---

Outreach Workers

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people working as dedicated customer service staff, on an outreach basis, under Benefits Agency officers in Wales have recently been, or are to be, redeployed; and if he will make a statement on the provision of information to potential beneficiaries under the disability living allowance scheme in rural areas. [27149]

Mr. Roger Evans: The administration of the Benefits Agency is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Dafydd Wigley, dated 1 May 1996:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people working as dedicated customer service staff, on an outreach basis, under Benefit Agency (BA) officers in Wales have recently been, or are to be, redeployed; and if he will make a statement on the provision of information to potential beneficiaries under the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Scheme in rural areas.
Customer service staff are located in all BA Districts in Wales, where outreach work forms an integral part of their duties. Staff are not dedicated solely to outreach work, however there are currently 317.47 fulltime equivalent posts employed in customer services in Wales. No decisions have been made as yet to the possible redeployment of any customer service staff.
There are seventy-five Benefits Agency outlets in Wales. Customers may obtain benefit advice, including advice on the DLA Scheme, by telephone, face-to-face interview or by post. Benefit information in the form of leaflets, is available in Post Offices and the option of a home visit by a Benefits Agency officer is available if required.
I hope you find this reply helpful.

Mental Illness

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will list (a) the number of claimants and (b) the expenditure on invalidity benefit and incapacity benefit resulting from mental illness for each year since 1990-91; [27973]

(2) if he will list (a) the number of claimants and (b) the expenditure on invalidity and incapacity benefit due to disability, excluding mental illness, for each year since 1990-91. [27966]

Mr. Burt: Information is not available in the format requested. Expenditure data for invalidity benefit and incapacity benefit cannot be broken down by medical condition. Some information on the numbers of claimants

7 May 1996 : Column: 97

with mental disorders is available for invalidity benefit and is set out in the table. Comparable information for incapacity benefit is not yet available.

Claimants incapacitated on the last day of the statistical period in connection with a claim for invalidity benefit

Date	Mental disorder	Other incapacities excluding mental disorder
30 March 1991	207,000	1,099,000
4 April 1992	228,000	1,211,000
3 April 1993	258,000	1,322,000
2 April 1994	278,000	1,403,000

1. Figures are taken form a 1 per cent. sample of all invalidity benefit claims in Great Britain, rounded to the nearest thousand.

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what was (a) the number of claimants and (b) the expenditure on income support due to disability, excluding mental illness, for each year since 1990-91; [27965]

(2) if he will list (a) the number of claimants and (b) the expenditure on income support due to mental illness in each year since 1990-91. [27967]

Mr. Evans: The information to identify how many income support claimants suffer from a mental illness is not available.

Benefits Agency

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to make changes to the Benefits Agency out-of-hours emergency payments service. [27831]

7 May 1996 : Column: 98

Mr. Roger Evans: This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter form Peter Mathison to Mr. Chris Smith, dated 2 May 1996:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what plans he has to make changes to the Benefits Agency (BA) out-of-hours emergency payments service.
As you will be aware I recently outlined the BA's plans for the future delivery of social security benefits based on the BA vision of "right money to the right person at the right time, every time".
It is against this background that the Agency decided to review the need for the out of hours service and the London Emergency Office which provides a service to customers at night and weekends. A decision on its viability is expected later this year.
I hope you find this reply helpful.

Grants and Loans

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the grants and loans provided by his Department to businesses, together with the criteria that they have to meet to obtain the subsidy. [28192]

Mr. Burt: The Department of Social Security does not provide grants or loans to businesses.

In-work Benefits

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total annual expenditure on in-work benefits for each of the last 15 years. [27930]

Mr. Burt: The information is in the tables.

7 May 1996 : Column: 97

In-work expenditure from 1980-81 to 1987-88£ million

	1980-81	1981-82	1982-83	1983-84	1984-85	1985-86	1986-87	1987-88
FIS/family credit	42	66	94	123	126	130	161	180
Disability working allowance	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Housing benefit	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Community charge benefit	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Council tax benefit	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	42	66	94	123	126	130	161	180

7 May 1996 : Column: 97

In-work expenditure from 1988-89 to 1994-95£ million

	1988-89	1989-90	1990-91	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95
FIS/Family credit	394	425	494	626	929	1,208	1,441
Disability working allowance	0	0	0	0	3	7	11
Housing benefit	0	0	340	395	525	600	700
Community charge benefit	0	0	170	80	95	0	0
Council tax benefit	0	0	0	0	0	130	140
Total	394	425	1,004	1,101	1,552	1,945	2,292

Notes:

1. Amounts expressed in cash prices.

2. Amounts for housing benefit, community charge benefit and council tax benefit include expenditure on recipients who work, but who also get income support.

Source:

1. Social Security Department report 1995-96 and its predecessors.

2. Housing benefit management system annual inquiry (sample 1 per cent.).

7 May 1996 : Column: 97

7 May 1996 : Column: 99

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a breakdown of the expenditure on in-work benefits for each year since 1980 in net present values. [28083]

7 May 1996 : Column: 100

Mr. Burt: The information is in the table.

In-work benefit expenditure from 1980-81 to 1987-88£ million

	1980-81	1981-82	1982-83	1983-84	1984-85	1985-86	1986-87	1987-88
FIS/Family credit	91	131	174	217	212	207	249	264
Disability working allowance	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Housing benefit	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Community charge benefit	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Council tax benefit	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	91	131	174	217	212	207	249	264

7 May 1996 : Column: 99

In-work benefit expenditure from 1988-89 to 1994-95£ million

	1988-89	1989-90	1990-91	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95
FIS/Family credit	543	547	589	702	1,000	1,264	1,480
Disability working allowance	0	0	0	0	3	8	12
Housing benefit	0	0	405	443	566	628	719
Community charge benefit	0	0	202	90	102	0	0
Council tax benefit	0	0	0	0	0	136	144
Total	543	547	1,196	1,235	1,672	2,036	2,355

Notes:

1. Real terms figures calculated using the GDP deflator published in the November 1995 FSBR.

2. Amounts for housing benefit, community charge benefit and council tax benefit include expenditure on recipients who work, but who also get income support.

Source:

1. Social Security departmental report 1995-96 and its predecessors.

2. Housing benefit management system annual inquiry (sample 1 per cent.)

7 May 1996 : Column: 99

7 May 1996 : Column: 99

---