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SOCIAL SECURITY
MIRAS
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of the abolition of MIRAS on unemployed people with endowment mortgages; [119966]
- (2) what plans he has to increase income support, or other state assistance, following the abolition of MIRAS, for unemployed people who are paying increased mortgage repayments as a result of mis-selling of endowment mortgages. [119965]
Mr. Bayley: There should not be any effect due to the loss of MIRAS. Benefit was recalculated from 6 April automatically, and customers received a notification from the Benefits Agency, informing them of the change to their benefit. An endowment mortgage does not affect the recalculation of benefit. The mortgage scheme only makes payments on the interest element of the mortgage.
20 Apr 2000 : Column: 602W
Benefit Fraud Inspectorate
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the report on the Contributions Agency by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate was published; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [119821]
Mr. Rooker: The BFI report on the then Contributions Agency was published in July 1999. A copy was placed in the Library and can also be found on the Department's internet site at www.dss.gov.uk/
State Pension
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of increasing the basic state pension in line with average earnings over the next five years in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK. [119868]
Mr. Rooker: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Great Britain | Scotland | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Gross cost | Net cost | Gross cost |
| 2000-01 | 350 | 250 | 50 |
| 2001-02 | 900 | 700 | 100 |
| 2002-03 | 1,650 | 1,250 | 150 |
| 2003-04 | 2,450 | 1,900 | 250 |
| 2004-05 | 3,300 | 2,600 | 300 |
Notes:
1. Costs are rounded to the nearest £50 million and are in 2000-01 benefit rates.
2. Costs include benefits whose rates are linked by statute to the rate of basic Retirement Pension.
3. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department. Costs net of means-tested benefit savings have been estimated using the Policy Simulation Model and PENSIM.
4. Net costs are not available for Scotland.
5. UK figures are not available.
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time that (a) male pensioners, (b) female pensioners and (c) all pensioners have drawn the basic state retirement pension at five yearly intervals since 1970. [120053]
Mr. Rooker: The information requested is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Notes:
1. Estimates are supplied by the Government Actuary's Department and are based on population estimates supplied by the Office for National Statistics.
2. Figures relate to Great Britain.
3. Estimates are likely to overestimate average durations of State Retirement Pension claims, due to those who claim their pension after State pension age.
20 Apr 2000 : Column: 603W
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the annual cost in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK of raising the basic state pension to the level of the minimum income guarantee for (i) all pensioners, (ii) pensioners aged over 70 years and (iii) pensioners aged over 80 years. [119867]
Mr. Rooker: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| All pensioners | Pensioners over 70 | Pensioners over 80 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | |||
| Gross cost | 5650 | 3750 | 1450 |
| Net cost | 4500 | 2850 | 950 |
| Scotland | |||
| Gross cost | 500 | 300 | 100 |
Notes:
1. Costs are rounded to the nearest to the £50 million and are 2000/1 benefit rates.
2. Costs do not include benefits whose rates are linked to the rate of basic Retirement Pension as the question asked for the pensioner costs only.
3. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department. Costs net of means-tested benefit savings have been estimated using the Policy Simulation Model.
4. Net costs are not available for Scotland.
5. UK figures are not available.
Reviews, Task Forces and Advisory Groups
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what (a) Reviews, (b) Task Forces and (c) Advisory Groups have been established by his Department since 22 February 1999; what is their membership; and what reports have (i) been published and (ii) are due to be published by (1) them and (2) other such bodies established before 22 February 1999. [119949]
Mr. Rooker: A table containing the information requested on Task Forces, Reviews and Advisory Groups has been placed in the Library.
Full lists detailing Government Task Forces and Review Groups will be published every six months. The next list covering the period to the end of April will be published in due course.
20 Apr 2000 : Column: 604W
Benefits Agency
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what performance targets he has set the Benefits Agency for 2000-01; and if he will make a statement. [120588]
Angela Eagle: The targets we have set BA for 2000-01 are as follows.
They reflect our determination to reform the welfare state and to modernise the Social Security system to encourage work for those who can and provide security for those who cannot.
They underpin the Departmental Aim and Objectives set out in our Public Service Agreement.
Further information on BA plans for 2000-01 is contained in their business plan, which will be published on 5 May. Copies will be placed in the Library.
Benefits Agency Secretary of State Targets 2000-01
Active Customer Focused Service Delivery
1. By March 2001 extend the scope of electronic service offered to the public, namely by providing a wider range of services available via the internet.
2. Seek to improve key customer services, set out in Benefits Agency Customer Charter, namely by providing:
easy access to accurate benefit information;
accurate and timely payments; and
effective complaints handling.
3. Implement an action plan to establish a Performance Management Unit to reduce variations in performance within the Agency specifically, by March 2001:
Improving the performance of the lowest performing offices;
Improving the management information to underpin performance improvements.
4. Continue to work with the Employment Service, Local Authorities and private and voluntary sectors in 12 locations to pilot ONE.
5. From May 2000, introduce a take-up campaign, contacting at least two million pensioners and encouraging them to claim the pensioner Minimum Income Guarantee in order to make inroads into pensioner poverty.
6. By October 2000, deliver a national Retirement Pensions telephone claims service.
7. From November 2000, deliver improvements in computer produced notifications to Income Support customers.
8. By March 2001, work with others in the Department to develop, pilot and evaluate broad based measures of consumer focus and satisfaction, so we can introduce new arrangements during 2001.
Secure and Accurate Services
9. Reduce by 30 per cent. losses from fraud and errors in Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance by March 2007, with at least a 10 per cent. reduction by March 2002.
10. By March 2001, work with others in the Department to prepare the way for extending ACT as the normal method of payment in a programme starting from 2003 and concluding in 2005, so that
a programme of customer research can be conducted;
payment processes can be improved to better support Automated Credit Transfers.
20 Apr 2000 : Column: 605W
Investing in our People
11. By December 2000, contribute to the reduction in public sector sickness by reducing absences by 10 per cent. from 1998 Public Service Agreement baseline levels.
12. By 31 March 2001, work with others in the Department to develop, pilot and evaluate new ways of measuring staff perception of the organisation to improve satisfaction and motivation.
Effective Management of Money
13. To recover £135 million in cases where benefit has been overpaid, contributing to the Department's overall target of £175 million.
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