing is treated as a bodily function for the purposes of disability living allowance and attendance allowance claims.
Mr. Hague : The Law Lords ruled on 21 April that seeing is treated as a bodily function for the purposes of establishing entitlement to disability living allowance and attendance allowance.
Below-average Incomes (Statistics)
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish information on the same basis as table A.4 of the households below-average income series giving figures for the 4 and 5 quintiles in 1991-92.
Mr. Burt : I will write to the hon. Member shortly.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures on the same basis as table A.3 of the households below -average income series giving figures for the top five deciles for 1979, 1981, 1987, 1988-89, 1990-91, and 1991-92.
Mr. Burt : The information is in the tables.
Column 611
After housing costs Per cent.
|1979 |1981 |1987 |1988-89|1990-91|1991-92
----------------------------------------------------------------
Share of total income of:
Top 50 |68 |69 |72 |73 |75 |75
Top 40 |58 |60 |63 |64 |65 |66
Top 30 |48 |49 |52 |53 |55 |55
Top 20 |35 |36 |40 |41 |43 |43
Top 10 |21 |22 |25 |26 |27 |27
Notes:
1. The figures are based on net equivalised household income.
2. The figures are estimates based on the Family Expenditure
Survey. 1988-89, 1990-91 and 1991-92 are the respective
calendar years combined.
After housing costs Per cent.
|1979 |1981 |1987 |1988-89|1990-91|1991-92
----------------------------------------------------------------
Share of total income of:
Top 50 |68 |69 |72 |73 |75 |75
Top 40 |58 |60 |63 |64 |65 |66
Top 30 |48 |49 |52 |53 |55 |55
Top 20 |35 |36 |40 |41 |43 |43
Top 10 |21 |22 |25 |26 |27 |27
Notes:
1. The figures are based on net equivalised household income.
2. The figures are estimates based on the Family Expenditure
Survey. 1988-89, 1990-91 and 1991-92 are the respective
calendar years combined.
Column 613
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish information on the same basis as table A.1 of the households below-average income analysis, giving figures for the top five decile groups for (a) 1990-91 to 1991-92 and (b) 1979 to 1991-92.
Column 614
Mr. Burt : The information for 1990-91 to 1991-92 is given in the table. All figures are estimates and subject to sampling error. The information for 1979 to 1991-92 can be found on page 148 of "Households Below Average Income 1979 to 1991-92", a copy of which is in the Library.
Column 613
Change in real income for top five decile groups, 1990-91 to 1991-92, excluding self-employed
percentage change
|Decile 6 |Decile 7 |Decile 8 |Decile 9 |Decile 10
|50-60 per cent. |60-70 per cent. |70-80 per cent. |80-90 per cent. |Top 10 per cent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BHC |(0) |0 |0 |(1) |(0)
AHC |(1) |0 |(1) |(1) |(1)
Notes:
1. Small changes from 1990-91 to 1991-92 are unlikely to be significant.
2. Figures in brackets are particularly uncertain; the range in which the true change lies is greater than +/-2.5
percentage points and greater than
30 per cent. of the estimate.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest whole per cent.
Change in real income for top five decile groups, 1990-91 to 1991-92, excluding self-employed
percentage change
|Decile 6 |Decile 7 |Decile 8 |Decile 9 |Decile 10
|50-60 per cent. |60-70 per cent. |70-80 per cent. |80-90 per cent. |Top 10 per cent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BHC |(0) |0 |0 |(1) |(0)
AHC |(1) |0 |(1) |(1) |(1)
Notes:
1. Small changes from 1990-91 to 1991-92 are unlikely to be significant.
2. Figures in brackets are particularly uncertain; the range in which the true change lies is greater than +/-2.5
percentage points and greater than
30 per cent. of the estimate.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest whole per cent.
Independent Living Fund
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to publish the departmental memo produced by his Department outlining proposals for the operation of the new independent living fund.
Mr. Hague : I am not aware of such a memo.
Social Security Recipients (Travel Costs)
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will seek to amend current social security legislation allowing those in receipt of social security moneys to have their travel costs reimbursed in full when attending magistrates courts.
Mr. Hague : We have no plans to do so.
