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SOCIAL SECURITY
Housing Benefit
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what account he took of the research by York university, commissioned by his Department, in drawing up the Housing Benefit General Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1996; [34333]
- (2) when he intends to publish the research commissioned by his Department into service charges in relation to supported housing; and if he will make a statement. [34334]
Mr. Roger Evans: The proposed amendment would restate the current position concerning which service charges can be met by housing benefit on the basis that the service relates to the provision of adequate accommodation. It was proposed after a commissioner's decision in an income support case cast doubt on the meaning of binding case law on this point, possibly leading to unplanned housing benefit expenditure in respect of charges for personal services. Early results of research by the centre for housing policy at the university of York suggested that payments of housing benefit were already being used for this purpose, confirming the need to regularise the position. We expect to publish the final results of the research before the end of the year.
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of the proposed Housing Benefit (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1996 on (a) the availability of (i) sheltered accommodation, (ii) departments' supported accommodation where housing benefit is currently payable and (iii) residential accommodation provided by social services departments and (b) community care policy. [35688]
Mr. Evans: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has already advised the chairman of the Social Security Advisory Committee and the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson), that these regulations have been withdrawn pending an inter-departmental review of the funding of services in supported accommodation. This review will consider matters such as the impact of the proposed legislation on accommodation supply and community care policy.
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list as a proportion of all pensioners those (a) pensioners, (b) single male pensioners aged under 75 years, (c) single female pensioners aged under 75 years, (d) single pensioners aged under 75 years, (e) pensioner couples aged under 75 years, (f) single male pensioners aged 75 years and over, (g) single female pensioners aged 75 years and over, (h) single pensioners aged 75 years and over and (i) pensioner couples where at least one partner is aged 75 years and over receiving income from occupational pensions; and if he will provide figures for the mean and median amount received for the latest year for which figures are available. [36257]
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Mr. Heald: The information is in the table.
| Proportion with income from occupational pensions (per cent.) | Mean amount (£ per week) | Median amount (£ per week) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pensioner units | 62 | 73.60 | 38.60 |
| Single male pensioners under 75 | 50 | (10)80.80 | (10)41.60 |
| Single female pensioners under 75 | 64 | 51.00 | 29.20 |
| Single pensioners under 75 | 61 | 58.10 | 31.00 |
| Pensioner couples with head under 75 | 74 | 100.10 | 60.60 |
| Single male pensioners 75 and over | 61 | (10)64.10 | (10)32.40 |
| Single female pensioners 75 and over | 49 | 42.60 | 21.30 |
| Single pensioners 75 and over | 52 | 49.00 | 23.80 |
| Pensioner couples with head over 75 | 66 | 81.40 | 44.10 |
(10) These results are based on a relatively small sample size. Therefore these results should be treated with a higher degree of caution than usual.
1. Proportions are rounded to the nearest whole percentage, amounts are rounded to the nearest 10p.
2. Information is based on the family expenditure Survey 1993 and the GAD survey of occupational pension schemes. All amounts are in July 1993 prices.
3. A pensioner unit is defined as a single pensioner over state pension age (SPA) and a couple where the husband, or head, is over SPA. To provide consistency the age of the head has been used to define the age of the couple.
Family Credit
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of claimants for family credit in (a) Crewe and Nantwich and (b) Cheshire for each of the last five years. [36335]
Mr. Roger Evans: The administration of family credit is a matter for Peter Mathison, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 17 July 1996:
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Figures are provisional and subject to amendment.
The BA office at Crewe includes details for Nantwich.
Cheshire covers the following BA offices:-Chester, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Hyde, Macclesfield, Manchester-Sale, Northwich, Stockport, Warrington, Widnes and Wilmslow.
Whilst these offices will primarily deal with their relevant part of the Cheshire County, they may also service parts of neighbouring counties. It is not possible to separate the figures presented and exclude any customers in receipt of Family Credit in those other countries.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if he will list the number of claimants for Family Credit (FC) in (a) Crewe and Nantwich and (b) Cheshire for each of the last five years.
The information is not available in the format requested. The FC computer system holds records of the total number of claims received, awarded and disallowed on a national basis. Statistics are available which provide the number of families in receipt of FC within a BA office area on a given date. These offices do not correspond to constituency boundaries or to specific geographical areas.
Details relating to FC claims are normally destroyed after 18 months, therefore the information is available from 1993 only. The statistics available are shown in the attached Annex.
I hope you find this reply useful.
Date of Scan BA office-Crewe Cheshire
20 August 1993 1,393 13,895
15 April 1994 1,455 14,686
10 November 1994 1,563 15,553
13 April 1995 1,676 16,252
10 November 1995 1,785 17,503
16 February 1996 1,862 18,164
7 June 1996 1,966 19,380
Pensioner Incomes
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage and number of (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples have a total income of at least £125 per week; and what percentage and number of pensioner couples have a total income of at least (i) £200 per week and (ii) £250 per week. [36823]
Mr. Heald: The number of single pensioners with gross income of at least £125 per week is 1,200,000, or 28 per cent. of all single pensioners. The number of pensioner couples with gross income of at least £125 per week is 2,250,000, or 85 per cent. of all pensioner couples.
The number of pensioner couples with gross income of at least £200 per week is 1,150,000, or 43 per cent. of all pensioner couples. The number of pensioner couples with gross income of at least £250 per week is 800,000, or 29 per cent. of all pensioner couples.
Notes:
1. Income is measured as gross income before housing costs.
2. Information is based on the family expenditure survey 1993. All amounts are in July 1993 prices.
3. The numbers of pensioner units are rounded to the nearest 50,000. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole percentage.
4. A pensioner couple is defined as a couple where the head, or husband is over state pension age.
Doctors' Fees
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the (a) current hourly rate and (b) current payment per half-day session for fee-paid part-time doctors. [36908]
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 Mr. Alan Howarth, dated 17 July 1996:
18 Jul 1996 : Column: 625
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking what is the (a) current hourly rate and (b) current payment per half-day session for fee-paid part-time doctors.
Examining doctors are paid £30.70 per hour, and £107.45 per half-day session of 3.5 hours.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Medical Examinations
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average number of appointments for a medical examination for the all-work test of incapacity which are lost in each half-day session. [36910]
Mr. Burt: The administration of the Benefits Agency medical services is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
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