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Doctors' Fees
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) full-time doctors and (b) fee-paid part-time doctors are employed by his Department; and what is the cost to his Department in each case of (i) the salaries or fees payable and (ii) the cost of administration. [36907]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table:
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| Location | Number of full time doctors | Number of fee paid part-time doctors | Salaries (£ million) | Fees (£ million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSS Headquarters | 13 | 0 | 0.20 | 0 |
| Benefits Agency | 278 | 1,337 | 3.48 | 5.44 |
| War Pensions Agency | 37 | 20 | 0.50 | 0.07 |
| Totals | 328 | 1,357 | 4.18 | 5.51 |
1. Salaries and fees are for the period April to June 1996, and include National Insurance contributions, superannuation, etc.
2. Fee paid doctors are not employees, but independent contractors.
3. Figures are provisional and subject to amendment.
Domestic Fuel Expenditure
Mr. McKelvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will introduce a system of regional heating premiums to means-tested benefits to reflect the regional disparity of heating costs. [37974]
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people who have been disallowed incapacity benefit in the Coventry benefits district in each quarter since April 1995 (a) are currently signing on as unemployed, (b) are claiming unemployment benefits and (c) have started work. [37854]
Mr. Burt: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
| Quarter ending | Number of cases |
|---|---|
| June 1995 | 11 |
| September 1995 | 40 |
| December 1995 | 54 |
| March 1996 | 22 |
| June 1996 | 111 |
| Total in period | 238 |
1. Of the total making a claim eight have been placed in work by an Employment Service adviser or through specialist PACT help. This figure does not include those who have found work by using the self service facility in Jobcentres.
Abbeyfield Society
Sir Michael Shersby: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to provide additional funds for the provision of places in registered extra care houses managed by the Abbeyfield Society; and if he will make a statement. [37892]
Mr. Roger Evans: Abbeyfield Society residents who were living in care homes on 31 March 1993 have preserved rights to the higher levels of income support for
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residential and nursing care. These levels are reviewed each year as part of the normal uprating exercise and were last increased in April 1996. Increases above the rate of inflation--Rossi index--were made to the limits for elderly and very dependent elderly people in residential care homes.
People who enter Abbeyfield extra care homes since April 1993 can seek assistance from local authorities with the cost of their care under the community care arrangements. Normal rates of income support including a residential allowance are available to such residents. These rates are similarly reviewed each year.
Foster Carers
Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from foster carers in respect of efficiency drives in his Department's freeline service. [38158]
Mr. Roger Evans: The Department has received one representation from the National Foster Care Association and two from Norwich and District Carers Forum.
Child Care
Mr. Bill Michie: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to raise the age limit for receipt of family credit child care help. [37118]
Mr. Roger Evans: Proposals have been referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee which include extending eligibility for the child care disregard from the child's 11th birthday until the following September.
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims in total have been made for the child care disregard in respect of (i) family credit and (ii) disability working allowance; and how many have been disallowed for (a) being in receipt of the maximum benefit, (b) child care not being provided by a registered provider, (c) the child being aged over 11 years and (d) being one of a couple where the partner was not incapacitated. [39048]
Mr. Evans: I shall write to the hon. Member shortly.
Disabled People
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what further measures he is taking to assist disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [37413]
Mr. Burt: The Disability Discrimination Act, which received Royal Assent last year, is being phased in over a period of time to eliminate the unjustifiable discrimination that disabled people currently face in a number of areas, including employment and access to goods, facilities, services and premises. The employment rights and the first rights of access to goods, facilities, services and premises will come into force on 2 December this year.
Codes of practice on the new rights, together with guidance on the definition of disability in the Act, will be published shortly. These documents will help employers and service providers to understand and comply with the new rights and duties that the Act creates.
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Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the additional contribution yield from raising the upper earnings limit to £600. [38265]
Mr. Heald:
Raising the present £455 upper earnings limit to £600 would increase national insurance contribution revenue for 1997-98 by an estimated £1.1 billion.
Source:
Government Actuary's Department.
