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Redundancy Payments
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to review the treatment of redundancy payments which have been promised but not yet been received when assessing entitlement for means-tested benefits. [96591]
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Angela Eagle:
I announced in the House on 25 October 1999, Official Report, column 698, that we intend to bring forward regulations at the earliest opportunity to ensure that, in future, Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support will not be refused because of earnings owed to people when their job ends. This will apply whether or not the employer is insolvent.
Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Working Families Tax Credit are not affected by unpaid redundancy payments.
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the assets sold by his Department and their value, item by item, in each year from 1991-92 to 1998-99; and if he will estimate the value of asset sales planned to be made in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. [96276]
Mr. Rooker
[holding answer 29 October 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer the then Minister of State gave the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 16 February 1999, Official Report, column 672. During the period 1 April 1991 and 30 November 1997 there were no major asset sales. Details of minor asset sales during this period have not been collected on the grounds of disproportionate cost. There have been no major asset sales since January 1999 and none are planned for the remainder of 1999-2000 or during 2000-01.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what provision his Department has made for the payment of social security benefits to asylum seekers during the financial year 2000-01; [96943]
(3) what is his estimate of the amount paid in social security benefits to asylum seekers so far during 1999-2000 and his estimate of the likely total of such expenditure for the entire financial year 1999-2000. [96942]
Mr. Bayley:
The full details of the transitional arrangements for those asylum seekers who are receiving Social Security benefits when the new support arrangements are introduced in April 2000 have yet to be finalised. However, an asylum seeker receiving benefit will continue to receive benefit until a relevant change of circumstances, such as a negative decision on their asylum application. If an asylum seeker is refused either asylum or exceptional leave prior to April 2000 he will be able to apply to a Local Authority for support under the interim arrangements provided for in the Bill. An asylum seeker refused asylum or exceptional leave after 1 April 2000 will be able to apply for support to the Home Office's Asylum Support Directorate.
We will bring forward our detailed proposals for the transitional arrangements shortly.
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(2) how much was paid in social security benefits to asylum seekers in each financial year since 31 March 1992; [96941]
| Year | Total estimated annual expenditure | Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance (IB) | Housing Benefit | Council Tax Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 340 | 160 | 175 | 5 |
| 1994-95 | 360 | 180 | 175 | 5 |
| 1995-96 | 420 | 205 | 205 | 10 |
| 1996-97 | 400 | 195 | 195 | 10 |
| 1997-98 | 305 | 150 | 145 | 10 |
| 1998-99 | 285 | 150 | 125 | 10 |
Notes:
1. Estimated annual expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest five million pounds. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Estimates for Income Support February 1997 onwards will include a number of non-asylum seekers which receive Urgent Case Payments for other reasons.
3. Annual expenditure figures for Income Support have been based on an average of four quarters for the relevant financial year, using number of cases and average weekly amounts.
4. Expenditure figures for Housing Benefit are estimates and have been calculated using the Housing Benefit Management Information System 1 per cent. sample and Departmental Reports. Estimates are based only on cases recorded on the Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry as being asylum seekers. They therefore exclude other claimants in receipt of Urgent Case Payments who may in fact be asylum seekers, but are not identified as such and they exclude any asylum seekers in receipt of Housing Benefit who are not in receipt of Income Support, although the number of these cases is thought to be very small.
5. Figures for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit 1993-94 to 1997-98 are actual out-turns and 1998-99 figures are estimated out-turns.
Source:
1. Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiries, May 1993 to February 1999.
2. Jobseeker's Allowance Statistics Quarterly Enquiries, May 1997 to February 1999.
3. Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample of claimants in receipt of Income Support, at the end of May in each year given.
4. Departmental Report.
The amount paid in Social Security benefits to asylum seekers is dependent on various factors including asylum applications intake, asylum decisions, and the size of the asylum backlog of outstanding cases. It is estimated that the cost of benefits for asylum seekers between April 1999 and September 1999 inclusive is in the range of £120 million to £150 million.
We estimate that the total cost of benefits for asylum seekers in 1999-2000 will be in the range of £215-£295 million.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what methods of depreciation his Department will apply in the current financial year to fixed assets in the preparation of departmental resource accounting balance sheets. [96910]
Mr. Rooker:
The Department depreciates fixed assets in accordance with Statement of Standard Accounting Practise (SSAP) 12 and HM Treasury's Resource Accounting Manual. Depreciation is provided on all tangible fixed assets, using the straight line method, at
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rates calculated to write off, in equal instalments, the current replacement cost (less any estimated residual value) of each asset over the expected useful life. Fixed assets are depreciated from the month following acquisition. No depreciation is charged in the month of disposal.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his oral answer of 25 October 1999, Official Report, column 693, if he will give the sources underlying his statement regarding the proportion of incapacity benefit recipients with occupational pensions who are in the top income brackets; and if he is referring to individual or household income. [96841]
Mr. Bayley
[holding answer 1 November 1999]: The information referred to was based on equivalised household income data from the Department's Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, the source for which was the Family Resources Survey 1996-97.
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement regarding his proposals to abolish carry-forward and carry-back in respect of the stakeholder pension. [96895]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
I have been asked to reply.
The proposal to remove the carry-forward and carry- back facility forms part of the current public consultations on stakeholder pensions. We will announce our intentions when we have considered the responses to the consultation.
Mr. Garnier:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the assets sold by the Lord Chancellor's Department and its agencies, and their value, in each year from 1991-92 to 1998-99; and if he will estimate the value of asset sales planned to be made in the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01. [96406]
Jane Kennedy:
Details of the proceeds from major asset sales (which are all property) during the periods 1991-92 to 1998-99 in respect of the Department and its agencies are listed in the table together with forecast sales for 1999-2001. The table does not include the sale of magistrates court buildings as these are the responsibility of the local authority as owners, nor does it include the Department's Executive Non Departmental Public Body. Minor and routine other sales are also excluded because they are relatively insignificant.
(34) Information held centrally indicates that no significant disposals took place
(35) To date
(36) Estimate
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