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SOCIAL SECURITY
Claims Statistics
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for state welfare benefits and pensions falling under the responsibility of his Department and its executive agencies were being (a) paid and (b) processed at 31 July 1996. [11296]
Mr. Burt: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Benefit pension | Claims in payment | Claims outstanding awaiting processing |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance Allowance | 1,280,932 | 33,127 |
| Child Benefit | (20)6,968,700 | 12,888 |
| Child's Special Allowance | (21)55 | Not applicable |
| Council Tax Benefit(22) | 5,661,000 | 160,000 |
| Disability Living Allowance | 1,764,895 | 65,853 |
| Disability Working Allowance | 9,848 | 1,176 |
| Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit | (23)237,208 | 30,157 |
| Family Credit | 678,648 | 45,314 |
| Guardians Allowance | (24)2,147 | 57 |
| Housing Benefit(22) | 4,779,000 | 170,000 |
| Incapacity Benefit | 1,945,480 | 26,773 |
| Income Support | (25)3,988,964 | 72,490 |
| Industrial Death Benefit | (26)20,035 | Not available |
| Invalid Care Allowance | 344,041 | 4,521 |
| Maternity Allowance | 19,688 | 3,008 |
| One Parent Benefit | (20)993,500 | 3,761 |
| Retirement Pension | (27)9,722,000 | 40,544 |
| Severe Disablement Allowance | 359,929 | 23,981 |
| Unemployment Benefit | (28)398,000 | Not available |
| War Disablement Pensions | (29)267,167 | 39,614 |
| War Widows Pension | 59,578 | 1,224 |
| Widows Benefit | (27)290,740 | 2,720 |
(20) As at 31 December 1995. Based on 1 per cent sample.
(21) As at 31 December 1995. This allowance was withdrawn in 1987.
(22) Figures relating to claims in payment are taken from the Quarterly 100 per cent. count taken on the last day of May 1996 (rounded to the nearest thousand). Figures relating to claims outstanding awaiting processing are taken from the Annual Administrative Return 1994-95 and relate to number of claims outstanding as at 28 February 1995 (rounded to the nearest ten thousand). Figures for Council Tax Benefit include second adult rebate cases.
(23) As at 1 April 1995 Figures are collected for the number of assessments, a recipient may have more than one assessment.
(24) As at 6 January 1996.
(25) As at 31 May 1996.
(26) As at 31 December 1995 and is an estimated figure.
(27) As at 31 March 1996. Based on a 5 per cent scan of the Retirement Pension Computer System.
(28) As at 9 May 1996. Based on a 5 per cent. sample.
(29) Includes request for review.
1. For the benefits and pensions being processed at 31 July data have been provided for the claims outstanding.
2. The Department publishes statistical information annually. Not all statistics are collected monthly.
3. Data on the number of Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit recipients are collected quarterly at the end of February, May, August and November. Similarly Unemployment Benefit statistics were collected quarterly.
4. Figures for Retirement Pension and Widows Benefit recipients are collected twice a year at the end of March and the end of September. Figures for Industrial Disablement Benefits, are collected annually at the end of March. Child Benefit, One Parent Benefit, Guardians Allowance and Child's Special Allowance are collected annually at the end of December.
5. Data are provisional and subject to amendment.
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Benefit Fraud
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much is being spent in the current financial year on the publicity campaign to tackle benefit frauds, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [13819]
Mr. Heald: The information is not available in the format requested.
The publicity cost of the "Spotlight on Benefit Cheats" campaign this financial year has been £2.5 million. The
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publicity cost of the national benefit fraud hotline has been £476,000 so far, with a further £500,000 expected before the end of this financial year.
Sir Andrew Bowden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the value of (a) £500 and (b) £1,000 capital limits for social fund payments in 1997-98 if they had been uprated by (i) prices and (ii) earnings since their introduction. [14280]
Mr. Roger Evans:
The information is set out in the table:
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| Capital disregard | Date introduced | Uprated by prices(30) | Uprated by earnings(30) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maternity/funeral payments | £500 | April 1987 | £760.50 | £918.40 |
| Budgeting loans and community care grants | £500 | April 1988 | £736.85 | £851.90 |
| Budgeting loans, community care grants and maternity-funeral payments for applicants aged 60 and over | £1000 | April 1990 | £1,338.05 | £1,426.30 |
(30) The Retail Prices Index (all items) less rent, local taxes and mortgage interest payments, and the Average Earnings Index (Whole economy unadjusted) as published by the Office of National Statistics, have been used in this table. All calculations are rounded to the nearest 5p at each uprating date.