Disregards
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of (a) the costs of and (b) the numbers gaining from an increase in disregards from (i) £5 to £8.15, (ii) £10 to £16.40, (iii) £15 to £24.50, (iv) £25 to £34.10 in (1) income support, (2) housing benefit and (3) council tax benefit. [39044]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is set out in the table.
| Benefit | Total annual cost | Gainers |
|---|---|---|
| £ million | ||
| Income Support/Job Seekers Allowance (IR) | 50 | 140,000 |
| Housing Benefit | 90 | 320,000 |
| Council Tax Benefit | 30 | 310,000 |
Notes:
1. Costs are rounded to the nearest £10 million. Gainers are rounded to the nearest 10 thousand. Behavioural effects are not taken into account. Figures for Income Support include increases in the cost of income-related Jobseeker's Allowance.
2. The number of gainers in each case refers both to those already receiving the benefit whose eligibility increases and those who will become eligible for the benefit as a result of the changes made to the earnings disregards in October.
3. The costs of increasing the Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance disregards also includes the costs of increased entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit as a result of people floating onto Income Support because of the increased disregards. The figure for gainers only includes Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance gainers.
Source:
1. Modelled using the 1991/1992/1993 Family Expenditure Surveys and the May 1994 Quarterly Statistical Enquiry uprated to 1996/97 levels of incomes, prices and benefits.
Benefit Statistics
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the numbers of (a) family credit and (b) disability working allowance claimants who are in receipt of the maximum benefit, broken down by (i) gender, (ii) marital status and (iii) whether self-employed or employed. [39110]
Mr. Roger Evans: The available information is set out in the table.
| Family type | Family credit | Disability working allowance |
|---|---|---|
| All cases | 193,000 | 8,076 |
| Male main earner(50) | 66,000 | -- |
| Female main earner(50) | 127,000 | -- |
| Male claimant | -- | 4,862 |
| Female claimant | -- | 3,214 |
| Couples (married and unmarried) | 88,000 | 3,057 |
| Lone parents/single claimants | 105,000 | 5,019 |
| Self-employed | 44,000 | 1,577 |
| Employed | 149,000 | 6,499 |
Notes:
1. In Family Credit claims from couples, the claim is made by the mother in the family. Figures on gender are therefore provided by main earner.
Sources:
1. Family Credit 5 per cent. sample of awards (October 1995)--figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. Disability Working Allowance 100 per cent. count (January 1996).
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Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many new claims were made during 1994-95 for (a) sickness benefit, (b) invalidity benefit, (c) severe disablement allowance and (d) income support where a disability premium is payable on incapacity grounds; [39114]
- (2) how many new claims were made during 1995-96 for (a) short-term incapacity benefit, (b) long-term incapacity benefit, (c) severe disablement allowance and (d) income support where a disability premium is payable on incapacity grounds. [39113]
Mr. Burt: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Benefit | Claims received | |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 1995-96 | |
| Sickness/Invalidity Benefit | (50)1,157,000 | -- |
| Incapacity Benefit | -- | (50)1,054,000 |
| Severe Disablement Allowance | (50)83,000 | (50)96,000 |
| Income Support with disability premium | (51)647,000 | (51)737,000 |
Sources:
(50) Benefits Agency Central Data Unit. Figures are provisional and subject to amendment.
(51) 5 per cent. sample from Income Support Computer System (ICIS). The figures represent numbers in receipt of disability premium at end of August 1994 and August 1995. It is not possible to identify separately those receiving disability premium on grounds of incapacity for work.
Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the numbers of people currently receiving (a) income support, (b) housing benefit and (c) council tax benefit by eligibility for (i) the carer premium, (ii) the lone parent premium and (iii) the disability premium. [39046]
Mr. Roger Evans: The available information is set out in the tables.
23 Jul 1996 : Column: 293
| Premium type | Income support recipients |
|---|---|
| Carer | 138 |
| Disability | 739 |
| Lone parent | 1,056 |
Source:
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry May 1995.
Note:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
| Premium type | Housing benefit recipients | Council tax benefit recipients |
|---|---|---|
| Carer | 78 | 102 |
| Disability | 639 | 700 |
| Lone parent | 896 | 961 |
Source:
Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample inquiries with and without income support taken at the end of May 1995.
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry May 1995.
Notes:
(52) The figures given refer to the number of benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
2. The figures include overlaps because most people receive both housing benefit and council tax benefit.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.
4. Second adult rebate cases are not included.
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