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Benefits Agency Emergency Service
Ms Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants contacted the Benefits Agency out-of-hours emergency service for each of the last five years; and if he will break down the figures by (a) age and (b) reason for application. [29839]
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 from Peter Mathison to Ms Ann Coffey, dated 21 May 1996:
Figures are provisional and subject to amendment.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
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The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many claimants contacted the Benefits Agency out-of-hours emergency service for each of the last five years; and if he will break down the figures by (a) age and (b) reason for application.
The information is not available in the format requested. Statistics are not kept which show the age of the customers referred to the out-of-hours service or their reason for application. Also, statistics were not kept of the number of referrals to out-of-hours prior to 91/92.
However listed below is the number of referrals for the statistical years (ending October) 91/92, 92/93, 93/94 and 94/95. It should be noted that the term "referral" is defined as a contact by the customer or by a third party on their behalf.
Statistical year Number of referrals
1991-92 21,709
1992-93 42,722
1993-94 47,994
1994-95 48,744
Ms Coffey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to make available emergency financial provision to claimants following the proposed abolition of the Benefits Agency emergency service. [29838]
Mr. Evans: This 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 Ms Ann Coffey, dated 21 May 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what proposals he has to make available emergency financial provision to claimants following the proposed abolition of the Benefits Agency emergency service.
Mr. Chris Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update the figures given in his answer of 14 November 1995, Official Report, column 1018, for the amounts, at current prices, paid in (a) income support or its predecessor benefit and (b) housing benefit in each year since 1979, by region. [27846]
Mr. Roger Evans
[holding answer 2 May 1996]: The available information is set out in the tables.
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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 has declined 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 the future of the service is expected during this year.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
| 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | 6,063 | 7,053 | 9,871 | 9,930 | 9,329 | 10,431 | -- | 11,378 | 11,307 | 10,963 |
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| DSS administrative region | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Eastern | 1,613 | 1,536 | 1,811 | 2,109 | 2,582 | 2,416 | 2,346 |
| London North | 1,511 | 1,608 | 2,099 | 2,722 | 3,313 | 3,187 | 3,137 |
| London South | 1,434 | 1,505 | 1,924 | 2,423 | 3,104 | 2,945 | 2,801 |
| Wales and South West | 1,286 | 1,296 | 1,688 | 2,051 | 2,426 | 2,223 | 2,128 |
| Midlands | 1,625 | 1,620 | 1,895 | 2,330 | 2,852 | 2,671 | 2,600 |
| North western | 1,647 | 1,595 | 1,844 | 2,153 | 2,573 | 2,407 | 2,342 |
| Wales | 588 | 587 | 723 | 852 | 998 | 929 | 947 |
| Scotland | 1,109 | 1,084 | 1,243 | 1,409 | 1,610 | 1,529 | 1,479 |
| Great Britain | 10,226 | 10,248 | 12,504 | 15,196 | 18,462 | 17,377 | 16,833 |
Source:Social Security statistics 1979 to 1988 (income support/supplementary benefit annual inquiries). Income support statistics annual inquiries 1989 to 1993. Income support statistics quarterly inquiry May 1994-95.
Notes:
1. Figures prior to 1988 are from November/December of the year. Figures from 1988 onwards are from May of each year.
2. All expenditure figures have been rounded to the nearest million.
3. No regional figures are available for the years 1979 to 1988.
4. Figures are not available for 1985.
5. Cash values have been inflated by the GDP deflator at market prices so that the whole series time is expressed in 1996-97 prices.
6. Income support replaced supplementary benefit in 1988.
7. DSS administrative regions are based on boundaries which existed before the Benefits Agency was introduced in April 1991 and have been used for reasons of consistency.
