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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
0	1,120,000
less than £25	120,000
£25 to £49.99	110,000
£50 to £74.99	110,000
£75 to £99.99	90,000
£100 to £124.99	40,000
£125 to £149.99	40,000
£150 to £199.99	50,000
£200 or more	40,000
All IB recipients	1,710,000

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 1999Thousand

Region	All claimants	18-24	25-49	50-64	65-84	85 and over
North East	211	20	80	38	55	19
North West	563	48	226	103	135	51
Yorks and Humber	339	30	123	60	89	37
East Midlands	237	19	87	40	63	27
West Midlands	360	29	128	66	103	34
Eastern	263	19	97	44	69	34
London	573	43	270	104	118	37
South East	353	25	134	59	89	45
South West	267	20	96	45	70	35

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.

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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 ageThousand

	Age of individual
Regional development agency	0-17	18-24	25-49	50-64	65+
North East	630	250	960	510	390
North West and Merseyside	1,490	540	2,290	1,230	930
Yorkshire and Humber	1,010	310	1,600	850	690
East Midlands	880	350	1,420	820	540
West Midlands	1,200	440	1,740	900	710
Eastern Region	1,200	430	1,880	1,010	770
London	1,730	560	2,710	1,040	850
South East	1,640	610	2,590	1,400	990
South West	970	300	1,570	900	770

30 Jun 1999 : Column: 205

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

	Age of individual
Regional development agency	0-17	18-24	25-49	50-64	65+
North East	660	260	980	490	380
North West and Merseyside	1,330	490	2,030	1,090	790
Yorkshire and Humber	910	290	1,420	760	570
East Midlands	860	340	1,350	780	510
West Midlands	1,040	390	1,540	820	590
Eastern Region	1,170	420	1,820	960	720
London	1,680	540	2,570	980	730
South East	1,520	570	2,440	1,290	890
South West	860	280	1,390	820	700

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.

Notes:

1. Pensioners are defined as single people aged 60 years or over and couples where at least one partner is aged 60 years or over.

2. Estimates of receipt of Income Support and annuity income are based on respondent's own assessment and therefore may be subject to mis-reporting.

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 date	Actual rate paid increased by Retail Price Index	Rate if increased by average earnings	Rate if increased by higher of earnings or prices
November 1980	27.15	27.60	27.60
November 1981	29.60	30.75	30.75
November 1982	32.85	33.35	34.15
November 1983	34.05	36.25	37.10
November 1984	35.80	38.05	39.00
November 1985	38.30	41.35	42.40
July 1986	38.70	43.20	44.30
April 1987	39.50	45.60	46.80
April 1988	41.15	49.15	50.45
April 1989	43.60	53.50	54.90
April 1990	46.90	58.70	60.25
April 1991	52.00	64.30	66.80
April 1992	54.15	69.20	71.90
April 1993	56.10	72.50	75.35
April 1994	57.60	74.80	77.75
April 1995	58.85	77.35	80.40
April 1996	61.15	79.50	83.55
April 1997	62.45	82.85	87.05
April 1998	64.70	86.25	90.60
April 1999	66.75	90.50	95.05

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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