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Habitual Residence Test
18. Mrs. Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current annual cost of administering the habitual residence test; and what savings in benefits have been made in the current year following the introduction of the test. [24688]
Mr. Roger Evans: The current annual cost of administering the habitual residence test in relation to income support is estimated at £3 million. The best estimate of savings for the financial year 1995-96 is £25 million.
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Social Security Reform
19. Mr. Robert G. Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations about future social security reform he has been notified will be forwarded to him in the next three months; and if he will make a statement. [24689]
Child Support
20. Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he plans to take in response to the report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration in respect of (a) the Child Support Act 1995 and (b) the Child Support Agency. [24690]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The report mainly relates to the first 18 months of the agency's performance, and there have been very substantial improvements since then. In addition, I recently announced the recruitment of an independent complaints examiner, improvements to the agency's compensation scheme and the introduction of interest payments on maintenance collected but not transferred promptly to the parent with care.
Personal Pensions
22. Mr. Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of holders of appropriate personal pensions failed to earn sufficient to generate a national insurance rebate in the most recent year. [24692]
Mr. Heald: In 1993-94, 31 per cent. of appropriate personal pension holders had reckonable earnings below the national insurance rebate threshold.
Notes:
(i) Source: Personal Pension Statistics 1993-94 which is based on a 1 per cent. sample of national insurance records taken in February 1995.
(ii) Figures relate to the Uhnited Kingdom and are rounded to the nearest whole number.
Benefits Agency
23. Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the future of Benefits Agency offices in north Wales. [24693]
Mr. Roger Evans: One of the next key steps in the long-term reform of social security is the change programme, which aims to produce administrative efficiencies of 25 per cent. over the next three years. As part of this, consideration is being given to the future of service delivery in Wales. Any proposals will be subject to consultation before final decisions are taken.
Lone Parents
24. Mr. Carrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what benefit changes he is undertaking to help lone parents to work. [24694]
Mr. Burt: The Government have a well-developed strategy for helping families, including lone parents, into work. Further measures are being implemented in the coming months.
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From this month, the child care disregard in the in-work benefits has been increased from £40 to £60 a week. The back-to-work bonus and the child maintenance bonus will be introduced in October 1996 and April 1997 respectively. They will encourage part-time work and provide opportunities to build up a tax-free lump sum on leaving benefit for work. Also in April 1997 a major new pilot will commence providing training and employment opportunities to up to 25,000 lone parents.
In addition, lone parents can qualify for other work incentive measures introduced this month, including extra help with housing costs on return to work, faster delivery of family credit and relief from national insurance contributions for their employer.
25. Mr. Roy Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the level of state pensions in other European Union countries relative to those in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [24695]
Mr. Heald:
Most other EU countries have wholly earnings-related pension schemes, so there is a wide variation in the rate of pension paid to individuals. This can mean that low earners receive low pensions. Direct comparisons of the level of state pensions do not take account of health care, occupational pensions and safety net benefits, which are all significant factors in the provision for pensioners in the United Kingdom. The relative position of state pension provision is further distorted by differences in the cost of living.
26. Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations his Department has recently received on the question of benefit availability to 16 and 17-year-olds; and if he will make a statement. [24696]
Mr. Roger Evans:
The Department has received a number of such representations.
We believe that unemployed 16 and 17-year-olds should take the more positive options of youth training or education in place of dependence on benefit.
27. Mr. Anthony Coombs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from political parties over the past three months concerning reforms of the benefit system. [24697]
28. Mr. Harry Greenway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the estimated cost to his Department of sending telegrams to centenarians over the past year; and if he will make a statement. [24698]
Mr. Heald:
This Department arranges for telemessages to be sent to residents of Great Britain on their 100th birthday, at 105 and yearly thereafter. In 1995, a
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total of 3,025 such messages were issued at an estimated cost of £74,900, most of which arose from visits by Benefits Agency staff prior to the issue of the messages.
Lady Olga Maitland:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what priority he attaches to tackling fraud in his social security reforms. [24691]
Mr. Heald:
I refer the hon. Lady to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham (Mr. Arnold) earlier today.
Mr. Betts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has in respect of the right of appeal in incapacity benefit cases. [26533]
Mr. Burt:
We have no current plans to make any changes to the right of appeal in incapacity benefit cases. However, as part of the long-term reform of social security we are now reviewing its administration, including decision making and appeals arrangements.
Mr. Bradley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons have ceased to receive incapacity benefit because of a failure to attend a medical examination following completion of questionnaire form IB50. [25803]
Mr. Burt:
At 31 March 1996, 2,416 persons had been disallowed incapacity benefit following failure to attend for medical examination.
Mr. Bradley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) former recipients of invalidity benefit now claiming incapacity benefit and (b) new incapacity benefit claimants have passed the all-work test and how many in each case have been deemed fit for work. [25805]
| Found capable of work following the all-work test | Found incapable of work following the all-work test | |
|---|---|---|
| Former Invalidity Benefit recipients with transitional protection | 33,580 | 113,500 |
| Incapacity Benefit claimants since April 1995 | 6,780 | 24,340 |
All figures as at 30 November 1995 taken from a 5 per cent. sample of cases from the incapacity benefit computer system. Excludes a small number of cases not on the system.
Occupational Asthma
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the cost to his Department of providing industrial injury scheme benefits to people suffering from occupational asthma in each year from 1989-90 to 1994-95. [25780]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.
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The figures are estimates of the cost of industrial injuries disablement benefit reduced earnings allowance and retirement allowance paid to people suffering from occupational asthma and do not include the costs of administration or the benefit expenditure on constant attendance allowance, exceptionally severe disablement allowance or unemployment supplement.
The data on which these estimates are based are not yet available for 1994-95.
| Cash prices £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1989-90 | 1.0 |
| 1990-91 | 2.0 |
| 1991-92 | 2.5 |
| 1992-93 | 3.0 |
| 1993-94 | 4.0 |
Estimated costs are given at cash prices, rounded to the nearest £0.5 million and may be subject to a margin of error.
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