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National Insurance
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many staff who worked for the Contributions Agency before it was transferred to the Inland Revenue continue to work on national insurance in his Department. [98343]
Mr. Rooker: On 1 April 1999 responsibility for National Insurance (NI) contributions operations and policy passed from DSS to the Inland Revenue. As my hon. Friend, the then Minister of State, explained in his written answer on 31 March 1999, Official Report, column 429, the staff working in those areas were transferred to the Inland Revenue. No Contributions Agency staff were retained in the Department to work on NI contributions matters because the Department has no residual responsibility for the collection or recording of contributions.
This Department and Inland Revenue continue to work together closely on National Insurance matters including, for example, the integrity of the National Insurance number.
Benefits Agency
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 5 November 1999, Official Report, column 339, concerning Benefits Agency information, if he will set out the findings and actions arising from the review. [98274]
Mr. Rooker: We are satisfied that action has been taken to ensure that the accuracy of information available to the public has been reviewed and will continue to be reviewed in the future.
Personal Service Companies
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 8 November 1999, Official Report, column 385, if he will publish a list of the seven companies currently contracted to his Department to provide information technology contractor staff. [98151]
11 Nov 1999 : Column: 812
Angela Eagle:
The seven companies are Ajilon, Computer People, FI Recruitment, QA Myriad, Parity Resources, Nesco and Rullion.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 8 November 1999, Official Report, column 385, how many individuals trading as personal service companies are currently working for his Department and its agencies. [98152]
Angela Eagle:
The Department's contractual arrangements are with the Framework companies and not the individual contractors. The Department has no information on the trading arrangements of individual contractors
Mr. Boswell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he is taking to ensure that vulnerable people will receive their benefits over the New Year, with particular reference to people with disabilities and those receiving direct and manual payments; and if he will make a statement. [93483]
Angela Eagle
[pursuant to her reply, 27 July 1999, c. 297-98]: The administration of benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Tim Boswell, dated 10 November 1999:
11 Nov 1999 : Column: 813
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on (a) his proposals for reform of the Child Support Agency and (b) the length of time of the implementation of his proposals. [97925]
Angela Eagle:
Our proposals which will benefit over a million more children have received widespread support. Many people have said that they want to see the reforms implemented quickly. However, we need to make substantial changes to the legislation and to the way the CSA operates. We will not repeat the mistakes of the current scheme by rushing these changes into effect before we are ready.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the basic retirement pension rates for (a) a single person and (b) a married couple would have been in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, and would be in 2000-01, if they had been increased in April 1998, 1999 and 2000 in line with the increase in average earnings for the year to the previous September. [98414]
I am writing pursuant to Peter Mathison's letter of 27 July, Official Report, columns 297-298, in response to your Parliamentary Question asking what action would be taken to ensure that vulnerable people will receive their benefits over the New Year, with particular reference to people with disabilities and those receiving direct and manual payments. As Mr. Mathison is currently on leave, I am replying. Mr. Mathison's original letter contained an error, therefore, I enclose the revised text in full.
Each year the Benefit Agency (BA) brings forward the production of order books, Girocheques and Automated Credit Transfers (payment directly to bank accounts) so that people receiving direct and manual payments of benefits can have their money in advance for holiday periods when Banks and Post Offices are closed. These arrangements will again be made for people in receipt of all BA benefits, including disability benefits, for the forthcoming Christmas and New Year period.
Throughout the year, the BA has continuity planning arrangements in place which could involve manual payments being implemented where problems such as postal disruption are anticipated. In the most vulnerable cases, such payments could be issued to the customer in the office the same day. The BA will also consider sending a visiting officer to those who are unable to attend the office.
Over the Christmas and New Year period, BA local offices will not be open on Friday 24 December in England and Wales. Scottish BA offices, however, will be open on 24 December. All BA local offices will be open on 29 and 30 December, and 4 January (except in Scotland, where offices return to normal working hours on 5 January). Working hours will be advertised in the local office.
The BA also provides an out of hours service (OOHS) to help customers who find themselves in particular need outside normal office hours. On weekdays this service operates until at least 20.00 hours. At weekends and on statutory holidays, it will operate for at least six hours daily, normally between 9.00 and 20.00 hours. Contact with the OOHS is normally made through the social services or police who liaise with a central emergency officer through a telephone message service. The officer then considers the individual person's needs in consultation with outside agencies.
In addition, the BA has been aware for some time of the issues which may arise as a result of the Year 2000 date change. A full programme of work was established in 1996. Most of the major
mainframe systems (the benefit payment computer systems) hold their dates in a way which is largely unaffected by the Year 2000 problem. Nevertheless, a full regime of checking has taken place and all benefit payment systems are now fully year 2000 compliant.
Interfaces with external computer systems, including the systems which pay benefits directly to bank accounts, have been rigorously tested, or plans are in place to do so. An intensive testing process is also under way on our major benefit paying systems to provide additional assurances. For example, BA has recently concluded a business confidence review of Jobseekers Allowance and Income Support that did not identify any risks of material disruption to payments of benefits.
I apologise for any inconvenience caused by the original error and I hope this is helpful.
| 1998-99 rate | 1999-00 rate | 2000-01 rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single person | 65.00 | 68.20 | 71.35 |
| Married couple | 103.90 | 109.00 | 114.05 |
Notes:
1. The rate has been calculated assuming 100 per cent. entitlement to Retirement Pension.
2. Average Earnings Index Whole Economy (non-seasonally adjusted), September on September, as published by the Office for National Statistics, have been used for the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 upratings.
3. Whole Economy Earnings--(headline rate 3 month average) at July 1999 as published by the Office for National Statistics, have been used to uprate 2000-01. The headline rate is the annual change in the average of the seasonally adjusted series over 3 months. The September 1999 index is not yet available.
4. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 pence at each uprating.
Departmental Targets
Mr. Don Foster:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many targets have been agreed between his Department and (i) local authorities and (ii) other bodies apart from his own agencies and non-departmental public bodies. [98317]
11 Nov 1999 : Column: 814
Mr. Rooker:
Currently, the Department has no published targets with either local authorities or other bodies apart from DSS agencies and non-departmental public bodies.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 5 November 1999, Official Report, column 341, what assessment he has made of the practicability of the Benefits Agency's uprating plan being implemented if the annual uprating of benefits were based on the retail price index for the year to October, November or December preceding the uprating. [98425]
Mr. Rooker:
I have made no such assessment.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how council tax is taken into account in the uprating of retirement pension and income support. [98426]
Mr. Rooker:
Changes in Council Tax are included in RPI (all items) the index normally used to uprate Retirement pension. Changes in Council Tax are not taken into account in the Rossi index, the index normally used to uprate Income Support.
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