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SOCIAL SECURITY
Benefit Fraud Hotline
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many calls have been received by the benefit fraud hotline and how many (a) investigations and (b) convictions these calls have stimulated; and if he will make a statement. [9835]
Mr. Heald: The national benefit fraud hotline has received in excess of 125,000 calls up to 12 December 1996.
Preliminary results are only now emerging and show that cases referred for fraud investigation from these calls have so far resulted in 11,180 completed investigations for fraud, and 14,762 investigations in progress up to 30 November. Fraud investigations take some time to follow through, depending on the complexity of the investigation. Therefore in time the volume and rate of investigations completed will increase until a steady state is achieved.
Whilst a number of cases are being prepared for prosecution, as yet none has reached the stage of a court hearing.
Mr. Gunnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what factors underlay the decision of the Contributions Agency to set up a separate national inquiry centre to handle customer inquiries; [11901]
(3) what assessment he has made of the private finance initiative's ability to fund the buildings and equipment needed by the Contributions Agency's new national inquiry centre; [11903]
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(4) if the work of the new national inquiry centre being set up by the Contributions Agency will be conducted by civil servants; [11904]
(5) what is the estimated public cost to the Contributions Agency for setting up the national inquiry centre to handle complaints. [11905]
Mr. Heald:
The Contributions Agency is currently undertaking a study examining the feasibility of a national enquiry centre. This study is looking at a number of options.
As yet no decision has been made.
Mr. Gunnell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans the Contributions Agency management board has put to him to privatise the network of field officers and inspectors. [11906]
Mr. Heald:
As part of the competition strategy within the departmental change programme, the Contributions Agency is seeking to establish the most efficient and cost effective means of delivering its business. Work continues within the agency to identify which parts of the agency's work undertaken by its field operations should be submitted to competition. No decisions have been taken by the Contributions Agency management board in respect of field operations.
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what targets the Contributions Agency has been set for each of the next three years for revenue collection; and how these differ from previous targets. [13033]
Mr. Heald:
The Secretary of State's targets are agreed annually. Targets for 1997-98, including the Contributions Agency's revenue collection target, are currently being negotiated. The Contributions Agency will publish targets in its business plan in March, a copy of which will be available in the Library.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the planned expenditure on the social fund for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000. [12753]
Mr. Roger Evans:
Planned expenditure on the social fund will be made available in the social security departmental report, which will be published in March 1997.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the savings resulting from application of the shared residence requirement for housing benefit for those people aged under 25 years in the last year for which figures are available. [12805]
Mr. Roger Evans:
Information on the actual savings resulting from the changes is not available. Estimated savings for the financial years 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 are £13 million, £57 million and £62 million respectively.
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An exercise is currently under way to monitor the effect of and collect statistical data related to the changes to housing benefit for single childless claimants aged under 25, introduced in October 1996.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the additional revenue which would be raised by extending employers' national insurance contributions to all taxable benefits in kind if this includes provision for the avoidance of national insurance contributions on certain forms of bonus payments made by businesses; and if he will make a statement. [12799]
Mr. Heald:
An estimated £250 million would be raised by extending employer national insurance contributions to all taxable benefits in kind. This figure is based on the estimated total of taxable benefits in kind reported to the Inland Revenue and is therefore inclusive of NICs on any bonuses paid in kind with the intention of avoiding NICs. Employers are not required to identify bonus payments separately from other payments.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the annual cost of restoring the full rate of income support to all persons in the 18 to 24-year-old age group. [12801]
Mr. Roger Evans:
The estimated annual cost in 1996-97 of raising the income support rate for 18 to 24-year-olds to that payable for people aged 25 and above is £305 million.
Notes:
(2) if he will make a statement on the decision of the Contributions Agency to set up a separate national inquiry centre; [11902]
Source:
Inland Revenue
1. Estimates are based upon the 1995 "Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry" and the 1994-95 "Family Resources Survey" uprated to 1996-97 levels.
2. The estimated figure assumes jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit levels are similarly increased.
3. Expenditure is rounded to the nearest £5 million.
Departmental Publications
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the (a) White Papers, (b) Green Papers, (c) consultation papers, (d) draft regulations and (e) circulars, for which his Department has been responsible issued in 1996 which his Department assesses could give rise, (i) directly and (ii) indirectly, to significant environmental effects. [12705]
Mr. Roger Evans: The impact on the environment of our core business has always been considered to be less than significant. This opinion has been supported by Department of the Environment consultants in phase 1 of its on-going review of the policy appraisal and environment initiative which has ranked the Department of Social Security in the low-impact category. Accordingly any White, Green or consultation papers, draft regulations and circulars issued by this Department in 1996 are not considered to have an impact, either directly or indirectly, on the environment to any material degree.
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Habitual Residence Test
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the savings resulting from the habitual residence test in (a) 1997-98 and (b) 1998-99. [12804]
Mr. Roger Evans: The habitual residence test is expected to save £15 million across the income-related benefits in both 1997-98 and 1998-99.
Revenue Support Grant
Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what basis the figures for income support claimants and dependants were compiled which were used by the Department of the Environment for calculating revenue support grant; and what method was used to determine the local government area to which these were allocated. [12575]
Mr. Roger Evans: The figures were based on a 100 per cent. count of all income support claims registered on the income support computer system on a single day in August 1995. The local government area was determined mainly with reference to the postcode of each claimant according to the Office for National Statistics central postcode directory.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the annual savings accruing from the introduction of the jobseeker's allowance for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000. [12802]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
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