Child Benefit
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the target savings for the current and three succeeding financial years to be achieved by a switch of existing and new claimants of child benefit to payment by credit transfer.
Mr. Burt : The administration of child benefit is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
Column 614
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 21 July 1994 :The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking about the target savings for the current, and three succeeding financial years, to be achieved by a switch of existing and new claimants of child benefit to payment by credit transfer.
Individual benefits were not set targets for savings to be achieved by transfer to automated credit transfer (ACT). Targets were set in terms of the percentage increase in ACT take-up to be achieved by 1995-96 and for Child Benefit this was 3 per cent.
ACT take-up was 23.9 per cent. of existing Child Benefit cases and 41.8 per cent. of new claims as at May 1994.
I hope you find this reply.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish tables showing the administrative costs of administering child benefit in each of the past five years with an estimate for the current year ; if he will set out the administration costs represented by payments to (a) the Post Office and (b) financial institutions for passing over the benefit ; what was the total number of recipients each year ; and how many recipients received child benefit through (i) post offices and (ii) other financial institutions by credit transfer.
Mr. Burt : The available information is in the table. The estimated total administration costs for 1993-94 and 1994-95 are not yet available. Costs for 1993-94 will be published in the 1995 departmental report and those for 1994-95 will be published in the 1996 departmental report.
The information relating to payments made to the Post Office and other financial institutions is commercial-in-confidence.
Column 613
Child benefit
Year Estimated total Estimated Number of Number of
recipients paid recipients paid by
administration average number at post office automatic credit
transfer
|cost<1> |of recipients in
|year
|£m |000s |000s |Per cent. |000s |Per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |111 |6,735 |5,772 |85.7 |963 |14.3
1990-91 |107 |6,715 |5,459 |81.3 |1,256 |18.7
1991-92 |118 |6,760 |5,408 |80.0 |1,352 |20.0
1992-93 |136 |6,897 |5,435 |78.8 |1,462 |21.2
1993-94 |n/a |6,948 |5,392 |77.6 |1,556 |22.4
1994-95 |n/a |7,048 |5,371 |76.2 |1,677 |23.8
<1> Source departmental reports 1991-94
Child Support Agency
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to invite claims for maintenance from the lone parents who have been on income support since before April last year following his announcement of the reordering of the Child Support Agency's priorities by which they will not now be dealt with as was originally planned.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from J. T. Hughes to Mr. Frank Field, dated 21 July 1994 :
In her absence, the Chief Executive, Mrs. Hepplewhite has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency's take on stategy in relation to parents with care who were already receiving Income Support in April 1993.
As explained in "The First Two Years", it is planned to reduce the take-on of 100,000 existing income support cases from 1994-95 to 1995-96 in order to allow the Agency to concentrate on clearing its backlog of work. It is envisaged that the 100,000 cases so deferred will be taken on in the first half of 1995-96.
This deferral will not affect the commitment given by Ministers to provide sympathetic consideration to requests by individual parents who wish their application to be dealt with early. In April and May the Agency accepted 2,400 such requests.
I hope that this reply is helpful.
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the results of the six areas of performance activity monitored by the Child Support Agency during 1993-94, as mentioned in paragraph 6.3 of the agency's business plan for that year.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from J. T. Hughes to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 21 July 1994 :
In her absence, the Chief Executive, Mrs. Hepplewhite has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the areas of performance monitored by the Child Support Agency.
Information on the time taken to clear applications for maintenance was contained on page 5 of the Agency's combined annual report and business plan-- the first two years. In the five other areas selected for performance monitoring insufficient cases were processed and insufficient data collected to provide a meaningful indication of the standard of service in these areas.
The Agency has taken action to improve its information systems and to collect the data required to enable an expanded range of targets to be considered for 1995-96.
I hope that this reply is helpful.
Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many deductions from earnings orders
Column 616
were made by the Child Support Agency in the year 1993-94 ; and what proportion of these were in relation to interim assessments.Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from J. T. Hughes to Mr. Jonathan Evans dated 21 July 1994 :
In her absence, the Chief Executive, Mrs. Hepplewhite has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about deduction from earnings orders. In the year 1993-94, 2,200 deductions from earnings orders were made by the Child Support Agency. I regret that this number cannot be split between those orders issued in respect of interim maintenance assessments and full maintenance assessments. It may help if I explain that until nearly the end of the year there were no powers in the child support legislation that would allow the agency to impose a Deductions from Earnings Order, normally the first course of action where payment is not being made to the parent with care, in cases in which an Interim Maintenance Assessment has been made. Regulations that gave the Agency powers to do this came into effect on 7 February 1994.
I can confirm, however, that the Agency now gathers such information and figures for the current year will become available in August.
I hope that this reply is helpful.
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much of the maintenance with which the Child Support Agency had an involvement was (a) child maintenance assessed by the agency but paid direct between parents, (b) child maintenance assessed and collected by the agency, (c) child maintenance paid where there had been no assessment from the agency and (d) other maintenance payments.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from J. T. Hughes to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 21 July 1994 :
In her absence, the Chief Executive, Mrs. Hepplewhite has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the amount of child maintenance collected by the Child Support Agency.
For the period April 1993 to March 1994 inclusive, maintenance administered by the Agency totalled £312 million. Of this, £1.9 million was assessed by the Agency and paid direct between parents and £13.1 million was assessed and paid through the Agency collection service. The remaining £297 million related to cases administered by the Agency arising from pre-Agency arrangements.
There were no other maintenance payments collected.
I hope this reply is helpful.
Mr. Jonathan Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is his estimate of (a) the number
Column 617
of absent parents who are in arrears with child support payments and (b) the collective amount of maintenance currently outstanding ;(2) how many arrears notices were served by the Child Support Agency in its first year of operation ;
(3) how many liability orders were issued by the Child Support Agency in 1993-94.
Mr. Burt : The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from J. T. Hughes to Mr. Jonathan Evans, dated 21 July 1994 :
In her absence, the Chief Executive, Mrs. Hepplewhite has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about arrears notices, liability orders and maintenance outstanding.
I regret that validated data on accounts in arrears is not currently available. The Child Support Computer System, however, is being upgraded to provide additional information.
Although the specific information you request about arrears notices is not available, additional information provided by the upgraded system will indicate those cases in which such orders will have been issued.
It is estimated that about 160 liability orders had been referred to the courts by the end of March 1994.
I hope this reply is helpful.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many requests for maintenance review on the grounds of change of circumstances were dealt with by the Child Support Agency in its first year ; and how many such requests were still outstanding at year end ;
(2) how many requests for review of a decision made by a child support officer were decided during 1993-94 ; and how many such decisions were outstanding at year end.
Mr. Burt : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive of the Child Support Agency, to the hon. Member for East Kilbride (Mr. Ingram) on 17 May 1994 at column 526.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what period was covered by the most recent annual reviews of individual child support assessments.
Mr. Burt : Individual assessments are reviewed when they have been in force for 52 weeks ; the review will be completed as soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of that period.
Mr. Chidgey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what statutory duties of a child support officer he claims a discretion to exercise ; and what is the legal basis for this discretion ;
(2) which of his statutory duties a child support officer has discretion to exercise ; and what is the legal basis for this discretion.
Mr. Burt : The Child Support Act 1991 confers statutory duties on the Secretary of State. It also confers statutory duties on independent, adjudicating officers, the child support officers. Decisions taken by CSOs cannot be varied by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State ; CSOs cannot take decisions in those areas which are the responsibility of the Secretary of State.
The Act specifies where a discretionary power exists and whether the Secretary of State or a CSO should exercise that power. The areas in which the Secretary of State has discretion relate mainly to the requirement on a
Column 618
parent with care to authorise the Secretary of State to take action to pursue maintenance and to the collection and enforcement of maintenance, including whether to collect and enforce and the method of collection and enforcement. The areas in which CSOs have discretion are mainly in the making of interim maintenance assessments and reduced benefit directions.Reduced Earnings Allowance
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated saving to his Department from the proposed changes to reduced earnings allowance from October.
Mr. Hague : The information is not available in the form requested. The abolition of reduced earnings allowance in October 1990 was expected to produce savings of around £80 million by 1993-94. This figure will be reduced by the cost of claims now payable because of a defect in the legislation as referred to in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Erewash (Mrs. Knight) on 30 June at columns 709-10 .
