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Benefit Fraud
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps she will take to co-ordinate activities between the Child Support Agency and the Benefits Agency to combat benefit fraud; and if she will assess the advantages of measures to deal with deliberate evasion of child maintenance by absent parents. [12489]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
Children are entitled to the support of both parents wherever they live. It is not acceptable that parents should seek to avoid their responsibilities and one of our key aims for the Child Support Agency is to ensure that more absent parents pay the maintenance they owe.
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The Child Support Agency and the Benefits Agency have established liaison arrangements to ensure that the two agencies work effectively together in providing an improved level of service for their joint customers. These include the shared use of common information or allegations made by the public to detect and prevent benefit fraud and the stationing of fraud liaison officers at Child Support Agency centres. Questions about child support are now included in the income support claim form to allow the maintenance process to begin as soon as benefit is claimed. And, from April 1998, parents with care will be helped to complete a maintenance application form when visited by Benefits Agency staff at the start of their income support claim.
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the current value of earnings disregards under income support, housing benefit and jobseeker's allowance if they had been increased (a) in line with prices and (b) in line with earnings since April 1988. [12284]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
The information is in the table.
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| Benefit | Rate when introduced | Date of introduction | Current rate | Value if increased in line with prices since date introduced | Value if increased in line with earnings since date introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | £ | £ | ||
| Income support | 5 | April 1988 | 5 | 7.35 | 8.50 |
| 10 | October 1996 | 10 | 10.25 | 10.40 | |
| 15 | April 1988 | 15 | 22.05 | 25.60 | |
| Jobseeker's allowance | 5 | October 1996 | 5 | 5.15 | 5.20 |
| 10 | October 1996 | 10 | 10.25 | 10.40 | |
| 15 | October 1996 | 15 | 15.40 | 15.65 | |
| Housing Benefit | 5 | April 1988 | 5 | 7.35 | 8.50 |
| 10 | April 1988 | 10 | 14.75 | 17.10 | |
| 15 | April 1988 | 15 | 22.05 | 25.60 | |
| 15 | April 1988 | 25 | 22.05 | 25.60 | |
| Housing benefit child care disregard | 40 | October 1994 | 60 | 43.05 | 44.75 |
1. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 p at each uprating date.
2. The retail prices index (all items) less rent, local taxes and mortgage interest payments as published by the Office of National Statistics, has been used in this table.
3. Jobseeker's allowance replaced income support for the unemployed in October 1996.
4. The £15 disregard for housing benefit was increased for lone parents to £25 in October 1990.
5. The £40 child care disregard on housing benefit was increased to £60 in April, 1996.
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Child Support Agency
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will investigate the level of accuracy of the CSA assessments. [12487]
Mr. Keith Bradley: We are looking closely at all aspects of the Child Support Agency to ensure that it provides an efficient and effective service.
The receipt of regular maintenance is a key part of the Government's strategy for helping lone mothers into work. All the indicators currently in place show a continuing improvement in the accuracy of assessments. We expect this trend to be maintained both as the result of continued efforts by the agency's staff and as the provisions contained in the Social Security Bill are implemented in due course. These provisions will improve and simplify the decision-making process.
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Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will place in the Library a copy of the full correspondence between her Department and European Commissioner Flynn on the European Union discussion document on social protection. [12509]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
In March the European Commission published , "Communication on Modernising and Improving Social Protection in the European Union", with the invitation that recipients submit observations on the range of issues covered.
A copy of the letter sent to Commissioner Flynn on 17 July has been placed in the Library. This response welcomed a well structured discussion in Europe of Key issues in social protection, but ruled out direct involvement of the EU in decisions which remain the
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responsibility of member states. It also gave an outline of the Government's priorities and thinking on modernising social protection.
Mr. Hinchliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to review the all work test for incapacity benefit. [12488]
Mr. Denham:
We are reviewing all aspects of the social security system. We will assess whether sickness and disability benefits are consistent with our overall aims to encourage work, savings and honesty. A key aim is to help people focus on their capacity for work rather than their disability and provide a climate which will help them achieve independence and play a fuller part in society.
As part of this we will be looking at a number of eligibility issues including those surrounding the all work test, and will be seeking to ensure the test provides a fair assessment of incapacity for benefit purposes.
Mr. Hinchliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what procedures apply in respect of individuals seeking the return of money they have repaid for benefit overpayment subsequently determined by an adjudicating officer as not requiring repayment. [12490]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
All overpayments of benefit are looked at individually and their recoverability decided upon on the basis of the facts and circumstances of the case as known at the time of the decision. However, where the decision to recover an overpayment is subsequently reversed, this will affect only the balance of the overpayment still outstanding.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many letters have been passed on to her Department's correspondence unit in each month since May 1997; and if she will make a statement; [12936]
(3) how many and what percentage of correspondence answered by her Department's correspondence unit receives a holding reply prior to a full response; [12933]
(4) how many people are employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time in her Department's correspondence unit; [12937]
(5) under what circumstances correspondence sent to her Department is passed on to the correspondence unit; and if she will make a statement. [12935]
Mr. Denham:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
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(2) how many and what percentage of correspondence answered by her Department's correspondence unit receives a full response in (a) a week or less, (b) one to two weeks, (c) two to three weeks, (d) three to four weeks, (e) between one and two months, (f) over two months and (g) over six months; and if she will make a statement; [12934]
| 1996 | 1997 | |
|---|---|---|
| May | 3,244 | 4,124 |
| June | 3,003 | 5,458 |
| July | 4,043 | 6,948 |
| August | 2,149 | 4,374 |
| September | 2,897 | 4,136 |
| Total | 15,336 | 25,040 |
| Up to 20 | 21-40 | 40+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | |||
| Number | 68 | 0 | 0 |
| Per cent. | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| June | |||
| Number | 278 | 58 | 0 |
| Per cent. | 83 | 17 | 0 |
| July | |||
| Number | 556 | 525 | 76 |
| Per cent. | 48 | 46 | 6 |
| August | |||
| Number | 485 | 569 | 214 |
| Per cent. | 38 | 45 | 17 |
| September | |||
| Number | 349 | 629 | 368 |
| Per cent. | 26 | 47 | 27 |
1. Figures for turn around times of correspondence answered by officials are not available.
2. Figures for the number of holding replies are not kept but all letters are acknowledged shortly after receipt.
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