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Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people leaving the New Deal to claim benefits other than jobseeker's allowance have made such claims (a) by month and (b) by type of benefit claim, from January up to the latest date for which figures are available. [63274]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| 1998 | Numbers transferred to other benefits | Percentage of total leavers |
|---|---|---|
| January-March | 200 | 7.7 |
| April-June | 1,140 | 6.9 |
| July-September | 3,010 | 5.9 |
Notes:
1. Up to the end of September 1998, the latest date for which figures are available, 4,350 young people transferred from the New Deal to other benefits.
2. The numbers leaving are collated on a quarterly rather than monthly basis.
3. Information about which benefit they claimed is not currently collected.
4. Data about the New Deal for the long term unemployed will be published early next year.
Millennium (Emergency Cover)
Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans his Department has to contract with the armed services to provide emergency cover over the millennium period; and what estimate he has made of the cost of that cover. [62577]
Mr. Timms:
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for
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Knowsley, North and Sefton, East (Mr. Howarth) gave the hon. Member on 7 December 1998, Official Report, column 20.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he has introduced to assist with the additional costs faced during early years of parenthood. [63505]
Angela Eagle:
Since November this year, an extra £2.50 a week has been made available to less well off families with children under age 11, through the income-related benefits. This is on top of the largest ever increase in Child Benefit for eldest or only children, up £2.95 a week from next April. A simultaneous increase in the family premium, from £11.05 to £13.90, will ensure that those on income-related benefits receive the full amount of the Child Benefit increase.
In June 1998, two enhancements were introduced to the childcare disregard scheme in the in-work benefits (Family Credit, Disability Working Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit). The maximum amount of weekly childcare costs allowed was increased from £60 to £100 for families who incur childcare costs for two or more children of qualifying age, and the age limit for children was extended by one year to the September following the child's 12th birthday. These families will receive further help next October through the introduction of Working Families Tax credit and associated childcare tax credit.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he has introduced to increase the level of assistance made available to support severely disabled young children. [63510]
Mr. Timms:
We have announced several significant improvements in support for disabled children. In our consultation document, 'A New Contract for Welfare - Support for Disabled People', we announced our intention to introduce a Disability Income Guarantee for families on income-related benefits with disabled children who have the highest care needs as well as the extension of the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance to children aged three and four. From 1 July 1998, payments awarded under the Vaccine Damages Payments Scheme were increased from £30,000 to £40,000.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the (a) numbers and (b) percentages of families claiming family credit where the family credit payment is equal to (i) up to 75 per cent. of the weekly wage, (ii) from 76 to 100 per cent. of the weekly wage and (iii) over 100 per cent. of the weekly wage; and if he will break down these figures between two parent and single parent families. [63501]
Notes:
1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of Family Credit awards and as such are subject to a degree of sampling error
2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and may not sum to totals
Source:
Family Credit 5 per cent. sample of awards
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Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate, on the basis of the Family Resources Survey, and pooling years of data, the number of benefit units which contain at least one employee and at least one dependent child, whose total income as measured for the purposes of the Working Families Tax Credit in each £5,000 band up to £30,000 and above, indicating separately the figures for (i) lone parent families, (ii) two parent families with one child, (iii) two parent families with two children and (iv) two parent families with three or more children, providing within each category separate figures for those in (A) firms of up to 25 employees and (B) firms of 25 employees or more. [63418]
Angela Eagle:
The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) which of the considerations which can affect child support maintenance payments under the current procedures will not come within the definition of exceptional expenses that tribunals will be allowed to take into account under the new proposals set out in "Children First"; [63894]
(3) what plans he has to alter the amount by which a weekly maintenance payment must change before the maintenance liability is reset by the CSA. [63891]
Angela Eagle:
A full analysis of responses to the Green Paper has not yet been completed. There have so far been over 1,500 written representations and comments are still being received. The outcome of the consultation process, together with our detailed proposals for reforming the child support system, will be published in due course.
Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the annual running costs of the proposed new Child Support Service outlined in the Green Paper, "Children First"; and what plans he has for a new computer system to handle the new procedures. [63892]
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Angela Eagle:
It is not possible to produce accurate estimates of running costs until the shape of the new Child Support service is finalised.
Support for a reformed Child Support service would be developed as a key part of the Department's wider plans for modernising its computer systems.
Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the NIRS II computer system is currently able to handle all inquiries about national insurance numbers. [63895]
Mr. Timms:
The Contributions Agency is able to use the new National Insurance Recording System (NIRS2) to answer all inquiries about National Insurance numbers where National Insurance numbers are already held. This has been available to staff since the 23 July 1998.
(2) if he will define the term, substantial change, used in Chapter 5, paragraph 18, of the Green Paper, Children First; what representations he has received concerning this term; and if he will publish those representations; [63890]
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