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Pensioner Statistics
Mr. Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of (a) retired people, (b) pensioners, and (c) people over the age of 65 in each (i) English county and (ii) parliamentary constituency; and what is the average figure in each category. [106738]
Mr. Rooker: This information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of pensioners over the age of (a) 75 and (b) 80 in (i) Yeovil constituency and (ii) South Somerset; and if he will make a statement. [106737]
Mr. Rooker:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
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| Aged 75 and over | Aged 85 and over | |
|---|---|---|
| Yeovil | 7,800 | 1,600 |
| Aged over 75 | Aged over 80 | |
|---|---|---|
| South Somerset | 13,100 | 7,100 |
Notes:
1. For part (i), mid-year population estimates are not compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for parliamentary constituencies. The lowest level at which population estimates are available is the local authority level. 1991 Census information has therefore been used. Figures by the precise age groups requested are not available.
2. For part (ii), mid-98 population estimates for South Somerset have been provided. These are the latest available population estimates.
3. The people in these age groups are not necessarily pensioners.
4. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred persons throughout.
State Second Pension
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people, by gender, would benefit, and at what cost, from crediting carers for the state second pension on a weekly basis. [106850]
Mr. Rooker: It is not possible to provide the costs requested without further detailed assumptions on how such a system would work. Furthermore, it is unlikely to be operationally feasible to provide entitlement based on weeks rather than whole tax years.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many more people would receive the state second pension, at what cost, and how much would be payable in pension, if he aligned 35 hours of care qualification for credits to the state second pension with the minimum wage qualification of 18 hours, taking (a) 2005, (b) 2010, (c) 2015, (d) 2025 and (e) 2047 as the retirement years; [106847]
- (2) how many (a) men and (b) women in each of the last five years have notified the Contributions Agency of the home responsibilities protection entitlement (i) at state pension age, (ii) two years before state pension age, (iii) five years before state pension age, (iv) 10 years before state pension age and (v) 15 years before state pension age. [106846]
Mr. Rooker: The information is not available.
Invalid Care Allowance
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1999, Official Report, column 327W, concerning invalid care allowance, if he will estimate the cost of crediting for each year those invalid care allowance recipients whose award (a) has been terminated (b) is current, where awards were made from (i) 1981, (ii) 1991, (iii) 1995 and (iv) 1999, their state second pension, assuming a retirement in (1) 2002, (2) 2005, (3) 2010, (4) 2015, and (5) 2025. [106853]
Mr. Rooker:
The information is not available.
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Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many press releases his Department issued in each year from 1995 to 1999. [106560]
| Year | HQ | Benefits Agency | Contributions Agency | Child Support Agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 180 | 29 | 20 | 2 |
| 1996 | 294 | 34 | 21 | 1 |
| 1997 | 291 | 60 | 50 | 10 |
| 1998 | 311 | 42 | 28 | 4 |
| 1999 | 324 | 48 | -- | 3 |
Notes:
1. Press releases for the War Pensions Agency and Information Technology Agency are included in the figures given for Headquarters.
2. The 1999 column for Contributions Agency does not show a figure as the Agency has transferred to the Inland Revenue.
Independent Living Funds
Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make changes to the payments limits and earnings disregard operated by the Independent Living Funds. [107383]
Mr. Bayley: I am pleased to be able to announce changes to both the ILF payment limits and the earnings disregard. The limit for payments from the Extension Fund will be increased from £560 a week to £625 a week, and the £300 a week limit for 1993 Fund cases will be raised to £375 per week. Within the 1993 Fund the overall joint limit, in conjunction with local authorities, on care packages that can be funded will be raised from £500 a week to £625 a week.
A more generous disregard of earnings will also be introduced, to allow those severely disabled people who are able to work to gain greater reward from that work. At present only the first £30 a week of reckonable earnings is disregarded. In future, in addition to this £30 a week of reckonable earnings is disregarded. In future, in addition to this £30, the Funds will also disregard 45 per cent. of the remaining earnings up to a maximum of £200 reckonable earnings per week. The new disregard will apply to household earnings, not just the earnings of the disabled person. The changes will come into effect immediately.
Chief Adjudication Officer's Report
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the final report of the Chief Adjudication Officer; and if he will make a statement. [107723]
Angela Eagle:
The report is published today and copies have been placed in the Library. The Chief Adjudication Officer's findings record that, in a difficult transitional period for the Agencies as they adopted the new decision making and appeals processes, standards have in general been maintained. He is, in particular, encouraged by the fact that the Agencies continued to look for ways to effect improvements across benefits. As this is his final report
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and with his staff moving on to new areas of work, the Chief Adjudication Officer has taken the opportunity to praise them for their work.
The Chief Adjudication Officer welcomes the changes to decision-making and appeals that were introduced last year. As he acknowledges, those changes lie at the very heart of Ministers' plans for modernising Social Security delivery and promise substantially improved standards of service for customers.
Chief Executives have taken on the Chief Adjudication Officer's responsibilities for guidance to decision makers and monitoring and reporting on standards. They are now accountable for the quality of decision making in their agencies. The changes help to get decisions right. If a mistake is made, it can be put right more easily. Notifications will be clearer and easier to understand.
Improvements have been made to the handling of appeals. The ending of the rigid requirement for three person tribunals means that expert resources can be better focused on the issues raised in each appeal. Appeal waiting times will be cut. A new agency is being set up to handle the administration of appeals and we will set demanding targets for clearing appeals.
These changes will deliver real improvements in service to clients. And we have preserved the essential elements of the current system: decisions continue to be made impartially by applying the law to the facts of each case, and clients still have the right of appeal to an independent tribunal.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the existing planned total for public expenditure for 2001-02 will be adhered to when the next Comprehensive Spending Review is announced; and if he will make a statement. [106461]
Mr. Andrew Smith
[holding answer 24 January 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 November 1999, Official Report, column 781W.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals are being considered by his Department, the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise to help sustain and develop the viability of rural and urban sub post offices. [105862]
27 Jan 2000 : Column: 262W
Mr. Timms:
I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister for Competitiveness on 20 January 2000, Official Report, columns 519-20W.
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