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SOCIAL SECURITY
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what training Benefits Agency staff and Benefits Agency medical services doctors receive in mental health problems in assessing applications for incapacity benefit. [15868]
Mr. Burt: The administration of incapacity benefit 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 28 February 1996:
Mr. Steinberg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the effect on public revenues in 1996-97 and 1997-98 of extending the linking rule for periods of incapacity for work or interruption of employment from eight weeks to (a) 13 weeks, (b) 26 weeks, (c) one year and (d) two years. [18229]
The Secretary of State has asked me reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what training Benefits Agency staff and Benefit Agency Medical Services (BAMS) doctors receive in mental health problems in assessing applications for Incapacity Benefit (IB).
BA staff receive training in handling claims from persons suffering from mental health conditions as part of a general IB training course. This course provides instruction in dealing with all aspects of claims to IB, including guidance on identifying when customers may be suffering from mental health conditions; and the appropriate action to take to obtain sufficient information to enable the adjudication officer to give a decision on the appropriate test of incapacity.
All doctors, full time, contract and sessional, employed by BAMS to carry out assessments for IB have undergone specific training to carry out the mental health assessment. All BAMS doctors attend a four day training course which includes a module designed specifically to cover the assessment of mental health problems.
In addition all full-time and short term contract doctors attend a two-day medical education conference during which there is a session devoted specifically to the assessment of mental health problems, this session is led by a consultant psychiatrist.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Mr. Burt: There is insufficient information available on which to base estimates.
Contributions Agency
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed restructuring of the Contributions Agency on levels of service to customers and expected response times to inquiries and complaints; what savings he expects the restructuring to achieve; and what will be the effect on jobs in Wales within the Contributions Agency. [17829]
29 Feb 1996 : Column: 703
Mr. Heald:
The administration of the Contributions Agency is a matter for Mrs. Faith Boardman, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Faith Boardman to Mr. Rhodri Morgan, dated 28 February 1996:
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners were in receipt of income support in Wales at the latest available date; what estimate he has made of the numbers of pensioners eligible for income support but not claiming it; and if he will make a statement. [17581]
Mr. Roger Evans:
The administration of income support 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. Rhodri Morgan, dated 28 February 1996:
Mr. Steinberg:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the effect on public revenues in 1996-97 and 1997-98 of extending the assistance with mortgage interest payments currently available under
29 Feb 1996 : Column: 704
income support to people in work whose incomes would qualify them for housing benefit if they were in rented accommodation. [18230]
Mr. Roger Evans:
Entitlement to housing benefit is dependent not only on income but on eligible rent. Without information equivalent to eligible rents for the owner-occupied sector it is not possible to make such an estimate. The necessary information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the annual number of applications for attendance allowance in Wales for each of the last five years indicating the proportion (a) approved, (b) withdrawn and (c) rejected. [17579]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell:
This is a matter for Peter Mathison, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Rhodri Morgan, dated 28 February 1996:
Figures are provisional and subject to change. The difference between the number of claims received and decisions made are the claims that are waiting for adjudication decisions and carried forward in to the next year. The figures requested for the years 1990-91 are not available.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Mr. Hutton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is his estimate of the value, in cash terms, of the savings to the Benefits Agency which have resulted from the contract awarded to BET to provide accommodation and office services to the Benefits Agency; [17754]
Mr. Roger Evans:
This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
29 Feb 1996 : Column: 705
As Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, I have responsibility for answering questions about the operational matters relating to the Agency.
I have been asked to reply to your enquiry regarding the assessment of the proposed restructuring of the Contributions Agency and the affect on jobs in Wales within the Agency.
The proposed reorganisation of the Contributions Agency Field Operations has been the subject of a feasibility study and an extensive trial period in both rural and urban areas. Information from customer satisfaction surveys has also been taken into account to inform on the development, to ensure that the Agency continues to maintain the commitment to serve delivery outlined in its Contributor and Employer Charters.
Precise details of savings cannot be determined during the planning and development stage of the reorganisation. However it is estimated that there will be significant savings in management costs. Savings in accommodation and related costs will be captured as the reorganisation is implemented.
In line with the Governments White Paper "Continuity and Change in the Civil Service" the emphasis is to achieve increased efficiency with reduced costs. The new organisation will inevitably operate with a reduced resource allocation. In Wales that will result in a reduction in staffing levels of 14%.
I hope you will find the reply helpful, if you require anything further please let me know.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many pensioners were in receipt of Income Support (IS) in Wales at the latest available date; what estimate he has made of the numbers of pensioners eligible for IS but not claiming it; and if he will make a statement.
The number of pensioners receiving IS in Wales in November 1995 was 92,339. This is the latest available figure. It is provisional and may be subject to change.
The figures for the numbers of pensioners eligible for IS but not claiming in Great Britain are contained in the publication Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 1993/94, copies of which have been placed in the library. A separate figure for Wales is unavailable because the sample size would be too small to give statistically reliable results.
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 if he will list the annual number of applications for Attendance Allowance (AA) in Wales for each of the last five years indicating the proportion (a) approved, (b) withdrawn and (c) rejected.
Claims for AA in Wales are processed at the Cardiff Disability Benefits Centre. The information requested is shown in the following table:
1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95
Claims received 38,067 34,301 30,732 32,981
Decisions made:
Awards 20,934 24,867 20,946 23,344
Withdrawn n/a 403 340 272
Refusals 10,497 11,601 8,421 8,468
(2) which consultants were employed by the Benefits Agency to review the operation of the contract awarded to BET to provide accommodation and office services to the Benefits Agency; what was the value of that contract; and if he will place a copy of the consultant's report in the Library. [17704]
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