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| 1983-84 | 1984-85 | 1985-86 | 1986-87 | 1987-88 | 1988-89 | 1989-90 | 1990-91 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 760 | 830 | 866 | 894 | 922 | 964 | 1,086 | 1,275 |
| South East | 643 | 663 | 690 | 712 | 676 | 650 | 698 | 822 |
| South West | 290 | 305 | 319 | 340 | 329 | 314 | 330 | 395 |
| East Anglia | 126 | 130 | 139 | 148 | 142 | 136 | 142 | 166 |
| East Midlands | 285 | 296 | 307 | 315 | 308 | 299 | 306 | 321 |
| West Midlands | 469 | 502 | 522 | 529 | 513 | 497 | 507 | 531 |
| Wales | 238 | 263 | 278 | 289 | 276 | 280 | 292 | 305 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 401 | 440 | 470 | 490 | 482 | 471 | 488 | 486 |
| North West | 579 | 608 | 652 | 677 | 679 | 677 | 711 | 755 |
| North | 319 | 345 | 372 | 385 | 374 | 376 | 387 | 383 |
| Scotland | 437 | 474 | 520 | 591 | 644 | 635 | 698 | 702 |
| Total expenditure | 4,547 | 4,855 | 5,134 | 5,369 | 5,346 | 5,298 | 5,646 | 6,142 |
Notes:
1. Expenditure has been rounded to the nearest million. Due to rounding totals may not tally.
2. Cash values have been inflated by the GDP deflator at market prices so that the whole series time is expressed in 1996-97 prices.
Source:
Department of the Environment: statement of local authority housing revenue account and claimed entitlement to housing subsidies and grant.
Welsh Office: statement of local authority housing revenue account and claimed entitlement to housing subsidies.
Department of Social Security: summary of claim FD3D\13 (Scotland and new towns) and FD3D\132 England.
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22 May 1996 : Column: 287
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people received in-work benefits in each year since 1980. [29156]
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Mr. Evans [holding answer 14 May 1996]: Such information as is available is set out in the table. Individuals may be in receipt of more than one benefit at the same time and figures for individual years cannot therefore be totalled.
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| Family income supplement and family credit(25) | Housing benefit and rent rebate allowance(24) | Rates rebate(27) | Community charge benefit and council tax benefit(27) | Disability working allowance(26) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 88,000 | n/a | n/a | -- | -- |
| 1981 | 115,000 | n/a | n/a | -- | -- |
| 1982 | 146,000 | n/a | n/a | -- | -- |
| 1983 | 190,000 | n/a | n/a | -- | -- |
| 1984 | 204,000 | n/a | n/a | -- | -- |
| 1985 | 201,000 | n/a | n/a | -- | -- |
| 1986 | 202,000 | n/a | n/a | -- | -- |
| 1987 | 221,000 | n/a | n/a | -- | -- |
| 1988 | 213,000 | 256,000 | 301,000 | -- | -- |
| 1989 | 303,000 | 219,000 | (27)230,000 | (27)100,000 | -- |
| 1990 | 316,000 | 236,000 | -- | 780,000 | -- |
| 1991 | 347,000 | 255,000 | -- | 518,000 | -- |
| 1992 | 397,000 | 268,000 | -- | 430,000 | 52 |
| 1993 | 489,000 | 288,000 | -- | 321,000 | 2,793 |
| 1994 | 551,000 | 316,000 | -- | 332,000 | 4,251 |
| 1995 | 608,000 | n/a | -- | n/a | 6,039 |
Notes:
(20) Means-tested in-work benefits are defined as family income supplement, family credit and disability working allowance, plus housing benefit, rent and rates rebate, community charge benefit and council tax benefit paid direct to people with earnings but who are not on income support/supplementary benefit. Earnings for this purpose have been defined as employed or self-employed earnings.
(21) Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand except for disability working allowance, where exact figures are quoted.
(22) Figures are for May of each year and refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
(23) Figures include estimates due to the data collection procedure in Scotland.
(24) Data on housing benefit and previous schemes providing financial assistance with domestic rents and rates cannot be broken down prior to 1988.
(25) Family credit replaced family income supplement in April 1988.
(26) Disability working allowance was introduced in April 1992.
(27) Community charge benefit--CCB--replaced rate rebate in Scotland for 1989 and Great Britain from 1990. CCB figures for 1989 refer to Scotland only; rate rebate figures refer to England and Wales only. Council tax benefit replaced community charge benefit from April 1993. Figures for council tax benefit exclude second adult rebate cases.
Source:
Social Security statistics 1980 to 1990.
Family credit 5 per cent. sample of awards.
Disability working allowance 100 per cent. count of claims.
Housing benefit management information system annual 1 per cent. sample taken at the end of May of each year given--1990 to 1994.
Housing benefit management information system, 100 per cent. quarterly case load stock counts taken at the end of May for 1988 and 1989.
22 May 1996 : Column: 289
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