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Social Security Benefits
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment she has made of the numbers and proportion of unemployed persons who are not in receipt of any social security benefit. [10434]
Mr. Keith Bradley: In 1995-96, there were on average about 600,000 persons who were unemployed and not receiving any social security benefit excluding child benefit. This represents about one in four of the total number of persons unemployed. Approximately 70 per cent. of these had working partners or shared a household containing at least one working person.
The Government believe that work is the best form of welfare for people of working age. Our welfare-to-work objectives are to provide work incentives, reduce poverty and welfare dependency and strike a new balance between responsibilities and rights.
Note:
An approximation to the International Llabour Organisation definition of unemployed was used.
Cervical Spondylosis
Mr. Alan Johnson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations she has received in
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respect of making cervical spondylosis an industrial disease in respect of train drivers and if she will make a statement. [10652]
Mr. Denham:
No such representations have been received.
I am advised on matters relating to the industrial injuries scheme, and in particular on the prescription of diseases, by the independent Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, which continually monitor all publications and research on occupational health matters. I understand that the council found no scientific evidence of a strong occupational link between this disease, which is common in the general population, and any particular occupation.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for widow's benefits have been refused in the last year because the claimant's marriage was polygamous. [10290]
Mr. Denham:
The Benefits Agency does not keep records of the number of claims for widow's benefits which have been rejected because the claimant's marriage was polygamous.
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Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will introduce proposals to allow sponsored immigrants to claim benefits in the event of their sponsorship agreement breaking down. [10289]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
We have no plans to do so.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for income support have been refused since 5 February 1996 on the ground that the claimant is a sponsored immigrant. [10287]
Mr. Bradley:
From May 1996 to April 1997, 129 claims for income support from sponsored immigrants were refused.
Ms Perham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how often since 1992 her Department has been responsible for employment advertisements which contained age restrictions upon those who could apply.[9510]
Mr. Denham:
Records of recruitment exercises are available only as far back as 1994. The Department has not used aged restrictions in employment advertisements at any time sine 1994 but in practice does not recruit staff over age 60. This is because the normal retirement age for most grades in DSS is age 60.
Mrs. Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to enable the disabled to enter part-time employment without loss of the mobility component of disability living allowance. [10398]
Mr. Denham:
Work is the best form of welfare for people of working age. Disabled people in receipt of disability living allowance can work either full or part-time with no loss of benefit.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer on 26 June, Official Report, column 640, regarding the role of local exchange trading systems in areas of high employment, what are the benefit rules relating to the treatment of LETS; and if she will make a statement. [9906]
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Mr. Keith Bradley:
Participation in a local exchange trading system scheme is regarded as work for the purposes of jobseeker's allowance and income support. The credits received are taken into account as actual earnings. Family credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit treat LETS credits in same way.
Neither jobseeker's allowance nor income support are payable to people who work for, on average, 16 hours or more a week--24 hours for partners of people receiving income-based jobseeker's allowance or income support.
Where a person spends less than 16 hours a week on LETS activities, the credits are taken into account as earnings subject to the appropriate disregard--normally £5 a week. Any expenses wholly and exclusively defrayed for the purposes of the LETS activity, together with an amount in respect of tax and national insurance contributions, can also be deducted from the earnings.
People claiming unemployment-related benefits must also continue to satisfy the labour market requirements of being available for and actively seeking work. Under jobseeker's allowance, people must normally be available for a minimum of 40 hours a week, but can stipulate their own pattern of availability with the employment officer--within reasonable limits. For jobseekers participating in LETS, this means that they must either be prepared to give up the LETS work to take up a full-time job, or be able to move the LETS activities to avoid any conflict; or be available in accordance with a pattern of work which gives them reasonable prospects of securing employment, while avoiding conflict with their LETS activities.
Mr. Vaz:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many civil servants there are in total on each payband in her Department. [9585]
Source:
Clerical management statistics (not validated).
| Pay band | Number of staff |
|---|---|
| £38,760-£60,890 | 54 |
| £42,740-£68,540 | 20 |
| £47,120-£77,110 | 7 |
| £52,020-£86,700 | 16 |
| £57,020-£91,800 | 3 |
| £62,420-£97,210 | 1 |
| £68,340-£102,940 | 4 |
| £74,660-£109,040 | 0 |
| £81,600-£115,570 | 1 |
| £91,800-£157,590 | 1 |
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| Benefits agency | Contributions agency | Information technology services agency | War pensions agency
| Pay band | Number of staff | Pay band | Number of staff | Pay band | Number of staff | Pay band | Number of staff
| £6,943-£13,474 | 58,762 | £7,150-£16,300 | 2,779 | £8,261-£18,711 | 1,394 | £7,217-£13,628 | 872
| £11,895-£18,053 | 18,729 | £9,450-£22,350 | 5,577 | £17,111-£27,711 | 701 | £11,663-£18,321 | 305
| £15,147-£27,118 | 2,721 | £15,650-£29,600 | 540 | £26,211-£50,607 | 99 | £15,986-£30,246 | 42
| £25,343-£58,377 | 420 | £23,200-£54,300 | 47 | £25,466-£50,972 | 6
| | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Where national and London pay bands exist the national scale has been used to determine the minimum and the London scale the maximum.
2. Pay bands have not been introduced in the Child Support Agency, DSS headquarters or the independent statutory bodies; their tables show pay ranges for civil service grades.
3. Figures for the senior civil service are additional to those shown elsewhere.
4. Includes all staff on payroll as at 17 July 1997.
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