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SERPS
Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what evidence he will require before compensation is paid as proof that a person has lost financially as a result of receiving inaccurate information from a Government Department regarding changes to inherited SERPS; and if he will make a statement. [116342]
Mr. Rooker: We shall put before the House the full details of the Inherited SERPS Scheme, including what information we will require from those wishing to claim, and the procedures that will be followed to scrutinise those claims, once we have developed them. The NAO and the Ombudsman will be fully involved in developing these procedures.
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what will be the cost to public funds of compensation to contributors for the changes to surviving spouses' entitlement to SERPS. [116378]
Mr. Rooker:
The cost to public funds will depend on the number of successful claims. The minimum cost will be £2.5 billion.
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Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the basis for his calculation that pensioner households are on average £400 per year better off than when the Government came into office. [116470]
Mr. Rooker:
The £400 figure is a rounded illustrative average across all pensioner households and covers winter fuel payments, free television licences for the over-75s, our minimum income guarantee measures and various tax changes and includes measures announced in the Budget.
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Mr. Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the value of expenditure on (a) retirement pensions, (b) winter fuel payments, (c) means-tested benefits for pensioners, (d) all other benefits for pensioners and (e) free TV licences for 1996-97 and each succeeding year to the end of the public expenditure planning period, as a share of GDP. [116471]
Mr. Rooker:
The information is in the table.
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| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retirement Pensions(12) | 4.18 | 4.12 | 4.15 | 4.19 | 4.08 | 4.10 |
| Winter Fuel Payments | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.08 | 0.15 | 0.13 |
| Means-tested benefits for pensioners(13) | 1.13 | 1.07 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.03 |
| Other benefits paid to pensioners(14) | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| Concessionary TV Licences | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| Total | 5.33 | 5.23 | 5.19 | 5.29 | 5.28 | 5.30 |
(11) Expenditure figures are consistent with estimates of Social Security AME expenditure published in the March 2000 Financial Statement and Budget Report (FSBR). GDP figures for 1996-97 and 1998-99 were published by HM Treasury at the same time. Forecast figures for GDP for 1999-2000 to 2001-02 are from Table B6 of the FSBR.
(12) Includes Retirement Pension basic and earnings-related components.
(13) Includes Income Support, Social Fund payments, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit paid to people aged 60 and over.
(14) Includes non-contributory Retirement Pension and Christmas Bonus (contributory and non-contributory).
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Benefits Agency (Internal Security)
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the report by the Probity and Transformation Section on Benefits Agency internal security will be published; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [116379]
Mr. Rooker: No. The report on the internal security of the Benefits Agency will be produced at the end of April. It is an internal document and we have no plans to publish it. This is in line with Part II paragraph 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
Personal Pensions
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if the benefits from an occupational pension scheme which are transferred to a personal pension scheme will vest in the pension holder's trustee in sequestration in the event that the pension holder is sequestrated; [116228]
- (2) when he plans to bring into force the provisions of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 whereby personal pensions, in the event of bankruptcy of the holder, will vest in the trustee; [116227]
(3) what is his estimate of the numbers of persons who by virtue of becoming sequestrated or being sequestrated prior to the coming into force of section 11 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 will lose to the trustee in sequestration the benefit of their personal pension, assuming that section 11 is not brought into force until April 2001. [116229]
Mr. Rooker:
Where a person becomes bankrupt, his assets, with some exceptions, usually vest in the trustee in bankruptcy (in Scotland, the permanent trustee in bankruptcy). In relation to personal pensions, current bankruptcy law is not wholly clear. Nevertheless, some
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personal pensions have been taken by the trustee in bankruptcy. These can include personal pensions that contain transfers from occupational pensions.
The Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 contains a measure to protect all tax-approved pensions on bankruptcy. Regulations are needed to give full effect to the measure and in order to allow for the preparation of the regulations, April 2001 has been chosen as the date for bringing the new measure into effect.
In Scotland it is estimated that the number of people who lose their personal pension on bankruptcy is around 375 a year. There is no reliable information for England and Wales.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure by local authorities in England and Wales on rent rebates for council tenants in 1998-99. [115398]
Angela Eagle:
The total expenditure on rent rebates for council tenants (i.e. properties within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA)) in 1998-99 was as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| England | 4,318 |
| Wales | 265 |
Source:
Figures are taken from the HRA subsidy forms submitted by local authorities to the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, and the National Assembly for Wales.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated expenditure by local authorities in England and Wales on rent rebates for council tenants for the years (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01. [115400]
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| 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | |
|---|---|---|
| England | 4,319 | 4,367 |
| Wales | 270 | 282 |
Source:
Figures are DSS country-based forecasts of expenditure, which underlie the Budget 2000
Child Support
Mr. Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to improve access to child support for lone parents who claim income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance. [116667]
Angela Eagle: Closer working between the Child Support Agency and the Benefits Agency has already provided a more straightforward, responsive and easily understood child support service. Currently, when Benefits Agency staff interview lone parents to help with their claim for income support and income based jobseeker's allowance, they also help them complete a child support application. If the parent with care is unwilling to apply for child support, a statement is taken at the interview setting out her reasons. The statement is then passed to the Child Support Agency for a decision on whether the reasons for not applying for child support constitute "good cause".
As a result of these changes, many more parents with care claiming income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance, now apply for child support. 87 per cent. now complete a child support application and provide details of the non-resident parent.
From 1 April this year, following successful trials around the country, the current arrangements will be extended so that the Benefits Agency will take on responsibility for making decisions about good cause. This will further streamline the service offered to lone parents claiming benefit.
Miss Geraldine Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioner households in Morecambe and Lunesdale have benefited from the winter fuel payment. [115747]
Angela Eagle:
From the data we keep it is not possible to state how many separate households have received a winter fuel payment. However, in Morecambe and Lunesdale in the winter of 1999-2000, 9,333 pensioners received a £100 payment and 9,595 pensioners received a £50 payment.
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