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War Pensions
Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will review the legislative and regulatory provisions relating to entitlement to war pensions in respect of noise-induced hearing loss in addition to the medical and scientific review. [3565]
Mr. Denham:
The independent review arises solely from our desire to show that the scientific evidence is clear and unambiguous for the purposes of assessing disablement under the existing legislation. We have no plans to review the legal provisions themselves.
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Mr. Goggins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to review the discretion which local authorities have to vary the level of war pension which is disregarded when calculating housing and council tax benefit. [9142]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
The present arrangements for disregarding war pensions aim to strike a balance between acknowledging the special reasons for payment of the pension and the proper use of public funds. War pensioners already receive preferential treatment and benefit from many advantages over their social security counterparts.
The discretion that local authorities have to disregard a war disablement pension or a war widow's pension combined with the statutory disregard afford a special treatment to war pensioners and war widows.
We have no plans to review the present arrangements for disregarding war pensions.
Mr. Coaker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the estimated number of pensioner households officially living in poverty in (a) Britain, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the Gedling parliamentary constituency; and what were the figures (i) 10 and (ii) 20 years ago; [4383]
(3) what is the estimated number of children living in poverty in (a) Britain, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the Gedling parliamentary constituency; and what were the figures (i) 10 and (ii) 20 years ago. [4384]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
The information requested is not available. The policies of the previous Administration led to poverty and social division throughout Britain. The Government are committed to mounting a concerted attack against the worklessness which is causing social and economic inequality and welfare dependency.
Information on those with low incomes is available in the Government Statistical Service publication, "Households Below Average Income". This annual report seeks to measure potential living standards derived from goods and services financed from disposable income. It provides a range of statistics monitoring the characteristics of people at various points in the income distribution, and describes how changes in income over time have affected particular groups. Complementary information is provided on possession of consumer durables and on household expenditure.
"Households Below Average Income" was last published in November 1996, and a copy is in the Library.
Mr. Letwin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what policy she will adopt on the payment of annual increments to United Kingdom pensioners living overseas. [6155]
29 Jul 1997 : Column: 242
Mr. Denham:
The Government have no plans at present to change the policy that state retirement pensions are uprated only within the European Economic Area and in certain countries with which the United Kingdom has a social security agreement which provides for uprating.
It would cost some £255 million per year fully to unfreeze those pensions which are not uprated--that is, to bring them up to the rate which would be paid if the pensioners were in the UK. There are competing demands and constraints on social security spending, and it would be wrong to raise expectations that uprating these pensions would be likely to attract priority in current circumstances.
Mr. Grogan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to review the workings of the compensation recovery unit. [6874]
Mr. Denham:
We plan to bring the provisions of the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997 into force on 6 October. The Act will reform the compensation recovery scheme following a report of the Social Security Select Committee. The Act will ensure that compensation in respect of pain and suffering cannot be reduced on account of recovery of social security benefits. It will also protect public funds by ensuring that all recoverable benefits paid as a consequence of accident, injury or disease are repaid by the compensator.
We will monitor the effects of the reformed scheme and consider whether any further changes are appropriate. In doing so we will have regard to the rights and responsibilities of all parties affected by the benefit recovery process.
Ms Abbott:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people who are the subject of sponsorship undertakings have had (a) income support, (b) housing benefit and (c) council tax benefit (i) refused and (ii) curtailed under the rules brought in by SI 1996 No. 30 Social Security (Persons From Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996. [7172]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
We are committed to a wide-ranging review of the major components of the social security system: our aim is to reduce poverty and welfare dependency and to promote work incentives.
The information requested is not available as data held on sponsored immigrants' benefits do not specify the reason for the refusal of benefit.
Ms Abbott:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people subject to sponsorship undertakings have been awarded (a) income support, as an urgent case, (b) housing benefit and (c) council tax benefit, due to the death of their sponsor. [7180]
Mr. Bradley:
We are committed to a wide ranging review of the major component of the social security system: our aim is to reduce poverty and welfare dependency and to promote work incentives.
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows:
29 Jul 1997 : Column: 243
Between May 1996 and April 1997, one person was awarded income support due to the death of their sponsor.
Information on the number of people awarded housing benefit and council tax benefit is not available.
Ms Abbott:
To ask the Secretary for Social Security how many asylum seekers have had child benefit (i) refused and (ii) curtailed under the rules brought in by SI 1996 Nos. 2327 and 2530 on child benefit since 7 October 1996. [7173]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
We are committed to a wide-ranging review of social security. With the Home Office, the Department of Health and other Departments, we shall consider all arrangements for asylum seekers to ensure they are dealt with fairly and promptly.
Restrictions, to all persons subject to immigration control and not just to asylum seekers, are applied under section 146A of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992. The statutory instruments referred to provide exemption from the general restriction for certain categories.
Information on the number of asylum seekers whose child benefit claims have been disallowed since 7 October 1996 is not available.
Ms Abbott:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many asylum seekers have had (a) income support, (b) housing benefit, (c) council tax benefit, (d) disability living allowance, (e) attendance allowance, (f) family credit, (g) severe disablement allowance, (h) invalid care allowance and (i) disability working allowance 1. refused and 2. curtailed under the provisions of SI 1996 No. 30 Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations. [7174]
Mr. Bradley:
We are committed to a wide-ranging review of social security. With the Home Office, the Department of Health and other Departments, we will consider all arrangements for asylum seekers to ensure they are dealt with fairly and promptly.
(2) what is the estimated number of families officially living in poverty in (a) Britain, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the Gedling parliamentary constituency; and what were the figures (i) 10 and (ii) 20 years ago; [4382]
| Income support | Numbers |
|---|---|
| In-country asylum claimants refused income support(42) | 1,309 |
| Income support claims from asylum applicants curtailed(43) | 936 |
Notes:
(42) Figures are for those claimants refused income support past the introduction of the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Regulations 1996.
(43) Figures are for those applicants whose income support claims are curtailed as a result of a negative decision by the Home Office on their asylum application post the introduction of the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Regulations 1996.
Source:
Clerical management statistics (not validated).
29 Jul 1997 : Column: 244
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate she has made of the costs to the Benefits Agency resulting from the repeal of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996. [7558]
Mr. Bradley: We are committed to a wide- ranging review of the major components of the social security system. Our aim is to reduce poverty and welfare dependency and to promote work incentives.
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