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Drug Tariff
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total expenditure by the NHS on items in part IXB of the Drug Tariff in each year from 1988-89 to 1998-99, with such breakdown of the figures for each year to types of item as is available. [96080]
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Mr. George Howarth:
The information available is shown in the table. No information is available prior to 1992.
Total expenditure by the NHS on incontinence appliances is not available. The table shows the net ingredient cost of items that were dispensed in the community in Northern Ireland.
The net ingredient cost is the basic cost of an appliance and does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income.
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| Incontinence appliances | 1992 | 1993 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incontinence sheaths | 171,020.03 | 198,141.00 | 235,247.52 | 299,713.02 | 326,148.71 | 322,222.80 | 336,658.59 |
| Leg bags | 220,197.53 | 235,275.11 | 290,905.11 | 345,460.78 | 395,251.19 | 407,507.72 | 427,867.64 |
| Night drainage bags | 56,004.16 | 62,213.18 | 66,788.43 | 87,090.29 | 4,529.83 | 103,191.27 | 111,458.88 |
| Suspensory systems | 7.10 | -- | 1,890.94 | 1,528.57 | 1,347.06 | 1,724.15 | 1,607.24 |
| Tubing and accessories | -- | -- | 2,833.32 | 4,988.12 | 4,567.92 | 5,921.02 | 12,144.10 |
| Total | 447,411 | 495,629 | 597,665 | 738,779 | 821,853 | 840,567 | 889,736 |
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SOCIAL SECURITY
Appeals
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security under what circumstances claimants who submit an appeal against the loss of benefit may have their Income Support reduced because they have submitted such an appeal; and if he will make a statement. [94797]
Angela Eagle: There are no circumstances in which submitting an appeal leads directly to a reduction in Income Support.
However, where someone who is claiming benefit on grounds of incapacity for work fails the "all work test" and appeals this decision, then Income Support can be paid at a reduced rate until a final decision on the appeal is made. The reduction is equal to 20 per cent. of the appropriate personal allowance for a single person of their age. The reduction is made good in full if the appeal succeeds. Full benefit can be paid if the person concerned makes themselves available for work and claims Jobseeker's Allowance instead.
Income Support
Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures he proposes to encourage the take-up of Income Support unclaimed by those already in receipt of Incapacity Benefit but entitled to additional benefit. [95164]
Mr. Bayley: We want all of those entitled but not receiving their benefits to claim. Our current focus is on the most vulnerable group--those pensioners who live on incomes below the Minimum Income Guarantee. Research shows that this group is particularly resistant to claiming their entitlement and our priority is to overcome barriers and establish the most effective way of encouraging them to claim.
The new ONE service, which is currently being piloted, will improve the take-up of Income Support in appropriate cases by those claiming Incapacity Benefit. One of the
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major advantages of this new system is that, for the first time, there will be an holistic approach to the benefit requirements of working-age people. ONE will ensure that claimants receive appropriate advice at the first point of contact with the benefit system.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals are claiming Incapacity Benefit who have (a) an individual income and (b) a household income which is in excess of £400 a week before taking into account any benefits due to their disability. [95530]
Mr. Bayley:
Data for 1997-98 suggest that there are 140,000 individuals in receipt of Incapacity Benefit with a household income over £400 a week, not including Incapacity Benefit, Disability Living Allowance or any other benefit awarded for incapacity or disability. The number with an individual income over £400 a week cannot be estimated reliably from the available data. Data also suggest that there are around 300,000 Incapacity Benefit households with a total income of more than £400 a week.
Notes:
1. Weekly household income in the unequivalised income, net of tax and other deductions of the household that the benefit recipient lives in less any benefits awarded on the grounds of incapacity or disability.
2. Weekly individual income is the income of the individual in receipt of Incapacity Benefit, less benefits awarded on the grounds of incapacity or disability.
3. All amounts are in April 1999 prices.
4. Figures are estimates taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data set that is based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS does not include Northern Ireland. 1997-98 is the latest year for which information is available.
Pensions
Mr. Gardiner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide the basis of his Department's calculation that restoring the basic state pension link with earnings would cost £8 billion by 2010. [96105]
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Mr. Rooker:
The gross cost of increasing the basic State pension in line with earnings is calculated by the Government Actuary's Department to be £7.6 billion in 2010-11. An explanation of the method for calculating gross costs of the basic State pension is given in Appendix D (paragraphs 14.21 to 14.35), of the Government Actuary's Department publication "National Insurance Fund: Long Term Financial Estimates", (Cm 4406: July 1999), which is available in the Library. For the purposes of this costing, it is assumed that annual real earnings growth is 1.5 per cent. above price inflation.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will consider funding a one-off payment to pensioners of £50 in addition to the basic state pension on the occasion of the millennium. [96748]
Mr. Rooker:
We have already increased the Winter Fuel Payment to £100 this year to ensure that today's pensioners do not have to worry about turning their heating up when it is cold because of the cost of their winter fuel bills.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 25 October 1999, Official Report, column 722, concerning SERPS if he will update the figures with net cost (a) using the pensions model and (b) using the assumptions made in the answer to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) of 16 December 1998, Official Report, column 611. [96677]
Mr. Rooker:
Precise estimates of net costs using the pensions model are not available. For a delay in changes to inherited SERPS until 2010, income-related benefit savings are estimated to be in the range 0-5 per cent. of gross costs between 2000 and 2010, and 5-10 per cent. of gross costs between 2010 and 2020. A delay in changes until 2005 leads to estimated income-related benefit savings of the order of 0-5 per cent. of gross costs between 2000 and 2010, and between 5-15 per cent. of gross costs between 2010 and 2020.
Income-related benefit offsets based on the Family Resources Survey are not applicable as the latest model applies to the current year only.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the estimated cost would be of (a) uprating the minimum income guarantee for pensioners in line with earnings, (b) uprating the minimum income guarantee in line with prices for pensioners under 85 years, and in line with earnings for those over 85 years, in (i) 2000-01, (ii) 2010-11, (iii) 2020-21 and (iv) 2030-31. [95535]
Mr. Rooker:
No projections have been made of long-term expenditure on the Minimum Income Guarantee. The projected expenditure for 2000-01, as published in the Social security Departmental Report (Cm 4214) in March 1999, is based on an assumed uprating for all cases in line with average earnings, at an estimated cost of £155 million.
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PENSIM, the Department's dynamic microsimulation model of pensioners' incomes, does project pensioners' income distribution under different policy scenarios up to 2025. However, it is not considered sufficiently accurate to be used as a forecasting model of absolute amounts of expenditure on the income-related benefits. Instead it is best used as a comparative model to assess the broad impact of different policy options on the distribution of pensioner's incomes over time.
Mr. Berry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures his Department is taking to raise public awareness about the minimum income guarantee for pensioners. [96684]
Mr. Rooker:
We are particularly concerned about pensioners entitled to but not claiming the guarantee and we will make an announcement shortly on our plans to increase awareness and to tackle barriers to claiming.
Note:
Income-related benefit offsets are estimated using PENSIM, a dynamic simulation model that projects pensioners' incomes into the next century. PENSIM estimates are based on a number of economic and behavioral assumptions and show the broad order of magnitude of future changes--as such offset ratios should be viewed as indicative rather than definitive.
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