Crime Victims
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy that persons unable to work because of a criminal injury will be able to claim sickness benefit followed by invalidity benefit in the same way as persons who have had an accident at work or contracted an industrial disease, even if they have not paid sufficient, or any, national insurance contributions.
Mr. Hague : We have no plans to exempt victims of crime from the contribution conditions for sickness benefit.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make arrangements to ensure that victims of violent crime, who are disabled by their injuries receive disablement benefit, even when they are not employed earners, in the same way as if the injury had been caused by an accident at work.
Mr. Hague : The criminal injuries compensation scheme provides payment from public funds to victims of violent crime. The industrial injuries scheme provides benefits for employed earners disabled in the course of their employment. There are no plans to extend the industrial injuries scheme.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy that victims of crimes of violence who become unemployed as a result of their injuries will receive sufficient credits for national insurance contributions to enable them to receive full unemployment benefit.
Mr. Burt : Credits are awarded for each week for which medical evidence of incapacity for work is provided. While such credits will assist a person to qualify for unemployment benefit, that person must also have paid a specified number of contributions as an employed earner, class 1, in the two relevant tax years.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make arrangements to ensure that the full rate of widow's pension is paid to all women widowed as a result of murder or manslaughter regardless of their age.
Column 619
Mr. Hague : We have no plans to do so.
Social Security Review
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's review of social security.
Mr. Hague : We launched the fundamental review of social security last spring. Last year, we published "The Growth of Social Security", which described recent developments in social security and gave projections of expenditure growth to the end of the century. Subsequently, at the time of the Budget, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a number of major changes concerning incapacity benefit, statutory sick pay, benefits for the unemployed and the future equalisation of state pension age. Changes in the first two areas have now been enacted by Parliament and we plan to introduce legislation on the other areas in due course.
We are continuing to keep the social security programme under review to ensure that vulnerable people are protected, and that the benefits system does not outstrip the nation's ability to pay for it.
Ministerial Visits
Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many overseas visits he and each of his Ministers have made between 1 January and 30 June ; during how many he, or each of his Ministers, participated in fund-raising activities for the Conservative party ; and if he will name the Ministers and the countries in which these activities took place.
Mr. Lilley : Two of the Department's Ministers made overseas visits during the period 1 January 1994 to 30 June 1994. The Minister for Social Security and Disabled People made a visit to Norway and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Burt) made visits to Luxembourg, twice, and to Canada and the United States of America.
Fund-raising activities for the Conservative party are not part of our official duties.
Disability
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements exist for benefits to disabled people to continue if they decide to accompany their families to live abroad.
Mr. Hague : Sickness benefit, invalidity benefit or severe disablement allowance may be paid for up to the first 26 weeks of a person's absence from the United Kingdom if the absence is temporary, the person has remained incapable of work, and either the person has gone abroad for the specific purpose of receiving treatment for an incapacity which began before the person left this country, or the person was continuously incapable of work for at least six months up to the date before the absence began, or, for SB and IVB only, the incapacity for work is the result of an industrial accident or prescribed disease.
Attendance allowance or disability living allowance may be paid during a temporary stay abroad for up to six months. It may be paid for longer if the absence is for the specific purpose of getting treatment for the illness or disabling condition.
Column 620
Special provisions exist to assist members of the immediate family of forces personnel to receive these benefits overseas.Industrial injuries disablement pension may be paid indefinitely to a person who leaves the United Kingdom to reside abroad.
In addition, the above benefits may be paid indefinitely if the disabled person is going to another European Economic Area country, provided that the EC regulations on social security for migrant workers apply in their case, or if he goes to a country with which we have a social security convention which provides for this. Income support cannot be paid abroad. However, special rules may allow disabled people to be paid in respect of the first four weeks of a temporary absence, on their return to the United Kingdom Housing benefit may be paid during a temporary absence not exceeding 52 weeks, again subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions.
Residence Qualification
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons, nationals of the Irish Republic, claiming social security benefit in the year 1993-94, would have been ineligible if the not habitually resident regulation had applied to their claim.
| Next Section
| Home Page |