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SOCIAL SECURITY
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number claiming each component of the disability living allowance, and the numbers within those groups (a) working and (b) not working, in each year since 1992. [75071]
5 Mar 1999 : Column: 924
Mr. Bayley:
Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Disability Living Allowance is intended to provide help with the extra costs of care and mobility needs arising from disability. Since entitlement can continue irrespective of whether the recipient is in or out of work, statistics are not routinely kept on the numbers working. The table gives numbers of recipients and some broad estimates of the proportion in work, based on available data in the Family Resources Survey.
5 Mar 1999 : Column: 923
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Care component | |||||||
| Recipients (000) | 475 | 684 | 825 | 995 | 1,172 | 1,317 | 1,401 |
| Percentage working | -- | -- | 8 | 8 | 9 | -- | -- |
| Mobility component | |||||||
| Recipients (000) | 858 | 1,078 | 1,224 | 1,398 | 1,556 | 1,690 | 1,757 |
| Percentage working | -- | -- | 7 | 7 | 8 | -- | -- |
| Total (4) | |||||||
| Recipients (000) | 1,019 | 1,248 | 1,400 | 1,589 | 1,768 | 1,926 | 2,014 |
| Percentage working | -- | -- | 7 | 8 | 8 | -- | -- |
(2) Numbers from administrative statistics taken at August of each year, rounded to the nearest thousand.
(3) Based on Family Resources Survey, which refers to financial years and excludes people in hospital and residential care. Information for earlier years is not available.
(4) Some recipients receive both components so numbers are less than the sum of the care and mobility recipients.
5 Mar 1999 : Column: 923
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of (a) the number of bereaved people who will no longer be able to claim incapacity benefit on the basis of their spouses' contribution record under the proposals in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill and (b) the consequent savings. [75002]
Mr. Bayley: It is estimated that currently there may be up to 2,000 successful claims a year to Incapacity Benefit on the basis of a late spouse's contributions and that the proposals in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill may affect 1,500 people and save £1 million in 2001-02. No one already widowed at the point of change will be affected.
- Note:
- Savings are rounded to nearest £1 million and the number of cases to 500.
5 Mar 1999 : Column: 924
Lone Parents
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents are currently claiming income support; and how many lone parents were claiming income support in September 1998. [75150]
Angela Eagle: The latest information available is that there were 955,000 lone parents claiming Income Support as at August 1998.
- Notes:
- 1. The figure is rounded to the nearest thousand.
- 2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of Income Support claimants.
- 3. Lone parents are defined as single claimants with dependants who are not in receipt of a disability or pensioner premium.
- Source:
- Income Support Statistics Quarterly Inquiry: August 1998.
Mr. Duncan Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents there are in each decile of income distribution. [75149]
5 Mar 1999 : Column: 925
Angela Eagle:
The information is in the table.
| Before housing costs | After housing costs | |
|---|---|---|
| Income deciles | ||
| Bottom decile | 220 | 280 |
| Second decile | 400 | 550 |
| Third decile | 360 | 270 |
| Fourth decile | 240 | 200 |
| Income quintiles | ||
| Third quintile | 260 | 200 |
| Fourth quintile | 120 | 110 |
| Top quintile | 60 | 50 |
| Total | 1,660 | 1,660 |
Notes:
1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data set based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS does not include Northern Ireland. 1996-97 is the latest year for which information is available.
2. The income measure used is weekly net (disposable) equivalised income. The definition of income used follows that in the published HBAI series for FRS based results. In HBAI, an individual's income is estimated by assuming each person in a household shares a common income level determined by the household's size and composition and its total disposable income. The adjustment to reflect the composition of the household is called 'equivalisation'. The figures may be sensitive to the choice of equivalence scale used. The figures are given for income both before and after housing costs in line with usual HBAI practice.
3. Results are presented excluding the self-employed because the income measures for the self-employed are inherently uncertain. Including the self-employed makes very little difference to these estimates.
4. Numbers are given to the nearest 10,000 but because they come from a sample survey they are not accurate to this degree. All results are subject to variable response rates and to sampling error. Due to the small sample sizes, the data for the top six deciles have been presented in quintiles.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the representations received in response to the Green Paper on the Child Support Agency. [75151]
Angela Eagle: We have received 1,564 written responses to the Green Paper. The Under-Secretary my noble Friend the Baroness Hollis of Heigham, has also held meetings with more than 40 organisations, academics and other groups with an interest in child support.
Further details about responses to the consultation exercise will be made available when we bring forward our final proposals for reform.
Income Support
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 26 January 1999, Official Report, column 49, on income support, when he expects to publish estimates of non take-up of income-related benefits in 1996-97. [75070]
5 Mar 1999 : Column: 926
Angela Eagle:
At present, work continues towards a revised set of figures for take-up in 1996-97. Publication is likely in May.
Mr. Duncan Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the annual estimated saving arising from the operation of the habitual residence test from its introduction to date. [74748]
Angela Eagle
[holding answer 4 March 1999]: The best estimate of savings arising from the operation of the habitual residence test in the financial year 1997-98 is approximately £18 million. (This is an approximation since, by definition, we do not know the benefit entitlement of a person who fails the test).
Notes:
1. Savings for Income Support (IS), Housing Benefit (HB), Council Tax Benefit (CTB) and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA(IB)).
2. Based on 18,197 cases failing the habitual residence test over the period April 1997-March 1998. Source Management Information Statistics.
3. Assumes that failing applicants are single with no dependants, and therefore entitled to the basic personal allowance in IS/JSA(IB) for someone aged 25 or over.
4. Assumes that in the absence of the test cases would be eligible for 13 weeks benefit.
5. Assumes average HB and CTB for a single person in receipt of IS, living in the deregulated private sector.
6. Assumes that 44 per cent. of those denied IS/JSA(IB) under the test would also have received HB, and 40 per cent. CTB.
NIRS2
Mr. Duncan Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the total expenditure on the NIRS2 computer system has been to date; what the estimated total expenditure on completion of the NIRS2 computer system is; and what the original bid by Andersen Consulting for setting up the NIRS2 computer system was. [75182]
Mr. Timms: Payments for the NIRS2 service commenced from 13 July 1998. Expenditure to date has been £2.85 million. Andersen Consulting (AC) are contracted to provide the NIRS2 service until 5 April 2004. Due to the delayed go-live of the NIRS2 system, it is currently estimated that £39 million will be paid to AC for NIRS2 in that time. The bid submitted by AC for designing, developing, implementing and maintaining the NIRS2 service to 5 April 2004 was £44.8 million.
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