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Widow's Pension
18. Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, following the implementation of his reform proposals, widows aged between 45 and 60 years who were widowed before 45 years of age and who are not currently receiving a widow's pension, can continue to choose to claim (a) retirement pension or (b) widow's pension on reaching 60 years of age. [73055]
Mr. Timms: Current widows who are entitled to Widow's Pension can choose to continue receiving it up to age 65. A woman who was widowed before age 45 may qualify for a Widow's Pension when her Widowed Mother's Allowance ceased or because she was widowed before April 1988.
These widows will continue to be able to receive Widow's Pension up to age 65 if they satisfy the qualifying conditions following implementation of our reforms.
Pension Reform
19. Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on progress with pension reform. [73056]
Mr. Timms: We are currently consulting on our plans for radical reform of the pensions system that we set out in the Green Paper "Partnership in Pensions". The framework for stakeholder pension schemes laid out in the Green Paper is being taken forward in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill.
Welfare Reform
20. Mr. Cawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about his recent proposals for welfare reform. [73057]
Mr. Darling:
We have received numerous representations on our recent proposals for reform, towards our central aim of work for those who can security for those who cannot.
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21. Mr. Flight:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to introduce (a) incentives and (b) negative disincentives to the self-employed to take out stakeholder pension contracts. [73058]
Mr. Timms:
There are no such plans. Our proposals for stakeholder pension schemes were laid out in the Green Paper.
The self-employed will be able to join stakeholder pension schemes. We expect that many of them will benefit from the improved security, flexibility and value for money offered by such schemes.
22. Dr. Ladyman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the responses so far to the Pensions Green Paper. [73059]
Mr. Timms:
Our Pensions Green Paper is continuing to attract a great deal of interest. We have already received more than 100 written responses, and expect to receive many more by the closing date on 31 March.
23. Mr. Wilkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by how much he expects the real spending powers of those dependent on the basic state old age pension to vary from that of those in employment in 1999-2000. [73060]
Mr. Darling:
No one is expected to rely on the basic pension as their sole source of income. Short-term projections of the growth in pensioners' incomes are not available.
26. Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the cost of administration of (a) the current state pension and (b) the secondary pension proposed in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill. [73063]
Mr. Timms:
The administration costs charged to the National Insurance Fund for awarding and paying state retirement pension and collecting and maintaining records of National Insurance contributions were some £622 million in 1996-97 1 . This represents about 1.5 per cent. of the Fund's income in that year 1 .
The Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill contains provisions to enable the setting up of flexible, secure, value for money stakeholder pension schemes. Administration costs should be low; both because of the ways schemes will be set up and run, and because we propose to set a minimum standard for the charges that can be made.
27. Dr. George Turner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the difficulties faced by those on low and modest incomes in making adequate provision for retirement. [73064]
Mr. Timms:
The government recognise the difficulties faced by those on low and modest incomes. That is why we are guaranteeing a decent income in retirement for all pensioners through the Minimum Income Guarantee. We
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plan to replace SERPS with a new State Second Pension to ensure that everyone with a lifetime of work behind them will build up rights to a pension which will take them above a Minimum Income Guarantee; and the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill contains provisions to enable the setting up of flexible, secure value for money stakeholder pension schemes which will be particularly suitable for people on modest incomes.
28. Dr. Naysmith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to improve the pensions of long-term disabled people. [73065]
Mr. Timms:
I refer my hon. Friend to the Written Answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham) on 8 February 1999, Official Report, column 65.
39. Ms Dari Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how he proposes to ensure better security in retirement for the poorest households. [73076]
Angela Eagle:
The measures proposed in the Green Paper, A new contract for welfare: Partnership in Pensions are intended to ensure that people who have worked throughout their working life on a low income will still be able to retire on an income above the level of the Minimum Income Guarantee. For the poorest households, the Minimum Income Guarantee will provide a secure income, which we intend over time and as resources allow, to increase in line with average earnings so that all pensioners, including the poorest, can share in the rising prosperity of the nation.
24. Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the upper limit permitted to benefit claimants for time spent writing material for publication before their benefit is reduced; and if he will make a statement. [73061]
Angela Eagle:
The impact of time spent writing material for publication on entitlement to benefit depends on the claimant's circumstances and the benefit being claimed. For example, provided other conditions are satisfied Jobseeker's Allowance can be paid where work done for payment or in expectation is undertaken for less than 16 hours per week. Special rules apply to people on New Deal programmes.
25. Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the proportion of Government expenditure the social security budget will comprise in 1999-2000; and what it was in 1996-97. [73062]
Mr. Darling:
Social Security expenditure accounted for 29.3 per cent. of public expenditure in 1996-97 and it is estimated to be around 28.2 per cent. in 1999-2000.
29. Mrs. Gorman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received on levels of fraud within the benefit system; and if he will make a statement. [73066]
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Mr. Timms:
Consultation on the Green Paper, "Beating Fraud is Everyone's Business: securing the future", ended on 30 September 1998, and 165 responses were received. The great majority of responses supported the strategy and its governing principles.
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate is taking to deal with organised fraud in housing benefit; what action is proposed following the closure of the London organised fraud investigation team; and if he will make a statement. [74281]
Mr. Timms:
The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) was launched in November 1997 to examine and report to the Secretary of State on the administration of Social Security benefits by central Government agencies and local authorities with a particular emphasis on standards of counter-fraud and security performance. It examines and reports on local authority performance in administering Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit and countering fraud.
Local authorities in London now refer cases of suspected organised Housing Benefit fraud to Benefits Agency organised fraud investigation teams.
We are carrying out a review of how organised fraud within Social Security benefits, including fraud in those benefits that are administered by local authorities, can be countered.
30. Mr. Hinchliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made in the reform of the Child Support Agency. [73067]
Angela Eagle:
We are currently considering responses to the Green Paper "Children First: a new approach to child support" and will bring forward our final proposals for reform in due course.
Ms Buck:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to tackle the difficulties experienced by the Child Support Agency in assessing child maintenance due from self-employed parents. [75820]
Angela Eagle:
Draft child support regulations have today been placed in both Houses. These will, from October 1999, allow self-employed parents to provide the figures, which they use for self assessment of their earnings for tax purposes, for use in calculating child maintenance. These provisions together with measures in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill currently before the House which will enable Inland Revenue to provide earnings information for the self-employed where the parent fails to supply the information to the Child Support Agency, and other operational improvements being introduced by the Agency, will lead to a simpler and more effective basis for getting maintenance flowing. The draft regulations also contain provisions to extend the suspension of fees for the Agency's assessment and collection services until April 2001.
1 Source: Departmental Report 1998-99, CM3913, National Insurance Fund Account 1996-97, HC 465
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