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Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the value of the widow's payment in 1997-98 if it had been uprated by (a) prices and (b) earnings since its introduction. [14279]
Mr. Heald: The widow's payment of £1,000 was introduced in April 1988. From April 1997, the payment would be £1,504.15 if it had been uprated in line with prices and £1,703.95 if it had been uprated by average earnings.
Source:
Retail Prices Index (all items) and the Average Earnings Index (Whole Economy), as published by the Office of National Statistics.
Pensioner Incomes
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of (a) single pensioners, (b) pensioner couples and (c) all pensioner units were dependent on state benefits for at least 75 per cent. of their income in the latest year for which figures are available.[14269]
Mr. Heald: In 1994-95, the latest date of which figures are available, 60 per cent. of single pensioners were dependent on state benefits for at least 75 per cent. of their gross income; the figure for pensioner couples was 37 per cent. For all pensioner units, the average across single pensioners and pensioner couples, 51 per cent. received at least 75 per cent. of their gross income from state benefits.
Source:
The Pensioners' Incomes Series 1994-95.
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Mr. Heald: The £10 Christmas bonus would be £68.35 in December 1997 if it had been uprated in line with prices since its introduction in 1972. It is estimated that the additional cost would be around £800 million.
If the increase had been in line with average earnings, the bonus would be £115.45. The additional cost would be around £1.4 billion.
Source:
Retail Prices Index (all terms) and the Average Earnings Index (Whole Economy), as published by the Office of National Statistics.
Benefits Agency Medical Services
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the contractorisation of the Benefits Agency medical services now includes (a) disablement questions assessed by adjudicating medical authorities, (b) the assessment of war pensions, (c) medical boards, (d) medical appeal tribunals, (e) adjudication of disability living allowance claims and (f) adjudication of incapacity benefit claims. [14396]
Mr. Burt: The contractorisation of the work of the Benefits Agency medical services includes disablement questions assessed by adjudicating medical authorities and medical boards. It does not include the assessment of war pensions or medical appeal tribunals. The adjudication of disability living allowance claims and incapacity benefit is undertaken by lay staff, who are advised by Benefits Agency medical services but are not bound by their advice.
Mr. Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if (a) employees and (b) fee-paid doctors working for the private contractors who will be running the Benefits Agency medical services will be eligible to sit as (i) members of disability appeal tribunals, (ii) members of medical appeal tribunals and (iii) medical assessors on social security appeal tribunals for all work test appeals. [14397]
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Mr. Roger Evans:
Appointments to appeal tribunals are a matter for the president of the independent tribunal service, His Honour Judge Keith Bassingthwaighte, and I have communicated the contents of the question to him.
Mr. Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements he has made to ensure confidentiality of information during site visits by private sector companies in connection with their interest in running the Benefits Agency medical services. [14398]
Mr. Burt:
The project team taking forward the contractorisation of Benefits Agency medical services will facilitate and chaperone all site visits by shortlisted private sector companies, and will ensure confidentiality is maintained.
Mr. Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 11 November 1996, Official Report, column 89, when he expects to discuss targets and performance indicators with private sector companies contracting for the Benefits Agency medical services. [14399]
Mr. Burt:
During the negotiation phase of the procurement, which runs from 20 November 1996 to 1 May 1997, targets and performance indicators will be amongst a wide range of issues discussed with the shortlisted private sector companies.
Mr. Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discussions he has had with the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board on the implications of the contractorisation of the Benefits Agency medical services. [14401]
Mr. Burt:
One of the statutory functions of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board is to advise on matters referred to it by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Although there is no legal requirement to consult the board, its views have been sought on this issue by way of presentations made by the project team taking forward the contractorisation and by discussion with the Department's chief medical adviser, and have helped to inform the development of proposals.
Mr. Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects contracts for the Benefits Agency medical services to be (a) awarded and (b) implemented. [14402]
Mr. Burt:
The timetable for the contractorisation of Benefits Agency medical services has recently been extended and it is now anticipated that the contract or contracts will be let by June 1997.
Following award of the contract or contracts, there will be a period of transition during which contractors must demonstrate their capability to deliver the service before a formal hand-over can take place.
Mr. Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidance on the assessment of disability benefits he intends to circulate to the contractors who will be running the Benefits Agency medical services. [14403]
Mr. Burt:
The shortlisted private sector companies have been supplied with detailed guidance on medical issues. The successful contractor or contractors will have a mandatory requirement to adhere to the guidance and to consult the Department before altering existing guides or introducing new guides.
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