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SOCIAL SECURITY

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many current incapacity benefit recipients who first made their claim after April 1995 and who have been excluded from the transitional protection provided to former invalidity benefit claimants have an occupational pension; and, for those who receive an occupational pension, what is the average weekly pension payment. [87588]

Mr. Bayley: When Incapacity Benefit was introduced, transitional arrangements allowed those already in receipt of Invalidity Benefit to continue to receive their previous rate of benefit. This is standard procedure following a major change in Social Security legislation.

It is not possible to provide figures for the occupational pension income of Incapacity Benefit recipients whose claims began after April 1995. Such information as is available is in the table. The table shows levels of occupational and personal pensions for all current Incapacity Benefit recipients. No existing Incapacity Benefit recipient will be affected at the point of change by the proposal to take some account of occupational and personal pensions over £50 a week.

30 Jun 1999 : Column: 204

Levels of occupational and personal pensions for Incapacity Benefit recipients 1996-97

Occupational and personal pension income (£ per week)Number of recipients
01,120,000
less than £25120,000
£25 to £49.99110,000
£50 to £74.99110,000
£75 to £99.9990,000
£100 to £124.9940,000
£125 to £149.9940,000
£150 to £199.9950,000
£200 or more40,000
All IB recipients1,710,000

Notes:

1. The average gross occupational and personal pension income for Incapacity Benefit recipients with non-State pension incomes in 1996-97 was £85 per week.

2. All estimates are based on data from the 1996-97 Family Resources Survey and are in gross 1996-97 prices.

3. Estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response.

4. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-response.


Income Support

Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the most recent figures showing how many people are on Income Support in the age ranges (i) 0 to 8, (ii) 18 to 24, (iii) 25 to 50, (iv) 50 to 65, (v) 65 to 85 and (vi) 85 years and over in each of the regions covered by the new regional development agencies. [88648]

Angela Eagle: The information is shown in the Table.

30 Jun 1999 : Column: 203

Income Support claimants by Government Office Region and age of claimant, February 1999
Thousand

RegionAll claimants18-2425-4950-6465-8485 and over
North East2112080385519
North West5634822610313551
Yorks and Humber33930123608937
East Midlands2371987406327
West Midlands360291286610334
Eastern2631997446934
London5734327010411837
South East35325134598945
South West2672096457035

Notes:

1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand cases.

2. Based on a 5 per cent. sample and as such subject to a degree of sampling error.

3. Income Support claimants are defined as aged 16 or over and as such there are nil claimants aged 0 to 8.

4. All claimant figure excludes Income Support claimants aged 16 and 17 years.

5. Government Office Region codes are assigned by matching postcodes against the 1999 version 1 postcode directory.

Source:

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, February 1999.


30 Jun 1999 : Column: 203

Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the most recent figures showing how many people in each of the regions covered by the new Regional development agencies have (a) telephones and (b) central heating in their homes in the age ranges (i) 0 to 8, (ii) 18 to 24, (iii) 25 to 50, (iv) 50 to 65, (v) 65 to 85 and (vi) 85 years and over. [88649]

Angela Eagle: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the tables.

30 Jun 1999 : Column: 204

Individuals with access to a telephone by Regional development agency and age
Thousand

Age of individual
Regional development agency0-1718-2425-4950-6465+
North East630250960510390
North West and Merseyside1,4905402,2901,230930
Yorkshire and Humber1,0103101,600850690
East Midlands8803501,420820540
West Midlands1,2004401,740900710
Eastern Region1,2004301,8801,010770
London1,7305602,7101,040850
South East1,6406102,5901,400990
South West9703001,570900770


30 Jun 1999 : Column: 205

Individuals with central heating in their homes by Regional development agency and age
Thousand

Age of individual
Regional development agency0-1718-2425-4950-6465+
North East660260980490380
North West and Merseyside1,3304902,0301,090790
Yorkshire and Humber9102901,420760570
East Midlands8603401,350780510
West Midlands1,0403901,540820590
Eastern Region1,1704201,820960720
London1,6805402,570980730
South East1,5205702,4401,290890
South West8602801,390820700

Notes:

1. Age ranges provided in the tables do not exactly match those requested as these had missing ranges and overlapping boundaries. In addition, sample sizes for the highest age range are too small to support reliable estimates of the statistics in question. Therefore, age ranges which are as close as possible to those requested have been used.

2. The estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors that control for region, Council Tax Band and a number of demographic variables. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-response.

3. All figures are provided in thousands and have been rounded to the nearest ten thousand.

Source:

1997-98 Family Resources Survey (Great Britain).


Disability Living Allowance

Mr. Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made on the implementation of The Activities for Management of Life test for entitlement to disability living allowance, suggested by the disability benefits forum; and if he will make a statement. [89046]

Mr. Bayley: In line with recommendations from the Social Security Select Committee, we have discussed with the Disability Benefits Forum the possibility of developing alternatives to the current tests for entitlement to Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance, and it was agreed that further work should be undertaken. We are now exploring the possibility of using a set of activities undertaken by disabled people in managing their lives (AMLs) as a means of assessing need; work on this is being carried out by an AMLs Working Group which includes representatives from disability organisations in its membership.

The Working Group is currently in the process of carrying out initial testing of models based on AMLs, and progress was discussed with the Working Group on 25 June 1999. It was agreed that testing and analysis of the results should continue; it is, however, too early to say if it will be possible to produce an AMLs system which represents a significant and worthwhile improvement on the present methods of assessing entitlement to the benefits.

Annuities

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners on Income Support are receiving income from an annuity. [89004]

30 Jun 1999 : Column: 206

Mr. Timms: Estimates from the Family Resources Survey 1997-98 suggest that less than 1 per cent. of pensioners on Income Support were receiving income from an annuity.




Pension Upratings

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the difference was in each year since 1980 between the amount by which pensions would have increased if based on (a) the retail prices index and (b) average earnings. [88177]

Mr. Timms: The information is in the table.

£ per week

Uprating dateActual rate paid increased by Retail Price IndexRate if increased by average earningsRate if increased by higher of earnings or prices
November 198027.1527.6027.60
November 198129.6030.7530.75
November 198232.8533.3534.15
November 198334.0536.2537.10
November 198435.8038.0539.00
November 198538.3041.3542.40
July 198638.7043.2044.30
April 198739.5045.6046.80
April 198841.1549.1550.45
April 198943.6053.5054.90
April 199046.9058.7060.25
April 199152.0064.3066.80
April 199254.1569.2071.90
April 199356.1072.5075.35
April 199457.6074.8077.75
April 199558.8577.3580.40
April 199661.1579.5083.55
April 199762.4582.8587.05
April 199864.7086.2590.60
April 199966.7590.5095.05

Notes:

1. The Retail Prices Index (all items) has been used as published by the Office for National Statistics.

2. Average Earnings Index Whole Economy (Non Seasonally Adjusted) as published by the Office for National Statistics.

3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 pence at each uprating.

4. From April 1994 the basic rate of Retirement Pension has been increased by 50p to reflect VAT on fuel.



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