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Claimants (Peterlee and Seaham)
Mr. Cummings:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many single parents are currently claiming benefits in the areas covered by the Peterlee and Seaham benefit offices; [9502]
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Mr. Roger Evans:
This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will reply to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. John Cummings, dated 22 January 1996:
Mr. Chris Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the Benefits Agency will begin its exercise to identify and review cases where retirement allowance is mistakenly being paid in place of reduced earnings allowance; how long he expects this review to last; how many cases, approximately, he expects to be involved; and how quickly any arrears will be paid to claimants. [8952]
Mr. Roger Evans:
The administration of retirement allowance, payable under the industrial injuries scheme, is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Chris Smith, dated 22 January 1996:
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Mr. William O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the progress of the updating of the "Incapacity Benefit: Medical Advisers Guide" to incapacity benefit. [9540]
Mr. Burt:
The administration of the Benefits Agency medical services is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. William O'Brien, dated 22 January 1996:
Mr. Frank Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list (a) the total number of the work force who are currently members of (i) State earnings-related pension scheme, (ii) company pension schemes and (iii) personal pension schemes, (b) the average percentage of the wage or salary being paid into each scheme and (c) the average length of time in years for which these contributions have been made. [7591]
Mr. Heald:
The following are the latest figures available for the numbers of individuals falling into each category at some time during the year in question, with one exception--see footnote 2. In certain cases some people may, in the course of a year, be in more than one type of scheme and so the numbers in separate schemes cannot be sensibly totalled. Nor can they be compared to numbers in employment or the work force, measured at a single point in time. This is because more people will work at some time during the year than will be working at any single point in time.
The cumulative number of people who paid some class 1 national insurance contributions at the not-contracted- out rate over the year 1992-93 was 9.1 million. Of those, the number whose earnings factor was equal to or above the annual lower earnings limit is 6.5 million 1 ; these will accrue entitlement to additional pension as will a number of people whose earnings factor was just below the LEL, provided they reach state pension age before April 2000.
Individuals reaching state pension age from April 1999 onwards may also receive an enhancement to their entitlement to additional pension in respect of periods of caring responsibilities and incapacity since 1978.
In 1991, 10.7 million people were members of occupational pension schemes 2 . This figure includes members of both contracted-in and contracted-out schemes.
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In 1992-93, the latest year for which all the relevant data is available, 5.7 million employees were members of appropriate personal pension schemes 3 and 600,000 self-employed people held non-appropriate personal pensions 4 . There were also 1.1 million self-employed holders of retirement annuity contracts 4 . In addition, 2.5 million non-appropriate personal pension arrangements 5 were held by employees, some of whom may also have held an appropriate personal pension or a number of non-appropriate arrangements.
Information relating to the average percentage of the wage or salary paid into each type of scheme and the length of time for which contributions have been made is not available.
1. Source 1 per cent. sample from the National Insurance Recording System.
2. Source: GAD 1991 survey of occupational pension schemes which records membership at points in time rather than cumulatively over a year.
3. Source: 1 per cent. sample from the national insurance recording system.
4. Source: Inland Revenue survey of personal incomes.
5. Source: Inland Revenue tax returns from all providers.
In certain cases some people may, in the course of a year, be in one or more types of schemes and so the numbers in separate schemes cannot be sensibly totalled.
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 14 December, Official Report, column 795, on sick days related to mental illness, if he will estimate the value of benefits in each year since 1979. [7789]
Mr. Burt:
The information requested is not available.
Mr. Chris Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the effect on revenues in (a) 1996-97 and (b) 1997-98 of the increase from £10 to £20 in the disregard for voluntary and charitable payments. [8503]
Mr. Roger Evans:
The increase in the disregard on charitable and voluntary payments is likely to be achieved at negligible cost.
Mr. Spellar:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action his Department is taking to improve the average clearance time at child support appeal tribunals. [9103]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell:
In conjunction with the independent tribunal service, we are continually looking for ways to improve the clearance time on appeals. For example, the Child Support Agency has set up a central unit to deal with appeals which in the second half of 1995 processed twice as many appeals as in the first half.
(2) how many people in the areas covered by the Seaham and Peterlee offices are in receipt of (a) state retirement pension, (b) incapacity benefit (c) income support, (d) family credit and (e) disability living allowance, broken down into its various components. [9500]
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking how many single parents are currently claiming benefits and how many people are in receipt of (a) State Retirement Pension (RP), (b) Incapacity Benefit (IB), (c) Income Support (IS), (d) Family Credit (FC) and (e) Disability Living Allowance (DLA), broken down into its various components, in the areas covered by the Peterlee and Seaham benefit offices.
The information requested is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is shown at Annexe A. The number of people claiming IS and DLA for Peterlee and Seaham could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The North Durham District includes the areas of Durham, Chester-le-street, Peterlee, Seaham and Stanley. The number of single parents currently in receipt of IS in the North Durham District is 6,258. Details of claims from single parents to other benefits is not available. The total number of people receiving IS in the District is 39,116, at November 1995.
I hope you find this reply helpful
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking when the Benefits Agency will begin its exercise to identify and review cases where Retirement Allowance (RA) is mistakenly being paid in place of Reduced Earnings Allowance (REA); how long he expects this review to last; how many cases, approximately, he expects to be involved; and how quickly any arrears will be paid to claimants.
The Benefits Agency is currently trawling all their Industrial Injuries Benefit cases, approximately 4 million, to identify all RA and REA customers who have attained pension age since April 1989 when RA was introduced. The trawl which started in December 1995 is due to be finished by the end of February 1996. Once amending legislation is in place all identified cases will then be examined and where necessary referred to independent Adjudication Officers who will review the benefit entitlement.
The review exercise will be undertaken as soon as possible. Approximately 8,500 RA and 19,000 REA cases will need to be re-examined. It is not possible to say, at this stage, when this exercise will be completed but the situation will be closely monitored.
Arrears of benefit will be paid to each customer whose case is favourably reviewed as soon as the mandatory overlapping benefit enquiries have been undertaken.
I hope this reply is helpful.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if he will make a statement on the progress of the updating of the Incapacity Benefit: Medical Advisors Guide to Incapacity Benefit.
The Medical Advisers' Guide to Incapacity Benefit is currently being brought up to date. A revised version will be available from April 1996.
I hope this reply is helpful.
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