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SOCIAL SECURITY
Earnings Disregard
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of income support are in receipt of part-time earnings at the level of the earnings disregard, where the disregard is (a) £5, (b) £10 and (c) £15. [36903]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is set out in the table.
| Number of cases with earnings | |
|---|---|
| Part-time earnings of £5 per week | 5,000 |
| Part-time earnings of £10 per week(18) | nil |
| Part-time earnings of £15 per week | 3,000 |
Source:
Income support quarterly inquiry, August 1995.
Notes:
(18) There is no disregard at this level at the material date.
1. There are no cases on the August 1995 inquiry where both the claimant and partner have earnings of £5 each. Where a claimant and their partner are both working and have been in receipt of benefit for less than two years, they qualify for a £5 disregard on both sets of earnings.
2. The figures are rounded to the nearest thousand. Due to rounding, totals may not sum.
3. Part-time earnings includes cases with self-employed earnings, and may be the claimant's earnings, their partners, or both.
Benefits Agency Medical Service
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the number of (a) adjudication officers and (b) clerical officers employed to work with the Benefits Agency medical service in each disability benefit centre. [36911]
Mr. Roger Evans: 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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Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Alan Howarth, dated 18 July 1996:
Figures are provisional and subject to amendment.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent parliamentary questions asking if he will give the number of (a) Adjudication Officers and (b) clerical officers employed to work with the Benefits Agency Medical Service (BAMS) in each Disability Benefits Centre (DBC).
The information is not available in the format requested. This is because BAMS staff, both medical and clerical, work at Medical Services Centres (MSCs), most of which are located with DBCs. In the circumstances I have interpreted your question as asking for details of BAMS staff, rather than for staff at DBCs.
Adjudication Officers are not employed by BAMS, but by the Benefits Agency. Their relationship to BAMS is that of customers, for whom BAMS provides medical advice across a range of benefits.
Details of the number of BAMS staff in MSCs are in the enclosed table. I should explain that the Benefits Agency no longer employs clerical officers. The present equivalent is staff in Pay Band A4.
I hope you find this reply useful.
Medical services centre Pay band A4
Birmingham 34
Bootle 29
Bristol 19
Cardiff 27
Edinburgh 20
Glasgow 33
Leeds 12
Manchester 27
Newcastle 27
Nottingham 23
Sutton 35
Wembley 36
Housing Benefit
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are his estimates of the average difference between actual housing costs and the amount of eligible housing benefit as a result of the proposed Housing Benefit (General) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1996. [35687]
Mr. Roger Evans: The proposed regulations would not have affected housing benefit eligibility as they were intended to import relevant case law into legislation. The representations that have been received indicate that significant amounts of housing benefit may be being paid in respect of personal services in supported accommodation. Sudden removal of this income would cause significant difficulties for vulnerable people in supported accommodation.
Students (Benefits)
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many students, for the academic years (a) 1993-94, (b) 1994-95 and (c) 1995-96, who did not attend their course for part or all of the academic year due to ill health were refused (i) income support and (ii) housing benefit during their period of absence, because they were treated as still attending a full-time course for the purposes of the Income Support (General) Regulations and the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations. [38570]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available.
19 Jul 1996 : Column: 713
Statistical Forms
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the forms his Department issues annually to businesses to gather statistics, indicating the number of each distributed. [37807]
Mr. Burt: The Department carries out one annual statistical survey which involves business--the Contributions Agency's customer satisfaction survey. This year, some 6,500 customers will be interviewed, of whom is expected that approximately 60 per cent. will be self-employed or employers. From this year, this survey will no longer be carried out on an annual basis, but will instead take place every two years.
Agency Printing Costs
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each of his Department's agencies the cost of printing (a) all publications and (b) the annual report in the latest available year. [37806]
Mr. Burt: The information is as follows:
| Cost £ | |
|---|---|
| Benefits Agency | 3,814,497 |
| Contributions Agency | 2,961,502 |
| Child Support Agency | 365,669 |
| Information Technology Services Agency | 11,933 |
| War Pensions Agency | 162,597 |
| Resettlement Agency | 8,835 |
| Cost £ | |
|---|---|
| Benefits Agency | 8,765 |
| Contributions Agency | 13,013 |
| Child Support Agency | (19)8,562 |
| Information Technology Services Agency | 7,950 |
| War Pensions Agency | (19)6,720 |
| Resettlement Agency | (19)7,718 |
(19) Estimated figures.
Cold Weather Payments
Mr. John Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received regarding the suitability of the Mumbles weather station in assessing cold weather payments for pensioners; and on what proposals he has decided in respect of next winter's assessment. [38483]
Mr. Roger Evans: Representations have been received from two hon. Members, one borough council and one member of the public.
The review of last winter's scheme is under way and will be concluded shortly. Any proposals to change the existing weather stations or post code links will be laid before the House in the autumn.
Benefits Agency (Welsh Language)
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will undertake an investigation into the manner in which the Benefits Agency has published a consultation document on its Welsh language policy, with
19 Jul 1996 : Column: 714
particular reference to the accuracy of its description of current policy; and if he will arrange to meet the chairman of the Welsh Language Board to discuss this matter. [38564]
Mr. Roger Evans: I am satisfied that the procedure adopted by the Benefits Agency, BA, for publishing a consultation document on its proposed Welsh language policy was carried out in accordance with the guidance provided to the agency on 22 May 1996 by the Welsh Language Board.
The consultation document does not cover the BA's current voluntary Welsh language policy, which has been in operation since 1990, but states its intended policy under the requirements of the 1993 Welsh Language Act.
Since publishing the document on 14 June 1996, the BA has decided to withdraw all its freeline services from 15 July 1996. This decision has impacted on that part of the proposed scheme which refers to general benefit advice and information available from the Welsh language freeline service. The BA's policy statement that all customers who contact the agency by telephone may use the language of their choice--either English or Welsh--is unchanged, as are the arrangements for providing this service.
All other measures outlined in the consultation document accurately state the proposed Welsh language policy to be adopted by the BA.
I will be happy to meet chairman of the Welsh Language Board.
Mr. Madden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many widows with (a) one child and (b) two children are currently in receipt of child benefit. [38447]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows:
As at 30 September 1995, there were 27,880 widows receiving an increase of widowed mothers allowance for one child, and 16,160 widows receiving an increase of widowed mothers allowance for two children. To receive an increase of widowed mothers' allowance, the widow must be entitled to child benefit.
Of all widowed mothers allowance recipients, about 10,000 have a youngest child aged 16 or over.
Note:
Figures exclude the small number of widowed mothers who receive child benefit but do not qualify for widowed mothers allowance.
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