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Pension Arrears
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what estimate he has made of the numbers of
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(a) widows and (b) pensioners awaiting payment of arrears of pensions in the Norwich, North constituency; [104519]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number of staff hours of work necessary to distribute back-payments of pensions to (a) pensioners and (b) widows in the Norwich, North constituency. [104517]
Mr. Rooker:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given on 2 December 1999, Official Report, columns 294-95W, to the hon. Members for Northavon (Mr. Webb) and for Havant (Mr. Willetts).
Ministers have taken a personal interest in addressing the system problems and have been actively involved in NIRS2 development, stabilisation and recovery.
The system problems affecting payments are our top priority. These payments relate to individuals who claim contributory benefits (Retirement Pension, Widows Benefits, Incapacity Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance); and individuals who have contracted-out of the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme and rebate payments are made to the Personal and Occupational Pension Provider who maintain their pension scheme.
The Inland Revenue, Benefits Agency and Andersen Consulting, through joint working, have made significant progress in clearing these problems. The vast majority of problems have been resolved and most of the functionality is in place and working. A plan has been agreed with Andersen Consulting for the delivery of the remaining functionality by 31 March 2000.
For the Norwich offices, of the outputs received relating to Widows, 79 remain to be cleared. For Retirement Pension, of the outputs received, 746 remain to be processed. However, until all claims have been reviewed it is not known in how many cases arrears will have been due.
The Benefits Agency has put in place contingency procedures to deal with back-payments to Pensioners and Widows utilising existing staff, which includes overtime working where appropriate. Up to 31 December 1999, the Norwich offices have worked 313 hours in dealing with claims to Widows Benefits and 2,823 hours on Retirement Pensions. Not all the cases dealt with have had arrears of benefits due.
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the exemption or otherwise from the all work test of those who were incapable of work between 1 December 1993 and 12 April 1995 under the transitional award of Incapacity Benefit. [104423]
Mr. Bayley:
The all work test was introduced as the means of determining incapacity for work for benefit purposes from 13 April 1995. Under transitional arrangements, people who were entitled to the former
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invalidity benefit between 1 December 1993 and 12 April 1995 (ignoring breaks of eight weeks or less) and who were aged 58 or over on 13 April 1995 are treated as satisfying the test as long as they continue to provide a doctor's statement as evidence of incapacity. In effect, the all work test is not applied to them.
Similar arrangements were made for people who at the time of the change were entitled to an income-related benefit (Income Support, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit) on the grounds of incapacity for work.
Mr. Canavan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take measures to ensure that Jobseeker's Allowance is paid to workers who are temporarily unemployed and not receiving wages during school holidays at (a) Christmas and (b) other holiday periods. [104369]
Angela Eagle:
The Court of Appeal has confirmed that ancillary workers who are not entitled to receive Jobseeker's Allowance during term-time because of the hours they work are also not entitled to Jobseeker's Allowance during the school holidays.
We understand that the appellant in that case has applied for leave to appeal to the House of Lords. We are awaiting the outcome of that application.
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many ancillary workers affected by the Social Security Commissioner's decision CIS/14661/1996 of December 1997 have (a) inquired about ex-gratia payments and (b) been given ex-gratia payments; and for what average amounts. [104104]
Angela Eagle:
A total of 1,950 requests for ex-gratia payments have been received from ancillary workers affected by CIS/14661/1996. Of these, one ex-gratia payment of £337.03 has been made and 206 cases remain outstanding.
Ex-gratia payments can be considered only where there has been a loss of statutory entitlement to benefit. Since subsequent legal decisions reversed the effect of CIS/14661/1996, the current position is that there was never any statutory entitlement to JSA during school holiday periods for this group. Further ex-gratia payments cannot therefore be made under the law as it currently stands.
Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what factors underlay his decision not to pay the Winter Fuel Payment for 1999 to 2000 to people who reach the age of 60 after September 1999 but before 31 March 2000; and if he will reconsider his policy. [104082]
Angela Eagle:
In order to issue Winter Fuel Payments automatically, without incurring disproportionate administration costs, most eligible people aged 60 and over are identified through official departmental computer records. These records hold the key information needed
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to establish entitlement. The records are used to decide whether people are entitled for at least a day during a specified qualifying week.
The current process for identifying those who are entitled and determining the amount payable takes around 10 weeks. Therefore, to ensure people receive the payments in good time to help with their winter fuel bills, the qualifying week must precede the onset of winter. This winter the qualifying week began on 20 September. Making the payments as early as possible in the winter ensures that the very elderly, who will include the vast majority of those who are most frail, have their payment when they need it.
There are currently no plans to change the method of determining eligibility.
Ms Atherton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the extension of Winter Fuel Payments to men aged 60 to 65 years will include (a) the £10 Christmas bonus and (b) previous winter fuel subsidy schemes. [104378]
Angela Eagle:
The extension of Winter Fuel Payments to everyone aged 60 and over who is resident in Great Britain applies to the Winter Fuel Payments scheme only. Payments will be backdated to the start of the scheme.
Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how men aged 60 to 64 will claim the winter fuel payment for 1999 to 2000 and previous years; and what is his estimate of the cost for 1999 to 2000 and previous years. [104061]
Angela Eagle:
It will be necessary to determine the names and addresses of people who are newly eligible for Winter Fuel Payments. As the information we hold may not be up to date, we will need to introduce a claims process for Winter Fuel Payments. This process will need to be developed carefully and appropriate IT systems built to deal with claims. The Benefits Agency are currently working on the operational issues for delivery.
There is no need for people newly eligible for Winter Fuel Payments to contact the Benefits Agency now. An announcement will be made, and an advertising campaign will begin in a matter of months.
Equalising the age of entitlement for Winter Fuel Payments at 60 for men and women will mean annual expenditure may increase by an estimated £85 million. Backdating the payments to the start of the scheme for up to 1.9 million people will have an estimated one-off programme cost of £115 million.
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make benefits available to support 19-year-old students who wish to remain in full-time secondary education. [104276]
Angela Eagle:
Responsibility for financial support of 19-year-old students who are in full-time education rests primarily with the student support system. Benefits are available only to full-time students who fall within certain vulnerable groups, such as lone parents and the disabled. We have no plans to change this.
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Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what number and proportion of people aged over 60 years or over are entitled to, but are not receiving, (a) Attendance Allowance and (b) Disability Living Allowance. [104058]
Mr. Bayley:
There are no reliable estimates of the number of people aged 60 years or over who might be entitled to these benefits if they were to make a claim.
(2) what steps he is taking to rectify the problems associated with payment through the National Insurance Computer System; [104518]
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