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Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will break down the estimated savings to be made on changes to incapacity benefit into those from (a) the clawback on occupational payments and (b) the introduction of new contributory rules. [71417]
Mr. Bayley:
The proposed modernisation of Incapacity Benefit for new claimants, with reformed contribution conditions and taking into account 50 per cent. of amounts of occupational and personal pensions over £50 a week, will reduce benefit expenditure. It is estimated that it will be reduced by £70 million in the first year (£45 million due to occupational pensions and £25 million to contribution conditions), £255 million in the third year (£190 million due to occupational pensions and
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£60 million to contribution conditions) and £700 million per year after 10 years (£550 million due to occupational pensions and £150 million to contribution conditions).
Notes:
1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Savings from taking account of occupational and personal pensions allow for overlap with savings from reformed contribution conditions.
3. 10 year figures are rounded to the nearest 50 million which reflects the greater degree of uncertainty in the longer term.
Single Parents (Income Support)
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the numbers of single parents claiming income support since 1994, broken down into those claimants who are (a) single, (b) widowed, (c) separated and (d) divorced; and if he will also list the number of children of single parents in each of these categories. [71416]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available as details on the marital status of Income Support claimants is not collected.
Press Releases
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many press releases have been issued by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental bodies in each of the years 1990 to 1998. [71454]
Mr. Timms: The information is in the table.
| Year | HQ | Benefits Agency | Contributions Agency | Child Support Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 198 | 7 | -- | -- |
| 1992 | 219 | 21 | 2 | -- |
| 1993 | 229 | 25 | 26 | 18 |
| 1994 | 211 | 29 | 26 | 1 |
| 1995 | 180 | 29 | 20 | 2 |
| 1996 | 294 | 34 | 21 | 1 |
| 1997 | 291 | 60 | 50 | 10 |
| 1998 | 311 | 42 | 28 | 4 |
Notes:
1. During the year 1990 the Department was part of the Department of Health and Social Security. Figures are not available for that year.
2. Prior to 1992 the Department's HQ Press office distributed press releases concerning information on National Insurance Contributions.
3. Press Releases for the War Pensions Agency and Information Technology Services Agency are included in the figures given for Headquarters.
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the conventions governing the propriety and cost of press releases issued by his Department, its agencies and non-departmental bodies; and what is the total cost of the press releases issued since May 1997. [71469]
Mr. Timms:
Rules governing the work of the Government Information and Communications Service are laid down in the Guidance on the work of the Government Information Service published by the Cabinet Office in July 1997. More specific guidance on the writing and issuing of press releases is given in the
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Working Guide for Government Information Officers. Copies of both documents are in the Libraries of the House.
The total cost of press releases issued since May 1997 is as follows.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will estimate (a) the proportion of the working age population and (b) the number of people of working age, with (i) an occupational pension and (ii) a personal pension; and if he will give the same estimates for each year from 1992; [71651]
Mr. Timms:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out here.
There are about 35 million people of working age in Great Britain. About 10.5 million (30 per cent.) of these people are members of an occupational pension scheme. It is not known how many of these only pay contributions equal to or lower than their National Insurance rebates.
There were about 5.6 million holders of appropriate personal pensions (APPs) at the end of September 1997. Of these about 3 million pay no further contributions into their APP in addition to the National Insurance rebate. However some holders of these plans may also make payments into other personal pension plans.
In total there are about 10 million personal pension plans held at present, although some plan holders will have more than one plan. Information on the amounts paid into these plans is not available.
Information on the numbers of people with occupational and personal pensions are not available for each year since 1992.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what surveys of customer satisfaction have been carried out by (a) the Benefits Agency, (b) the Employment Service and (c) the Child Support Agency since 1992; and if he will place copies in the Library. [71652]
Angela Eagle:
The Benefits Agency carried out national customer satisfaction surveys in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. The Child Support Agency carried out national customer satisfaction surveys in 1992, 1993,
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1994 and 1995. The Employment Service carried out surveys of the satisfaction of Jobcentre users in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1997.
Copies of all surveys have been placed in the Library.
Since 1995 this Department has conducted further research and surveys on customers' views of service delivery. These concentrate on aspects of service where information is limited--for example, because there have been changes to service or where potential issues, or areas for improvement, have been identified. Research is also conducted to monitor Charter standards.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to ensure the provision of (a) suitable training for interviewers to handle sensitive the special requirements of the physically and mentally disabled, (b) measures to ensure full disabled access to all buildings in which claimants will be interviewed and (c) a sufficiently flexible time limit requirement for attending interviews to meet the needs of claimants with particular disabilities before the implementation of his welfare reform proposals relating to the disabled. [71583]
Mr. Bayley:
We will ensure that advisers are equipped with sufficient skills and knowledge to deal effectively and sensitively with people who are physically or mentally disabled. This will include identifying where more specialist help and support is necessary and making arrangements to enlist that support on behalf of the individuals concerned.
We are committed to ensuring that disabled people have unrestricted access to services and sites. Accordingly, we will ensure that the Single Work-Focused Gateway will be delivered from sites offering full access. We will also ensure that disabled people are given sufficient time to make arrangements to attend an interview; are given sufficient opportunities to attend; have access to specialist communicators where necessary and have the opportunity for the interview to take place in their home where necessary.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on the interview and single gateway for lone parent families; and if he will make a statement. [71711]
Angela Eagle:
Officials from this Department have met with representatives of national organisations representing lone parent families. They have expressed general support for the principles which underpin the Single Work- Focused Gateway and officials are currently working to ensure that any concerns expressed by the organisations are recognised in the ongoing development of the gateway.
Copies of Headquarters Press Notices 1 are distributed to the media electronically on our behalf by the Central Office of Information (COI). From May 1997 to December 1998 the total cost of distribution via the COI was £36,693.
Benefits Agency total cost £6,595.
Contributions Agency total cost £4,810.
Child Support Agency total cost £1,866.56.
1 The costs of press releases issued by the War Pensions Agency and Information Technology Service Agency are included in the total for Headquarters.(2) if he will estimate (a) the proportion of the working population and (b) the number of people of working age who have (i) an occupational pension and (ii) a personal pension and who are only paying in levels of contributions equal to or lower than their National Insurance rebates. [71653]
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