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Pensions
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the amount of money which would need to be credited to a stakeholder pension in a given year for a new entrant to the labour market to buy on retirement a pension equivalent to the value of the credit to the state second pension which would be given to someone with caring responsibilities during that year. [91136]
Mr. Timms: A carer who received a full year of credits for the State Second Pension in 2002 (the first year in which credits for the State Second Pension are likely to be available) would accrue rights to a pension of about £1 per week in today's prices, which rises in line with average earnings over the working life. This real rise in the value of the pension over the working life means that the cash value of the future pension accrued in 2002 will rise to approximately £2 per week in 1999 prices by the time of retirement (2051).
The amount a 16-year-old female entrant to the labour market in the same year would need to contribute to a stakeholder pension scheme to accrue the same pension in 2051 is £402 in 2002 (or about £8 per week) and about £6 per week net of tax relief at the basicrate.
Depending on earnings, part of this contribution could be made up of the National Insurance rebate if she was contracted-out of the State Second Pension.
The precise amounts required in a stakeholder pension to match the value of State Second Pension credits vary depending on the year in which the contribution is made and on the gender of the contributor.
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Mr. Laurence Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 2 July 1999, Official Report, column 307, on pensions, how many claims for pension payments were not processed (a) within 20 days and (b) within 60 days and, of those not processed within 60 days, what was (i) the average time and (ii) the longest time, for processing in the 12 months up to 31 May. [91482]
Mr. Timms:
The administration of Retirement Pensions is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mr. Peter Mathison to Mr. Laurence Robertson, dated 16 July 1999:
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Notes:
1. All figures are rounded to the nearest pound.
2. Figures are expressed in 1999 prices.
3. The annuity rate used is GAD's projected female annuity rate for 2050.
4. The real rate of return on Stakeholder funds is assumed to be 4 per cent.
5. An annual charge of 1 per cent. on the accumulated stakeholder fund is assumed.
6. Contributions are assumed to be gross; they would attract tax relief of 23 per cent.
7. The State Second Pension entitlement is calculated on the basis that a carer will gain a pension equivalent to that which would be accrued on £180 per week (in 1999 earnings terms) over the year.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent question, pursuant to his answer of 2nd July on pensions, how many claims for pension payments were not processed (a) within 20 days and (b) within 60 days and, of those not processed within 60 days, what was (i) the average time and (ii) the longest time, for processing in the 12 months up to 31st May.
The table below sets out the number of Retirement Pension claims which, in the 12 months ending May 1999, had not been processed within 20 days and 60 days of their receipt:
| Month | Claims not processed within 20 days | Claims not processed within 60 days | Total claims processed within month | Total claims received within month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1998 | 16,007 | 3,338 | 49,068 | 55,605 |
| July 1998 | 11,607 | 2,989 | 40,412 | 50,176 |
| August 1998 | 9,305 | 2,589 | 33,421 | 42,988 |
| September 1998 | 14,227 | 6,208 | 42,269 | 50,224 |
| October 1998 | 25,374 | 7,572 | 62,646 | 51,318 |
| November 1998 | 12,821 | 3,867 | 50,460 | 48,612 |
| December 1998 | 6,536 | 1,894 | 35,880 | 36,672 |
| January 1999 | (16)-- | (16)-- | 41,120 | 58,427 |
| February 1999 | 10,661 | 2,316 | 45,725 | 50,980 |
| March 1999 | 14,537 | 2,763 | 52,823 | 62,949 |
| April 1999 | (17)-- | 2,394 | 46,682 | 54,025 |
| May 1999 | (17)-- | 2,454 | 46,152 | 49,308 |
(16) Figures not available
(17) No longer maintained
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As mentioned in the previous reply, in the 10 months up to 31 March 1999 the Benefits Agency target of processing 65% of its claims within 20 days was met in all but one of the months. Since April, the target has been 95% processed in 60 days and for April and May the percentages achieved were 94.9 and 94.7 respectively.
Information on the average time taken to process claims is taken across all the claims processed including those processed over 60 days. All claims are recorded on the Pensions Computer System and in respect of those not processed after 60 days, the system notifies the local Benefits Agency office management on a monthly basis to allow progress on the claims to be monitored. Management is also informed of the longest case outstanding but the cost in establishing
which is the longest outstanding case across the network of offices in the 12 months ending May 1999 is disproportionate to the effort involved.
I hope this is helpful.
Pensioners (Income Support)
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the Green Paper, "A New Contract for Welfare: Partnership in Pensions", and with regard to the take-up of Income Support by pensioners, (1) if his Department has started to trigger claims automatically at points where pensioners are likely to become entitled; [91925]
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(3) if his Department met his stated timetable of pinpointing more accurately those who may be entitled by April. [91924]
Mr. Timms:
Work is continuing in all three areas. We will bring forward our proposals in due course.
Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many successful claims there were for housing benefit in the Chelmsford local authority area broken down by tenants of (a) council houses, (b) housing associations and (c) the private sector in May of each year since 1994. [91920]
(2) if his Department brought forward proposals to identify pensioners who are entitled and to encourage them to claim, in accordance with the stated timetable; [91926]
| Quarter | Local authority | Housing association | Private sector |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1994 | 5,240 | 650 | 1,360 |
| May 1995 | 5,110 | 810 | 1,350 |
| May 1996 | 4,910 | 920 | 1,350 |
| May 1997 | 4,750 | 950 | 1,230 |
| May 1998 | 4,530 | 1,030 | 1,050 |
Source:
Housing Benefit Management Information System, Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload enquiries, with and without Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based), taken on the last working day of May until May 1997 and then the second Thursday in May 1998
Family Credit
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if there is a maximum number of child allowances an individual claimant can receive in family credit; and if there will be one in the working families tax credit. [91326]
Angela Eagle: Provided the entitlement conditions are satisfied, there is no maximum number of child credits that an individual claimant can receive in family credit, nor will there be any limit in the working families' tax credit.
Public Bodies
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that (a) have been disbanded, indicating when they were disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months, (c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if he will indicate in (c)(ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies his Department currently is responsible for. [90677]
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Mr. Bayley:
Of the 15 non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) sponsored by this Department on 1 May 1997, none has been disbanded; six will be disbanded in the next 12 months; one has had its functions transferred; none has been renamed but continues to perform a similar role; and 14 have been unchanged.
No new NDPBs have been established since 1 May 1997 and this Department is currently responsible for the 14 NDPBs detailed in Public Bodies 1998.
The six NDPBs to be disbanded in the next 12 months will be Central Adjudication Services, Child Support Appeal Tribunals, Disability Appeal Tribunals, Medical Appeal Tribunals, Social Security Appeal Tribunals and Vaccine Damage Tribunals.
Responsibility for the Women's National Commission has been transferred to Cabinet Office.
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