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SOCIAL SECURITY
Heating Cost Payments
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which groups currently receive cold weather payments; which groups will receive the additional payments towards heating costs; what is the level of these payments for each group; and if she will make a statement. [20623]
Mr. Denham: People awarded Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance who have a pensioner or disability premium or have a child under five are eligible for Cold Weather Payments. A payment of £8.50 is made when the average temperature at a specified weather station has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over 7 consecutive days.
The Government made a commitment to review the central areas of insecurity for older people and examine ways to deliver more automatic help to the poorest pensioners. Work is underway in both areas, but we are not prepared to allow another winter to go by when pensioners are fearful of turning up their heating because they do not know whether they will get the help they need with their fuel bills. We are also committed to tackling the wider problems associated with vulnerable people, especially the elderly, keeping warm during cold weather. We have already taken action to cut fuel costs and make homes easier to heat. So far we have: reduced VAT on domestic fuel from eight to five per cent.; reduced the gas levy to zero; extended energy efficiency grants and announced a reduction on VAT on energy saving installation schemes; announced the setting up of an Environmental Task Force which is expected to include a programme of energy efficiency improvements in the homes of the elderly; and, released almost £800 million to local authorities over the next two years to help meet pressing housing needs, which is expected to feature improved energy efficiency in many areas.
The additional help of £400 million over this winter and next, announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 25 November 1997, Official Report, columns 773-98, demonstrates the Government's commitment to help the elderly keep warm in their homes. Further details were announced on 5 January.
People receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, during the week commencing 5 January, where their benefit includes one of the pensioner premiums, will receive a Winter Fuel payment of £50. These payments should be made by the end of January.
14 Jan 1998 : Column: 245
People over State pension age (65 for men/60 for women) receiving one of the qualifying benefits during the week commencing 5 January will also receive a payment. The qualifying benefits are as follows: Attendance Allowance: Constant Attendance Allowance; Disability Living Allowance; Graduated Retirement Benefit; Incapacity Benefit; Industrial Death Benefit; Invalid Care Allowance; Retirement Pension; Severe Disablement Allowance; Unemployability Supplement; War Disablement Pension; Widow's Benefit or War Widow's Pension. These people will receive a payment of £20 or £10. Where there is only one eligible person in a household, or the eligible person is of no fixed abode, they will receive £20, otherwise each person will receive £10. It is estimated that over 3 million payments will be issued for £20 and almost 5 million for £10.
Overall, almost 10 million payments will be made to over 7 million pensioner households.
Regulations were laid on 8 January and will come into force on 16 January. Payments will be made automatically without the need to claim. They are in addition to any Cold Weather Payments which may also be due to those receiving Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance if there is a spell of very cold weather.
A publicity campaign is also being launched involving media advertising, posters and leaflets in conjunction with Help The Aged, Age Concern and the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux so that pensioners are aware of what payments they will be receiving, how and when. This information will enable pensioners to heat their homes in confident in the knowledge that they will get extra help with their heaviest fuel bill.
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals received less in benefit under incapacity benefit than they would have done under invalidity benefit in each year since 1995-96. [21575]
Mr. Denham:
It is not possible to estimate with any accuracy how many individuals received less in benefit under Incapacity Benefit than they would have done under Invalidity Benefit.
Mr. Cummings:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of invalidity benefit there are in the Seaham and Peterlee Benefits Agency area. [21589]
Mr. Denham:
The administration of Incapacity Benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. John Cummings, dated 13 January 1998:
14 Jan 1998 : Column: 246
Mr. Denzil Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is her estimate of the total amounts received by persons resident in Wales for the latest available year in respect of (a) disability living allowance, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) industrial injuries disablement benefit; and what these are as a percentage of the total UK amounts in each case. [21615]
Mr. Denham:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many recipients of Invalidity Benefit (IVB) there are in the Seaham and Peterlee Benefits Agency area.
The information is not available in the format requested. IVB was replaced by Incapacity Benefit (IB) on 13 April 1995.
The figures shown in the table below are for IB short term higher and IB long term, that is, cases from the 29th week of incapacity.
Peterlee Benefit Agency Office: 7,400
Seaham Benefit Agency Office: 2,760
Figures are provisional and subject to change.
The figures quoted are as at 31 May 1997, and are taken from a 5% sample of the IB computer system and exclude a small number of clerically processed cases.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
| £ million | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales(8) | Great Britain(9) | United Kingdom(10) | |
| Disability Living Allowance(11) | 371 | 4,361 | 4,649 |
| as a percentage of Great Britain | 8.5 | -- | -- |
| as a percentage of United Kingdom | 8.0 | -- | -- |
| Incapacity Benefit(11) | 746 | 7,767 | 8,084 |
| as a percentage of Great Britain | 9.6 | -- | -- |
| as a percentage of United Kingdom | 9.2 | -- | -- |
| Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit(12) | 58 | 670 | -- |
| as a percentage of Great Britain | 8.7 | -- | -- |
(8) Figures are estimates based on the ratio of average weekly amounts in payment for Wales and Great Britain.
(9) Figures are estimated out-turn published in the Social Security Departmental Report 1997-98 to 1999-2000.
(10) Figures for Northern Ireland are from Social Security's Annual Report and Accounts 1996-97.
(11) Figures relate to 1996-97.
(12) Figures relate to 1995-96.
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many benefit claims have been reviewed under the remit of the Benefits Integrity Unit since its formation; and how many claims have been (a) reduced, (b) left unaltered and (c) up-rated. [21509]
Mr. Denham: One of our key aims is to rebuild integrity in, and public support for, the Social Security system and the way in which public money is spent. We need to focus on those who are properly entitled to benefit. This is why we have set up the Benefit Integrity Project.
The administration of this programme is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.
14 Jan 1998 : Column: 247
Letter from Peter Mathison to Dr. Phyllis Starkey, dated 13 January 1998:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question regarding the number of benefit claims that have been reviewed under the remit of the Benefits Integrity Unit since its formation, and the number of claims that have been reduced, left unaltered and uprated.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims have so far been assessed under the Disability Benefits Integrity Review; and how many claims have been (a) set aside, (b) reduced and (c) increased (i) in total and (ii) by region. [22053]
Mr. Denham:
The administration of Social Security benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 13 January 1998:
Mrs. Browning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases have been reviewed to date as part of the Disability Living Allowance Integrity Project by (a) personal interview and (b) written assessment. [21101]
Mr. Denham:
The administration of the Benefit Integrity Project is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with further details.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mrs. Angela Browning, dated 13 January 1998:
14 Jan 1998 : Column: 248
As at 30 November 1997, the Benefit Integrity Project has looked at 27,511 DLA awards. Of the awards that were looked at again 2339 were reduced, 1152 were disallowed entirely, 23,363 left unaltered and 657 increased. In addition staff working on the Benefit Integrity Project have dealt with 5979 renewal claims of which 1080 have been disallowed, 1541 renewed at a lower rate, 3174 renewed at the same rate and 184 renewed at a higher rate.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many claims has so far been assessed under the Disability Benefits Integrity Review; and how many claims have been (a) set aside, (b) reduced and (c) increased (i) in total and (ii) by region.
As at 30 November 1997, the Benefit Integrity Project (BIP) has looked at 27,511 DLA awards. Of these awards 2339 were reduced and 1152 were disallowed entirely, a total of 3491. 657 awards have been increased. The balance, 23,363 remained unchanged. In addition, staff working on the BIP have dealt with 5979 renewal claims of which 1080 have been disallowed, 1541 renewed at a lower rate, 3174 renewed at the same rate and 184 renewed at a higher rate. Information about the regional distribution of awards is not available.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many cases have been reviewed to date as part of Disability Living Allowance Integrity Project by personal interview and written assessment.
As at 30 November 1997, the number of cases on which action taken by the Benefit Integrity Project had been completed following a personal interview was 5348 and following a postal enquiry was 22,163, a total of 27,511. Of these, the number of awards changed following a visit was 571 and the number changed following a postal
enquiry was 3577, a total of 4148. In addition staff working on the Benefit Integrity Project have dealt with 5979 renewal claims of which 1080 have been disallowed, 1541 renewed at a lower rate, 3174 renewed at the same rate and 184 renewed at a higher rate.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
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