Select Committee on Social Security Minutes of Evidence


ANNEX E

SUMMARY OF SECRETARY OF STATE TARGETS 1998-99 AND CURRENT STATUS

Overview

  The package of Secretary of State targets for 1998-99 was set considerbly higher than the previous year, with even more demanding goals for the Agency to achieve. The targets stretched the Agency's performance on both disablement and widows claims. The appeals targets aimed to clear more appeals than were received and to reduce older cases and the new quality targets aimed to measure not only the accuracy of the payment but also the accuracy of the underpinning decision.

  The early difficulties experienced in meeting many of the targets had been anticipated by the Agency Management Team and as expected, performance is on target for the achievement of all key SoS targets by the year ending March 1999.

  The current and latest available performance figures for the year to date ending February 1999, are as detailed below.

TargetProgress as at
28 February 1999

To clear 75 per cent of war disablement claims within 145 days 76.48 per cent
To clear 90 per cent of war widows claims within 65 days 91.15 per cent
At 31 March 1999 to have no more than 23 per cent of outstanding appeals more than 260 days old 138.9 per cent
To clear 6,000 appeals during 1998-995,992
For 90 per cent of all claims to meet the quality criteria 90.63 per cent
By 28 February 1999, to introduce an independent element to the complaints procedure Achieved
To visit 98 per cent of recently bereaved widows within 15 days of a request being made 99.69 per cent
To achieve an average occupancy rate for the IPPH of 95 per cent during the year 96.05 per cent

1 The number of new appeals received has been significantly less than the number forecast, it means that the total number of cases available to clear is statistically non-viable in relation to the target measure and the target of having no more than 23 per cent of appeals over 260 days old is thus no longer achievable. We have however, met the spirit of the target and have managed a dramatic improvement in reducing the number of appeals in progress from 7,320 in December 1997 to 2,651 in February 1999.






 
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Prepared 23 June 1999