| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Housing and Council Tax Benefit
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications have been made for extended payment of housing benefit and council tax benefit and how many have been successful by standard region and Great Britain as a whole and by (a) gender and (b) ethnicity, specifying the numbers who were (i) registered unemployed, (ii) recipients of a training allowance, (iii) lone parents and (iv) carers and the duration of the benefit claim since the inception of the scheme. [4435]
Mr. Roger Evans: Information concerning the gender, ethnicity and duration of claim in respect of housing benefit and council tax benefit extended payments is not collected. The remaining information will be available early next year.
Departmental Expenditure
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 11 November, Official Report, column 97, if he will calculate the equivalent figures on social security and welfare services in the same form as the Eurostat publication for the period 1994-95. [4546]
Mr. Burt: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table; only Denmark, Italy and the UK have supplied Eurostat with information for 1994 calculated in this way. The equivalent figures for 1994-95 for the United Kingdom could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Country | General Government expenditure on social security and welfare services as percentage of gross domestic product |
|---|---|
| Denmark | 27.71 |
| Italy | 18.32 |
| United Kingdom | 16.61 |
1. Figures are for 1994. 2. The figures shown in the Eurostat publication "General Government accounts and statistics" for Social Security and welfare services include:
Social security and assistance
Administration of payments and funds to compensate for loss of income due to accident, injury, sickness and unemployment and old age pensions.
Allowances for families, guardians' and widows' allowances, public relief and war veterans' benefits.
Welfare services
Child welfare services and institutions.
Homes for, and care of, the aged and disabled.
Family welfare agencies and services.
Other special welfare institutions and organisations.
They do not include "Health affairs and services" as well as some other smaller items which are included in Eurostat social protection totals.
Benefit Take-up Rates
Mr. Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the next edition of "Income-related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up", will be published. [5065]
18 Nov 1996 : Column: 457
Mr. Roger Evans: "Income-related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up in 1994-95" have been published today by the Government statistical service. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
Benefits Agency (Seaham and Peterlee)
Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the future of the Seaham and Peterlee Benefits Agency offices; and what changes in provision of services have taken place in the previous 12 months in respect of these offices. [3389]
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. John Cummings, dated 15 November 1996:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if he will make a statement on the future of the Seaham and Peterlee Benefits Agency offices; and what changes in provision of services have taken place in the previous 12 months in respect of these offices.
As with other Districts, North Durham District, which includes the offices at Peterlee and Seaham, is required to review the services it provides to ensure that the most effective service is given within the resources available. There are no current plans to close either Peterlee or Seaham offices.
Management responsibility for Seaham Branch Office will transfer from North Durham District to Wearside District with effect from 1st April 1997. It is proposed that a number of claims processing staff will transfer from Seaham Branch Office to the new purpose-built Sunderland District Office. The service to customers at Seaham Branch Office will, however, remain unchanged. Customers will continue to receive the full benefit service.
The provision of service to our customers has changed in the last 12 months to accommodate the introduction of JSA. This benefit is paid and processed via Employment Services Jobcentres (ESJ). Benefits Agency staff are now employed in local ESJ premises for this purpose at both Peterlee and Seaham. While some processing functions have been re-organised, no changes have been made in the local service delivery to our customers during the last twelve months.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications the CSA has received for departure from the formula for capital settlement; and how many have been approved. [4421]
Mr. Andrew 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.
18 Nov 1996 : Column: 458
Letter from Ann Chant to Mr. Elliot Morley, dated 15 November 1996:
I am replying to you Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency Departures.
In April 1995, the Agency successfully implemented changes for cases where property or capital settlements were an issue. A broad based allowance in exempt income was introduced to recognise that a transfer had taken place, and to avoid the need for lengthy and detailed investigation of the cases involved. To date the Agency has processed over 12,000 applications and over 4,200 allowances have been awarded under this provision. This measure was introduced as a forerunner to the Departures system, which will allow either parent to request detailed consideration of the circumstances of their case.
In April this year the Agency started a trial of the Departures system in the area covered by the Agency Centre in Hastings. So far, around 2,300 applications have been received and the Agency has made decisions in over 80% of the cases. Applications are still being received and the trial will continue up to 2 December 1996, when the full Departures scheme is scheduled to be introduced.
The Agency has had 158 requests for a Departure specifically on the grounds of a property or capital transfer. The Agency has made decisions on 96 of these applications so far and 7 awards have resulted. Of the cases refused, around a quarter were ineligible for a Departure as the amount of the transfer was less than £5,000. The cases where a decision is yet to be made require detailed examination of court orders and related papers to resolve complex issues, such as determining whether property or capital was equally owned and which elements of the transfer were for spousal as opposed to child maintenance.
Decisions made under the trial exercise have no effect on the maintenance payable at this stage. From 2 December 1996, clients who applied as part of the trial will be asked if they wish their applications to proceed under the full scheme.
I hope this is helpful.
War Widows Pensions
Mr. Hinchcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what estimate he has made of his total liability for war widow's pension from the changes brought in by the Pensions Act 1995 since 19 July 1995; and what has been the actual expenditure over that period. [183]
Mr. Heald [pursuant to his reply, 4 November 1996, Official Report, c. 384]: The information that I gave regarding the estimated cost of restoration of war widows pensions was incorrect. The correct information is as follows: