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SOCIAL SECURITY
Disability Awareness Training
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what disability awareness training is currently provided for his Department's staff, with particular reference to assisting partially-sighted or blind people; and what proposals he has for future training. [60999]
Mr. Timms: Each Agency develops its own programme of training. They have always included in their programmes training for awareness of disabilities which has included awareness of the difficulties faces by partially-sighted and blind people. The profile of this training was raised when the Disability Discrimination Act 1996 came into force.
Although staff training in most of the Department's Agencies to assist partially-sighted or blind people is encompassed in their general disabilities training, for the future the Benefits Agency and Contributions Agency intend to commit themselves to the ten steps of the Charter "See It Right" issued by the Royal National Institute for the Blind.
Benefits (Means Testing)
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those benefits not currently means-tested which will be means-tested in future as a result of the plans he has announced to date. [61423]
Mr. Timms:
The proposals in the consultation documents "A new contract for welfare: Support for Disabled People" published on 28 October and "A new contract for welfare: Support in Bereavement" published on 18 November do not cause any benefit which has no current means testing to become means tested. Contributory benefits already contain long-standing rules which take some account of income. Our plans to take
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some account of occupational and personal pension income over £50 a week for future Incapacity Benefit claims are in line with previous practice in contribution- based Jobseeker's Allowance, and will strike a fairer partnership between State and private provision. No existing claimant at the point of change will be affected.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the current arrangements are for assessing and paying travelling expenses of those attending Benefits Agency medicals; and what the previous arrangements were. [61190]
Angela Eagle:
The administration of the Benefits Agency is a matter for its Chief Executive, Peter Mathison. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Ms Joan Walley, dated 1 December 1998:
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in North Staffordshire are in receipt of Invalid Care Allowance. [61189]
Mr. Timms:
The administration of the Benefits Agency is a matter for its Chief Executive, Peter Mathison. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Ms Joan Walley, dated 1 December 1998:
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Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of benefit units where (a) more than 25 per cent., (b) more than 50 per cent., (c) more than 75 per cent. and (d) 100 per cent. of the income from occupational and personal pensions is offset by reductions in entitlement to means-tested benefits. [60925]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 27 November 1998]: 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 reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking about the current arrangements for assessing and paying travelling expenses of those attending Benefits Agency Medicals, and what were the previous arrangements.
The current arrangements are that a customer will be given the opportunity to complete a claim from for reimbursement of reasonable travelling expenses, incurred during their visit to the designated Medical Examination Centre, at the time of their medical examination. The claim form covers travelling costs incurred using agreed transport methods as well as car parking, subsistence and financial loss allowance where appropriate. Travel by private transport is paid at a standard rate per mile, whilst parking, bus, train and authorised taxis are also paid on production of a ticket or receipt.
Since the provision of Medical Services was contracted out to Sema Group on 1 September 1998, Sema Group Finance is now responsible for the central payment of claims whereas previously all customer's expenses were paid locally by Disability Benefit Centre's finance sections. They have also increased the number of ways a payment can be made. Previously there were two methods of payment, direct to a bank account and by girocheque. Since 1 September, in addition to the above methods, payment can be made by ordinary cheque, and a limited number of outlying Scottish examination centres have the facility to issue cash payments.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people in North Staffordshire are in receipt of Invalid Care Allowance (ICA).
North Staffordshire is served by the Benefit Agency's (BA's) North Staffordshire District with offices situated in Hanley, Longton, and Newcastle-Under-Lyme. The District does not correspond to Constituency or Local Authority boundaries.
On 25 November 1998 The ICA's computer system identified 3,650 people receiving ICA in the area covered by the BA District. This figure is provisional and subject to change.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
| Estimated benefit units in each category at 1999-2000 | Number |
|---|---|
| (a) more than 25 per cent. up to 50 per cent. | 200,000 |
| (b) more than 50 per cent. up to 75 per cent. | 200,000 |
| (c) more than 75 per cent. up to 100 per cent. | 450,000 |
| (d) 100 per cent. | 300,000 |
Notes:
1. Figures are not available for personal pensions.
2. These figures relate to Income Support, Working Families Tax Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit only and are the estimated result of discounting occupational pension income entirely for the purposes of all benefit assessment.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 50,000 cases and are based upon the Department's Policy Stimulation Model of income-related benefits. This model draws data from the 1995-96 Family Resources Survey, uprated to 1999-2000 levels, and calibrates estimated income-related benefit results.
4. Estimates from household surveys based on reported income holdings are subject to differing levels of response. Consequently these figures should not be interpreted as precise point estimates, but rather as indicative only of broad magnitudes.
Centenarians
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what his policy is with regard to 100th birthday greetings; for what reasons he sends them; how his Department verifies the age of those claiming to be centenarians; what the cost is of such verification and delivering such 100th birthday greetings; and if he will make a statement. [61715]
Mr. Darling: Following the tradition of previous Secretaries of State for Social Security, a congratulatory message is sent to those receiving a Social Security benefit and celebrating their 100th birthday, 105th birthday and subsequent birthdays.
Verification of age is obtained from Departmental records and the cost of this which includes checks on the well being of the claimant is incorporated into normal running costs. The estimated cost of collating the information and sending each telemessage is approximately £7.60. For the period 1 January to 30 November 1998, 3,192 messages were sent.
Contributions Agency Computer
Mr. Whittingdale:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects the NIRS 2 computer system at the Contributions Agency to be operational; and if he will make a statement. [61935]
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Mr. Timms:
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Members for Newbury (Mr. Rendel) and for Christchurch (Mr. Chope) on 22 October 1998, Official Report, column 1187.
Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the reasons for the low number of initial interviews carried out under the New Deal for lone parents compared with the number of initial interviews requested. [62013]
Angela Eagle:
The number of initial interviews carried out under the New Deal for Lone Parents is in line with expectations. Up to 23 October 1998, over 30,000 interviews had been booked and over 23,000 already carried out.
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