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Child Support Agency
Mr. Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many compensation payments for administrative errors made by the Child Support Agency have taken longer than (a) six months, (b) one year and (c) 18 months to process. [34021]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ms Gordon: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the compliance of the CSA computer system with the Data Protection Act 1984; and what was the cost of the system. [33826]
Mr. Mitchell: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Ann Chant to Ms Mildred Gordon, dated 25 June 1996:
Mr. Kevin Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the average length of time taken by the Child Support Agency to award compensation payments for administrative errors; [34018]
In the absence of Miss Chant, the Chief Executive, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency Computer System.
The Child Support Agency and its computer system are registered with the Office of the Data Protection Registrar, in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984. A close liaison exists with the Agency and the Registrar's Office, with regular meetings both at Chief Executive and working level. The Agency has responded positively to a number of recommendations made by the Data Protection Registrar in the past, following complaints made to the Registrar.
Any software procurement programmes or system enhancements take full account of the requirements of the Data Protection Act.
The cost of the CSA computer system is commercial in confidence.
I hope this is helpful.
- (2) how many applications the Child Support Agency has received for compensation following administrative errors by the agency in each year since the agency came into operation; [34019]
(3) what amount was awarded in compensation for administrative errors by the Child Support Agency in each year since it came into operation; [34020]
(4) what proposals his Department has to ensure prompt compensation in respect of administrative errors by the Child Support Agency. [34022]
Mr. Mitchell: The administration of the Child Support agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
26 Jun 1996 : Column: 175
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Kevin Hughes, dated 25 June 1996:
(28) Figures include 494 cases amounting to £58,400 paid as part of an exercise to rectify incorrectly assessed minimum maintenance payments attributed to absent parents.
In the absence of Miss Chant, the Chief Executive, I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security about compensation procedures within the Child Support Agency.
The Child Support agency has a discrete unit to deal with all claims for special payments. This ensures that each case receives individual attention and helps achieve fairness and an appropriate standard of consistency in an essentially discretionary scheme. All cases are treated with priority and are normally dealt with in order of the date of receipt at the unit.
A special payment is considered where a clear and unambiguous error by the Agency has resulted in an actual financial loss to the client. Each case is carefully considered on its individual merits and depending on the complexity of the case, the length of time required to award a special payment can vary considerably. It is not possible therefore to calculate a meaningful average for the time taken to award such payments.
The numbers of special payment applications received and the amounts paid for the years in question are shown in the table attached.
I hope this is helpful.
Year Number received Amount £
1993-94 11 410.00
1994-95 551 4,469.10
1995-96(28) 1,507 174,100.10
1996-97 378 161,708.43
Benefits Statistics
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many parents who are (a) single and (b) part of a couple are currently claiming (i) income support, (ii) family credit, (iii) disability working allowance, (iv) housing benefit and (v) council tax benefit. [34270]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is set out in the table.
| Benefit | Single | Couples |
|---|---|---|
| Income Support | 1,149,000 | 484,000 |
| Housing Benefit | 908,000 | 469,000 |
| Council Tax Benefit | 953,000 | 581,000 |
| Family Credit | 287,000 | 355,000 |
| Disability Working Allowance | 1,024 | 2,226 |
Sources:
1. Income support quarterly inquiry August 1995.
2. Disability working allowance 100 per cent. count of claims.
3. Family credit statistics quarterly inquiries October 1995.
4. Housing benefit management information system, annual 1 per cent. sample inquiries, with and without income support taken at the end of May 1994.
26 Jun 1996 : Column: 176
National Insurance
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently earning below the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions; and how many and what proportion of these are part-time workers. [34276]
Mr. Heald: An estimated 2.6 million people, 95 per cent. of whom work part time, have one or more jobs with earnings below the lower earnings limits.
Source:
Office for National Statistics.
Mr. Heald: The information requested is in the table:
| 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employers' contributions (29) (£ billion) | 20.2 | 21.1 | 21.3 |
| Employers' contributions as a percentage of National Insurance Fund receipts (30) | 56.7 | 47.5 | 47.2 |
(29) Total of employers' class 1 and class 1A contributions paid into the national insurance fund.
(30) National insurance fund receipts include contributions paid by employers, employees and the self-employed, the Treasury grant (from April 1993) and other income. Further information is available in the national insurance fund accounts for each year, copies of which are in the Library.
Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of removing employer national insurance contributions on earnings below the lower earnings limit. [34234]
Mr. Heald: If employers were not required to pay national insurance contributions on the portion of their employees earnings below the lower earnings limit, contribution revenue for 1997-98 would be reduced by about £5 billion.
Source:
Government Actuary's Department.
Benefits Agency (Advice Line)
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 2 April, Official Report, column 223, when a review of the freeline telephone advice service will be completed; and where the results will be published. [34320]
Mr. Roger Evans: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Milton Keynes, North-East (Mr. Butler) on 21 June, Official Report, column 629.
Benefits Agency Medical Service
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 13 December 1995, Official Report, column 673, when he expects to place details of successful bidders for the Benefits Agency medical service in the Library. [34271]
26 Jun 1996 : Column: 177
Mr. Burt: Details of successful bidders for the Benefits Agency medical service will be placed in the Library following the award of a contract or contracts, which is expected to be by April 1997.
Benefits Agency
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claims have been made against the Benefits Agency owing to claimants being wrongly advised by the Benefits Agency in the last year for which figures are available; [33926]
- (2) how many extra-statutory payments have been paid out in compensation to claimants found to have been given wrong advice by the Benefits Agency in the last year for which figures are available; [33927]
(3) how many claims made against the Benefits Agency for wrongly advising claimants in the last year for which figures are available have been upheld by the social security appeal tribunal. [33929]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy on extra-statutory compensation to claimants found to have been given wrong advice by the Benefits Agency. [33928]
Mr. Evans: Where it its determined that official advice was clearly wrong and that, as a result, a claimant has lost underlying statutory entitlement to benefit, an extra-statutory payment is considered. It is determined as though the correct advice had been given and in accordance with the benefit legislation appropriate to the period in question. The Department's policy in such cases is that a compensation payment will be considered.
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