---

SOCIAL SECURITY

Compensation

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will specify the matters, other than those relating to the NIRS2 computer system, in respect of which his Department has paid compensation to members of the public since May 1997. [90540]

Mr. Timms: The reasons for which compensation payments have been made to members of the public, other than those relating to the NIRS2 computer system, since May 1997, are as follows:

Extra-statutory payments: made in respect of defective legislation where the law has not reflected the original intention of Ministers.

In addition, payments have been made as a result of Departmental maladministration where any of the following have occurred:

Actual financial loss: made in respect of losses incurred by customers as a direct result of maladministration;

Delay: made for the loss of use of money arising where payments have been unreasonably delayed (payment made has been in the form of interest on the arrears due);

Gross inconvenience: as a result of persistent Departmental error;

Gross embarrassment, humiliation or unnecessary personal intrusion;

Severe distress, where maladministration has had a serious impact on a customer's physical or mental health; and

Loss of statutory entitlement: where entitlement to benefit has been lost due to maladministration or official error.

Where maladministration occurs the Department aims to restore the person to the position that he or she would have been in but for that maladministration. Payments have been made by DSS agencies as a result of maladministration under all the categories listed.

Payments made from 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999 by Agency are as follows:

Type of payment	Number of payments
Benefits Agency
Extra-Statutory	1,333
Actual Financial Loss	3,836
Delay	2,496
Consolatory(6)	300
Loss Of Statutory Entitlement	1,879
Total	9,844
Contributions Agency
Extra-Statutory	1
Actual Financial Loss	653
Delay	2,635
Consolatory(6)	95
Loss Of Statutory Entitlement	1
Total	3,385
Child Support Agency
Extra-Statutory	170
Actual Financial Loss	4,264
Delay	1,144
Consolatory(6)	4,235
Loss Of Statutory Entitlement	0
Total	9,813
War Pensions Agency
Extra-Statutory	1,210
Actual Financial Loss	8
Delay	191
Consolatory(6)	3
Loss Of Statutory Entitlement	2
Total	1,414
Independent Tribunal Service
Extra-Statutory	0
Actual Financial Loss	21
Delay	2
Consolatory(6)	12
Loss Of Statutory Entitlement	0
Total	35

(6) Consolatory payments consist of payments made under the categories of gross inconvenience, gross embarrassment, humiliation, unnecessary personal intrusion and severe distress.

A copy of the Department's guide to special payments, known as the "Financial Redress for Maladministration" is held in the House of Commons Library.

12 Jul 1999 : Column: 62

Correspondence

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of mail received in the last 12 months for which figures are available from right hon. and hon. Members was replied to by him within, (a) up to 20 days, (b) 21 to 30 days, (c) 31 to 40 days and (d) over 40 days. [90151]

Mr. Darling: Figures are not available in the format requested. In the 12 months ending June 1999, Ministers replied to 47 per cent. of letters from right hon. and hon. Members within our target of 20 working days, 37 per cent. within 21 to 40 working days; and 16 per cent. were sent after 40 working days. So far this year, Ministers have answered 60 per cent. of letters within 20 working days. Ministers in my Department reply to around 18,000 letters a year and we are committed fully to improving turnaround times.

Income Support

Mr. Chisholm: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the cost of increasing the earnings disregard on income support to (a) £20 and (b) £25 per week. [90753]

12 Jul 1999 : Column: 63

Mr. Timms: The cost of an earnings disregard for all benefit units on Income Support (IS) of the requested levels is shown in the table:

Earnings disregard for IS benefit units	Cost (£ million)
£20	20
£25	35

Notes:

1. Estimates based on February 1999 Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry and the Policy Simulation Model.

2. Estimates exclude movements between Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) and IS, and behavioural effects.

3. Estimates assume no change to the earnings disregards in Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB).

4. Estimates are rounded to the nearest £5m.

Housing Benefit

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Edmonton (Mr. Love) of 3 March 1999, Official Report, column 802, how many of the 522 responses the consultation document, "Supporting People", (a) supported, (b) opposed and (c) did not mention, the inclusion of sheltered housing within the proposals; and if he will publish a summary of the responses. [90391]

Angela Eagle: Information is not available in the format requested. Of the 522 responses received, 128 referred to the position of sheltered housing. We hope to be in a position to publish the summary of responses shortly.

Pensions

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to receive the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority's third annual report; and if he will make a statement. [91149]

Mr. Timms: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received the third report of the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA). I am pleased to see that OPRA has now consolidated its position as a respected and effective regulator. I am delighted that it continues to work closely with other organisations in the pensions industry to help, and protect the interests of, members of occupational pension schemes. Copies of the report have been laid before both Houses today.

Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the next stage of formal consultation on stakeholder pensions policy will commence. [91150]

Mr. Timms: The consultation paper "Stakeholder Pensions: Clearing Arrangements--The Government Proposals" is published today. This is the third in a series of consultation papers on stakeholder pensions and further consultation papers will be issued in the coming weeks.

Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Library and are available in the Vote Office.

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate (a) the cost and (b) the effect on the distribution of pensioners aged over 80 years by each income quintile for the population as a whole, of raising the level of basic state pension by (i) £5, (ii) £10 and (iii) £15 per week for this age group. [90249]

12 Jul 1999 : Column: 64

Mr. Timms: The answer to part (a) is provided in the table. Reliable estimates, of the effects of such changes on the distribution of pensioners aged over 80 years by each income quintile of the population as a whole, are not available.

Cost of increasing basic state pension paid to pensioners aged over 80

	£ million
£5	350
£10	720
£15	1,130

Notes:

1. Estimates for Retirement Pension have been provided by the Government Actuary's Department.

2. Means-tested benefit offsets have been estimated using the 1999-2000 Income Support Simulation Model and the 1996-97 Family Resources Survey.

3. Estimates are consistent with the Departmental Report, are in current prices and benefit rates, and are rounded to the nearest £10 million.

Income Maintenance

Mr. Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the average weekly Government expenditure on income maintenance per head of population in the United Kingdom. [90118]

Angela Eagle: For 1998-99, the total amount of Income Related Benefits paid in GB was £31.5 billion. This equates to an average of £10.50 per week per head of the population.

Notes:

1. Income maintenance is taken to mean the main Income Related Benefits (Income Support, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, JSA (income-based), Family Credit and Disability Working Allowance).

2. Figures are for GB. Figures in Northern Ireland are available separately from the Northern Ireland office.

3. The weekly figure given is rounded to the nearest 50 pence.

---