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Savings Limit

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 28 February 2000, Official Report, column 172W, to the hon. Member for Colchester, what the level of the savings limit set at £3,000 in April 1998 would be now if it had been uprated since then in line with the retail prices index. [112993]

Mr. Bayley: If the lower capital limit of £3,000, set in 1988, in the income-related benefits had been uprated in line with the retail price index it would be £4,878 at April 2000.

Winter Fuel Payments

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will estimate the number of people entitled to winter fuel payments who have yet to receive them; [112947]

(2) if he will estimate the number of appeals against (a) failure to award and (b) level of winter fuel payments that (i) his Department has received, (ii) were successful and (iii) are still outstanding. [112948]

8 Mar 2000 : Column: 728W

Angela Eagle: At the end of January 2000, it was estimated that around 99 per cent. of customers who qualified under the existing arrangements had received their full entitlement to a Winter Fuel Payment. The remaining 1 per cent. were those customers whose girocheques had been returned, uncollected, from the Post Office or who queried the amount paid.

Following the European Court's ruling in the Taylor case, we have announced our intention to extend help through the Winter Fuel Payment scheme to men as well as women aged 60 and over. At the same time we also announced our intention to make backdated payments to all people who will be included within the scope of the scheme in respect of the previous three winters (i.e. 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000).

We are carefully considering what arrangements need to be made in order to issue payments accurately and securely to customers not already within the scope of the existing scheme. An announcement will be made as soon as possible once plans are further advanced.

A total of 43,000 customers have queried the level of their entitlement to a Winter Fuel Payment. Each claim was reconsidered in line with the Decision-Making and Appeal rules, resulting in the issue of a "top-up" payment to some customers. Where the original decision was not changed by the reconsideration, an appeal was sent to the Appeals Service. The total number of appeals to date is 255, but information on whether these have been successful or are still outstanding could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Low-income Households

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1999, Official Report, column 333W, on low-income households, if he will publish tables as in the answer which show the position for households which do not include a self-employed adult. [112808]

Angela Eagle: The information is available for the years shown in the tables. The latest information relates to the financial year 1997-98.

8 Mar 2000 : Column: 727W

Numbers of people in families where one or more adults were in paid work and where the income is below half contemporary mean income, excluding the self-employedBefore housing costs Million

Year	Total people	Total children	Total people in lone parent families	Children in lone parent families	Total people in couple families	Children in couple families
FES
1981	1.1	0.6	0.1	0.0	1.0	0.6
1987	1.5	0.6	0.1	0.0	1.1	0.6
1988-89	1.9	0.7	0.1	0.1	1.3	0.7
1990-91	2.3	0.9	0.3	0.2	1.5	0.8
1991-92	2.4	1.0	0.3	0.2	1.6	0.8
1992-93	2.3	0.9	0.2	0.1	1.5	0.8
1993-94	2.1	0.9	0.2	0.1	1.4	0.8
1994-95	2.3	0.9	0.3	0.2	1.5	0.8
1995-96	2.4	1.0	0.3	0.2	1.5	0.8
FRS
1994-95	1.9	0.7	0.1	0.1	1.2	0.7
1995-96	1.8	0.7	0.1	0.1	1.2	0.6
1996-97	2.6	1.1	0.2	0.2	1.7	0.9
1997-98	2.8	1.1	0.3	0.2	1.8	0.9

Numbers of people in families where one or more adults were in paid work and where the income is below half contemporary mean incomeAfter housing costs Million

Year	Total people	Total children	Total people in lone parent families	Children in lone parent families	Total people in couple families	Children in couple families
FES
1981	1.6	0.8	0.1	0.1	1.4	0.8
1987	2.1	0.8	0.1	0.0	1.5	0.8
1988-89	2.3	0.9	0.2	0.1	1.6	0.8
1990-91	3.1	1.2	0.3	0.2	2.1	1.0
1991-92	3.2	1.3	0.3	0.2	2.1	1.1
1992-93	3.1	1.2	0.3	0.2	1.9	1.0
1993-94	3.0	1.2	0.4	0.2	1.9	1.0
1994-95	3.2	1.3	0.5	0.3	1.9	1.0
1995-96	3.4	1.4	0.5	0.3	2.0	1.0
FRS
1994-95	2.6	1.0	0.3	0.2	1.7	0.9
1995-96	2.8	1.1	0.3	0.2	1.7	0.9
1996-97	3.6	1.4	0.4	0.2	2.2	1.2
1997-98	3.8	1.5	0.5	0.3	2.3	1.2

Notes:

1. The information comes from the 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series. The estimates are presented on household income both Before Housing Costs and After Housing Costs in line with HBAI conventions. All the estimates in the table relate to families with an adult in paid work rather than households with an adult in paid work, but exclude households where there is a full-time self-employed adult.

2. The column headed "Total people in couple families" does not include couples without children.

3. The estimates based on the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) are for the United Kingdom. For 1988-89 and subsequent years, two years' data have been combined to improve the robustness of the results. For 1994-95 onwards, estimates are available from the larger Family Resources Survey (FRS) and relate to single financial years. The FRS results are for Great Britain.

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8 Mar 2000 : Column: 729W

Asbestos-related Diseases

Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of disablement awards made in the UK to sufferers of asbestos-related diseases over the last five years for which figures are available broken down by (a) region and (b) occupation. [113329]

Mr. Bayley: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available has been placed in the Library.

Income Support

Mr. Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total cost, in the latest financial year for which figures are available, of the provision of income support for persons from abroad. [113073]

Mr. Bayley: The estimated cost for 1998-99 of Income Support paid to people from abroad was approximately £150 million.

Notes:

1. Estimated annual expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest five million pounds.

2. Estimates may include a number of non-persons from abroad who receive Urgent Case Payments for other reasons.

3. Annual expenditure figures for Income Support have been based on an average of four quarters for the financial year, using numbers of cases and average weekly amounts.

4. Estimate does not include costs of administering the benefit.

Source:

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiries, May 1998 to February 1999.

8 Mar 2000 : Column: 730W

New Deal (Lone Parents)

Mr. Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons in Wales at the latest available date received assistance under the New Deal for Lone Parents. [113072]

Angela Eagle: Since the start of the national NDLP programme in October 1998, 6,450 Lone Parents in Wales have agreed to participate in the programme. They have all been offered help and advice by their own NDLP Adviser, 2,410 have found a job, 590 have entered training or education. Advisers have also provided assistance in finding suitable child care; and claiming in-work benefits.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents have received letters inviting them to join the New Deal for Lone Parents. [113584]

Angela Eagle: 454,920 initial letters have been issued telling lone parents about the voluntary New Deal service during the National Programme (October 1998--December 1999). In addition 50,612 initial letters were issued during phase 1 and 2 (July 1997--October 1998). The letters are part of the overall strategy (including advertising locally and nationally, using TV, Radio and the Press) to make lone parents aware of the service available to them through New Deal for Lone Parents.

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