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Housing Benefit
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the maximum amount of housing benefit available to single people under the age of 25 years in each local authority area. [8806]
Mr. Keith Bradley: Our objective is to reduce poverty and welfare dependency and to promote work incentives. One of our first steps is to focus on helping 250,000 young people off welfare and into work.
| Average weekly housing benefit (£) | |
|---|---|
| Great Britain | 45.73 |
| North | 38.77 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 37.56 |
| East Midlands | 40.96 |
| East Anglia | 44.72 |
| South East (excluding London) | 53.46 |
| London | 59.46 |
| South West | 45.91 |
| West Midlands | 39.28 |
| North West | 43.91 |
| Wales | 40.07 |
| Scotland | 37.38 |
Source:
Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample enquiries taken at the end of May 1995.
Notes:
1. Average amounts are rounded to the nearest 1 pence.
2. Analysis by local authority area is not available from our 1 per cent. sample enquiries.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people under the age of 25 years have had their housing benefit reduced as a result of the limitation of housing benefit to the single room rent; and what proportion of these have been (a) male and (b) female. [8805]
Mr. Bradley:
The information is not yet available. However, we are monitoring the impact of the Single Room Rent, by collecting information from a sample of
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local authorities on an on-going basis, and data from that exercise are currently being analysed. The number of under 25s who have had their Housing Benefit reduced as a result of the Single Room Rent will be available from the Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit Summary Statistics 1997 which is due to be published in August. The summary will be available in the Library, but the split between males and females will not be available.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment she has made of the impact of the limitation of housing benefit to single room rent for single people under the age of 25 years; and what plans she has to end the limitation. [8807]
Mr. Bradley:
These measures were introduced by the previous Government. We have, however, announced our intention to revoke the extension of the single room rent to people aged between 25 and 59. We are gathering evidence on the impact of the single room rent for the under 25s. Information is being collected from a sample of local authorities on an on-going basis and officials are meeting local authorities, advice agencies and rent officers to obtain early, direct information on the impact of the changes. A survey has also been commissioned to obtain information on Housing Benefit and the private rented sector, the results of which are expected next summer.
We will give the results careful consideration.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she plans to implement the limitation of housing benefit to single room rent for single people aged 25-60 years. [8799]
Mr. Bradley:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Glasgow Pollock (Mr. Davidson) on 18 June, Official Report, columns 215-16.
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is her Department's policy on Benefit Agency staff giving their name during telephone calls to (a) hon. Members and (b) claimants; and when this was last revised; [8887]
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(2) what advice is given to Benefit Agency staff for giving information on constituency cases to hon. Members (a) over the telephone and (b) in writing; when this was last revised; and to what grade of staff it is disseminated. [8889]
Mr. Field:
One of our key aims is to improve the service provided to claimants and other customers. We want a service that is open and accessible. Queries on Benefits Agency operational matters are the responsibility of Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. I have asked him to write directly to the hon. Member and for his reply to be published with the answer.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 15 July 1997:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to provide you with some further details following the answers to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking about the policy on Benefits Agency staff giving their name during telephone calls to honourable Members and claimants and about Benefit Agency staff giving information on constituency cases to honourable members over the telephone and in writing.
Mr. Field:
An overall aim of the Government is to streamline services to provide better, simpler and more efficient services to clients. As the staffing of the Benefits Agency is a matter for Peter Mathison, its Chief Executive, I have asked him to write directly to the hon. Member and for his reply to be published with the answer.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 15 July 1997:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for Benefits Agency staff numbers for each Benefits Agency office.
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Figures are provisional and subject to change.
Figures are provisional and subject to change.
Figures are provisional and subject to change.
16 Jul 1997 : Column: 203
Figures are provisional and subject to change.
Figures are provisional and subject to change.
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the staff numbers for each Benefit Agency local office broken down into (a) temporary staff, (b) permanent staff with less than five years service, (c) permanent staff with five to 10 years service, (d) permanent staff with 10 to 15 years service and (e) permanent staff with over 15 years service. [8890]
The Benefits Agency (BA) has a clear policy on the giving of names to any customer who contacts us by telephone, in person, or in writing and this is published in the BA Conditions of Service Manual. When dealing with honourable Members and members of the public, staff are required to give their name over the telephone on request. There has been no revision of this policy since its introduction in June 1992. We propose to include this service commitment in our revised BA Customer Charter which is due for publication later this year.
The BA Parliamentary Guide provides advice to staff on giving information on constituency cases to honourable Members. Copies of the relevant extracts are attached and have been placed in the Library. The Parliamentary Guide was revised in March 1997 and is available to all staff.
Guidance is also provided to staff on the disclosure of information to representatives acting on behalf of benefit customers, and includes reference to honourable Members. Where enquiries are received by telephone, the enquirer's name and telephone number should be taken so that their identity can be confirmed before any information is disclosed. Written requests for information from customer representatives normally include the customer's written consent, although in constituency cases it should be assumed that the customer has given their consent for information to be disclosed by the Benefits Agency. This guidance was last revised in 1994, and is available to all staff.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
The information is not available in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However information is available broken down by Benefits Agency Area Directorate and is shown in the attached tables.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Area directorate Temporary staff Permanent staff
1. East London and Anglia 544 700
2. Chilterns 437 782
3. London South (South West) 743 1,421
4. West Country 420 651
5. Mercia 352 653
6. West Midlands 234 533
7. Wales 308 496
8. North-west Coast (Liverpool) 398 782
9. Greater Manchester 201 744
10. Yorkshire 406 684
11. Tyne Tees 153 391
12. West of Scotland 453 445
13. East of Scotland 401 471
Total 5,050 8,753
Area directorate Permanent staff
1. East London and Anglia 917
2. Chilterns 942
3. London South (South-west) 1,316
4. West Country 597
5. Mercia 532
6. West Midlands 678
7. Wales 425
8. North-west Coast (Liverpool) 731
9. Greater Manchester 543
10. Yorkshire 631
11. Tyne Tees 468
12. West of Scotland 506
13. East of Scotland 336
Total 8,622
Area directorate Permanent staff
1. East London and Anglia 1,148
2. Chilterns 1,163
3. London South (South West) 1,657
4. West Country 830
5. Mercia 1,029
6. West Midlands 1,127
7. Wales 802
8. North-west Coast (Liverpool) 1,024
9. Greater Manchester 860
10. Yorkshire 1,298
11. Tyne Tees 790
12. West of Scotland 852
13. East of Scotland 716
Total 13,296
Area directorate Permanent staff
1. East London and Anglia 1,573
2. Chilterns 1,703
3. London South (South West) 2,579
4. West Country 1,852
5. Mercia 2,281
6. West Midlands 2,002
7. Wales 1,865
8. North-west Coast (Liverpool) 1,957
9. Greater Manchester 1,972
10. Yorkshire 2,406
11. Tyne Tees 1,981
12. West of Scotland 1,623
13. East of Scotland 1,669
Total 25,463
Total Percentage
Temporary staff 5,050 8.3
Permanent staff with less than 5 years service 8,753 14.3
Permanent staff with 5-10 years service 8,622 14.1
Permanent staff with 10-15 years service 13,296 21.7
Permanent staff with over 15 years service 25,463 41.6
Total 61,184 --
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