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SOCIAL SECURITY
Child Support Agency
8. Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on her plans in respect of the functions of the Child Support Agency. [4341]
Mr. Keith Bradley: As I indicated when we debated Child Support on Friday 20 June, we intend to look closely at all aspects of the Child Support Agency to ensure that it provides an efficient and effective service. Children are entitled to the support of both parents wherever they live. My key objectives for the Child Support Agency during the coming year are to sort out cases faster, tackle the backlog of cases, and chase up fathers who avoid paying.
20. Mr. Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of Child Support Agency orders for payment are in arrears. [4355]
Mr. Bradley: The latest figures show that over two thirds of absent parents with a full maintenance assessment and paying through the Child Support Agency are in arrears. This is not an acceptable situation and we are determined to ensure that the Agency improves its performance in pursuing absent parents for the maintenance that they owe.
32. Mr. Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the workings of the Child Support Agency. [4368]
Mr. Bradley: We intend to review all aspects of the Child Support Agency to ensure that it provides an efficient and effective service. Our key objectives for the Child Support Agency over the coming year are to sort out cases faster, tackle the backlog of cases, and chase up fathers who avoid paying.
37. Ms Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures she intends to take concerning the operation of CSA appeals procedures. [4373]
Mr. Bradley: We believe that there are a number of changes which can be made to streamline the child support appeals process to provide a better, simpler, more efficient service to clients. We intend to bring forward legislation to improve current appeals arrangements. Further details will be announced in due course.
Pensions
19. Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will introduce measures to ensure that the basic pension is increased in line with increasing national prosperity. [4354]
Mr. Denham: There are many ways in which pensioners can share in rising national prosperity--through contributory pension entitlements, through other benefits, or through the income derived from savings.
Our review of pensions will consider the central areas of insecurity for elderly people including all aspects of the basic pension and its value. We will retain the basic pension as the foundation of security in retirement and we will increase it at least in line with prices.
30 Jun 1997 : Column: 65
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to introduce a flexible decade of retirement. [4356]
Mr. Denham:
The pensions review, details of which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, will announce in due course, will examine all aspects of basic pension and its value.
22. Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on her priorities for the reduction of poverty in the United Kingdom. [4358]
Ms Harman:
Our priorities in tackling low incomes are to help young people, the long-term unemployed and lone parents into work, and to get help to up to a million pensioners not claiming the Income Support to which they are entitled.
24. Mr. Purchase:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to improve social security office services to those claiming benefit. [4360]
Mr. Field:
We are reviewing the way that the Department does business to ensure the system is more accessible and more responsive to our clients' needs.
There are over 400 sites offering a full range of services. Services for job seekers are provided in over 1,000 job centres.
26. Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures she proposes to ensure that those entitled to benefit have access to, and are aware of, their entitlement. [4362]
34. Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps she is taking to increase the take-up of benefits by people entitled to them.[4370]
Mr. Field:
We are concerned that up to 1 million pensioners currently miss out on the Income Support to which they are entitled. We want to get help to Britain's poorest pensioners and are commissioning research into the reasons why pensioners fail to claim the Income Support which is their due.
27. Mr. Skinner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to repeal the jobseeker's Allowance. [4363]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
The Government believes that work is the best form of welfare for people of working age. A programme of monitoring and evaluation is under way to enable us to ensure that Jobseeker's Allowance contributes to achieving our objectives.
28. Mr. Davidson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals she has to tackle fraud in the benefit system. [4364]
30 Jun 1997 : Column: 66
Mr. Denham:
We will be vigilant in tackling fraud, ensuring value for taxpayers' money and rebuilding confidence in the Social Security system. A number of measures to help prevent, deter and detect benefit fraud will be brought in over the next few months and we shall consider what additional measures are needed.
29. Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate she has made of the level of benefit fraud in the Social Security system. [4365]
Mr. Denham:
The previous administration estimated about £4 billion of benefit fraud in the system of which £1 billion is detected. We shall be looking at the assumptions underpinning these figures, and at new information from an on-going programme of work and benefit reviews, to ensure we have a robust measure of the level of fraud. Our aim is to tackle fraud to ensure value for tax payers' money and to rebuild public confidence in the Social Security system.
33. Mr. McAllion:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations she has received relating to the proposal to restrict housing benefit entitlement for single claimants under 60 years of age.[4369]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
We have received a considerable number of representations relating to this restriction. These were taken account of in our review of the regulations. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, announced her decision on 18 June to revoke the extension of the single room rent for claimants between the ages of 25 and 59.
35. Mr. Lawrie Quinn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on her plans for housing benefit. [4371]
Mr. Bradley:
On 18 June, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, announced her decision to revoke the extension of the single room rent to those aged 25 or over.
More broadly, we will be working with other Government Departments to develop a housing policy which does not trap people on benefit and which generates personal responsibility.
We want a modernised Social Security system which will tackle poverty and welfare dependency and promote work incentives. We will develop a system which supports work, savings and honesty. We will be vigilant in tackling fraud and ensuring value for taxpayers' money. We are, therefore, committed to a review of the Social Security system as a whole, including housing benefit.
36. Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the Government's policy to help lone parents into work. [4372]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
The Government believes that the best form of welfare for people of working age is a job and we are committed to a package of measures as part of our welfare to work strategy which will help lone mothers to move off benefit and into work.
30 Jun 1997 : Column: 67
Mrs. Mahon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has for helping young unemployed people off benefit dependency. [4348]
Mr. Field:
We believe that work is the best form of welfare for people of working age. Our new deal for young people will offer opportunities for work, volunteering, training and education.
Mr. Greenway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on her plans to reform child benefit. [4361]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
Modernising the Social Security system is a key priority of the Government. We are committed to retaining universal child benefit from birth to age 16 and to uprate it at least in line with prices. We are reviewing educational finance and maintenance for those older than 16 to ensure higher staying-on rates at school and college, and that resources are used to support those in most need.
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