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Benefit Entitlements
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the total annual net cost of restoring benefit entitlements to 16 and 17-year-olds; what assumptions underlie this estimate; and if he will make a statement. [110061]
Angela Eagle: We believe that every young person should have the opportunity to achieve their potential. That is why our aim is to engage 16 and 17-year-olds in education, training or work with training, rather than starting their adult lives dependent on the benefits system.
Departments are working together to develop and implement the proposals in the Government White Paper "Learning to Succeed" and the Social Exclusion Unit's report "Bridging the Gap". The recently announced Connexions Service will help, support and guide young people through their teenage years including those most at risk from disadvantage.
The estimated annual cost of restoring full entitlement to Social Security benefits to 16 and 17-year-olds would be £100 million at present rates. These costs do not make any allowance for possible changes in labour market behaviour as a result of these changes.
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Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the number of software releases he plans to make available within his Department in each of the next three years; and what changes to the benefit system each release will produce. [107295]
Angela Eagle
[holding answer 28 January 2000]: Software releases are a matter for the Chief Executive of the Information Technology Services Agency, George McCorkell. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Shanley, on behalf of George McCorkell, to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 11 February 2000:
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Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he intends to make to the discretionary social fund. [111228]
Angela Eagle:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be making changes to the discretionary social fund, with effect from 3 April 2000, to take account of new legislation in other benefit areas being introduced on that date. A range of other minor improvements, identified during the course of routine monitoring will also be included in the amendment to directions and guidance.
Details of these changes have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Rapson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase charges in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [111237]
Mr. Denham:
We shall lay before the House regulations to increase National Health Service charges in England from 1 April 2000. There will be a cash increase in the charge of 10p, (1.69 per cent.) from £5.90 to £6.00 for each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed.
The cost of prescription prepayment certificates will rise to £31.40 for a four-month certificate and £86.20 for an annual certificate. These offer savings for those needing more than 5 items in four months or 14 in one year.
Prescription charges are expected to raise some £380 million for the NHS in 2000-2001.
Charges for elastic stockings and tights, wigs and most fabric supports supplied through the Hospital Service will be increased similarly.
The maximum patient charge for a single course of dental treatment begun on or after 1 April 2000 will increase from £348 to £354. Only about 1 in every 1,000 courses of treatment will attract the new maximum charge.
The increases are in line with the movement of the retail prices index from January 1999 (the benchmark for the current charge) to November 1999 of 2 per cent., but rounded to the most convenient unit. Movements in the retail prices index from November to November will become the benchmark for any subsequent charges increases within the three year period following the Comprehensive Spending Review.
Optical voucher values in England will increase overall by 2 per cent. to help children, people on low income and certain people with complex sight problems with the cost of spectacles or contact lenses.
NHS charges and optical voucher values in Scotland and Wales are a matter for the devolved administrations. However, I can inform my hon. Friend that these proposals have been considered jointly with the Secretary for Health and Social Services to the National Assembly for Wales who tells me she will be putting forward parallel proposals for consideration by the Assembly.
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Details of the revised charges have been placed in the Library.
Notes:
1. Figure is rounded to the nearest £50 million.
2. Figure is based on data taken from the 1997-98 Family Resources Survey.
3. Figure assumes benefit would be paid at benefit rates for 16 and 17-year-olds.
Further to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Departmental software releases. You specifically asked about the changes that these releases would make to the benefit system.
Upgrades and enhancements to the Department's Information Technology (IT) systems are agreed and planned jointly between the Information Technology Service Agency, Departmental Agencies and other units and Stakeholders. The attached annex outlines the benefit system software releases planned for the next three years and concentrates on the benefits these releases will introduce for their recipients.
The work planned over the next three years has accounted for several legislative changes. Any further legislative changes announced will have an effect on the contents of the releases planned.
I hope that you find this reply helpful.
Annex
Over the next three financial years the following releases have been planned:
Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) has three proposed releases which plan to implement enhancements to:
New Deal for Partners of the Unemployed providing equal treatment as a joint claim for partners in 18-24 age
support payment of a revised range of benefits and allowances to both Widows and Widowers;
apply a penalty to a Jobseeker's benefit where (s)he has failed to comply with Probation or Community Punishment Order;
improve allowances where a higher-rate of Carer's Component of Disability Living Allowance is in payment;
to improve system notifications issued to customers.
Income Support (IS) has four proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
an extension of the New Deal for Lone Parent scheme to lone parents with children between 3 years and 5 years 3 months;
introduction of new premiums as part of the 'Disability Income Guarantee' initiative;
the provision of certain forms directly to Social Service locations;
to account for the introduction of the Child Support Reforms;
to improve system notifications issued to customers.
Social Fund (SF) has four proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
to improve the system notifications issued to customers;
extension of Budgeting Loans to low income groups by allowing Council Tax Benefit recipients access to the scheme;
improvements to the repayment of loan interface with the Income Support Computer System;
introduction of Automated Credit Transfer for Social Fund customers.
Disability Living Allowance/Attendance Allowance (DLA/AA) has four proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
automation of some notifications to improve consistency of customer information;
identification of certain renewal cases to allow for further medical enquiries;
a range of system administration enhancements.
Working Families' Tax Credit (WFTC)/Disabled Person's Tax Credit (DPTC) has three proposed releases to implement the following enhancements:
support changes intended to bring WFTC into line with DPTC;
support changes for new rules for DPTC;
Support changes where the system will calculate entitlement to remission from NHS charges, and issue a certificate with the award notification;
support changes to the award amount to certain WFTC applicants;
a range of system administration enhancements.
Invalid Care Allowance (ICA) has two proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
production of restricted orderbooks which account for the recipient reaching retirement age or changes to their receipt of DLA/AA;
a range of system administration enhancements.
Industrial Injuries has two proposed releases which plan to implement a range of system administration enhancements.
War Pensions (WP) has six proposed releases, which plan to implement the following enhancements:
to reflect decisions made at the European Court of Human Rights;
a range of system administration enhancements.
Pensions and Incapacity Benefit (PSCS/INCAP) has five proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements to:
support changes in the award of Maternity Allowance from April 2000;
support changes relating to Pensions Sharing on Divorce;
support changes relating to the provision of support in bereavement;
support changes in Incapacity Benefit for helping young disabled people;
support changes to cater for where a claimant has a personal or occupational pension;
support the Child Support Reforms;
support a State Second Pension Scheme;
support Teleclaims processing for new Retirement Pension claimants in Great Britain.
Child Benefit (ChB) has three proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
new processing of late claims to Child Benefit;
new communications with Welsh customers;
introduction of new and improved communications for Child Benefit customers.
Child Support Computer System (CSCS) has two proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
to provide new customer payment statements;
to provide changes to the way information from Job Seeker Allowance (JSA)/Income Support (IS) is handled;
to improve system notifications issued to customers;
to the debt management system.
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