---

Benefits Agency (Complaints)

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many complaints there were against the Benefits Agency in 1999-2000; what was the cost of handling these complaints; how many of these complaints are still outstanding; and if he will make a statement. [124543]

Angela Eagle: The administration of the Benefits Agency is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Charlie MacKinnon to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 9 June 2000:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked Alexis Cleveland to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about how many complaints there were against the Benefits Agency in 1999/2000; what was the cost of handling these complaints and how many of these complaints are still outstanding. Due to annual leave I am replying on her behalf.

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.

Complaints are received centrally through the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration [PCA], from Ministers and MPs acting on behalf of their constituents, and directly by our operational business units from members of the public, customer representatives and local MPs.

For the period between 1st April 1999 and 31st March 2000, the Benefits Agency [BA] received 99 statements of complaint from the Parliamentary Ombudsman's office. The BA met all deadlines set by the Ombudsman's office. The question of outstanding Ombudsman complaints is a matter for his office and falls outside BA jurisdiction.

BA Parliamentary Correspondence Unit received a total of 6155 letters of complaint. At the end of March 2000, there were 454 in total outstanding.

There were 77,646 complaints received directly by our operational business units for the same period. At the end of March 2000, there were 18096 in total outstanding.

I hope this is helpful.

Benefit Offices

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what definition he uses of a reasonable distance when determining access to a benefits office. [124669]

9 Jun 2000 : Column: 407W

Angela Eagle: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Charlie MacKinnon to Caroline Flint, dated 9 June 2000:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked Alexis Cleveland to reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the definition of a reasonable distance when determining access to a benefits office. Due to annual leave I am replying on her behalf.

The Benefits Agency (BA) does not have a definition of a reasonable distance from benefits offices, as we provide access to our benefits and services in various ways which are designed to take account of customers' needs and circumstances. The BA Customer Charter gives details of how customers can get access to benefits, information and services. These include contact by telephone, correspondence, and calling at a benefits office or being visited at home by a visiting officer.

I hope this is helpful.

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of the population lives (a) within one mile of and (b) over three miles from a benefit office in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas. [124521]

Angela Eagle: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Caroline Flint, dated 8 June 2000:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about what percentage of the population lives (a) within one mile of and (b) over three miles from a benefit office in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas.

Unfortunately, neither operational business units nor Analytical Services Division hold the type of data required in order to provide this information.

I am sorry that I have not been able to be more helpful in this instance.

Disability Living Allowance

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will make a determination on the appeal for Disability Living Allowance by Rachel Scully, of Birkenhead. [124509]

Mr. Bayley: The administration of Disability Living Allowance is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my right hon. Friend.

Letter from Charlie MacKinnon to Mr. Frank Field, dated 9 June 2000:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked Alexis Cleveland to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question about when he will make a determination on the appeal for Disability Living Allowance by Rachel Scully, of Birkenhead. Due to annual leave I am replying on her behalf.

Rachel's casepapers were forwarded to The Appeals Service (TAS) on 22 May for their continued action. TAS has sent form TAS1 to Mrs. Scully. The form gives Mrs. Scully notes about the appeal and asks her to complete a questionnaire requesting information on how she wishes to proceed with the appeal. Once returned to them Rachel's case will be treated as urgent at all stages and Mrs. Scully will be informed of her hearing date within 6 weeks of TAS receiving the form.

I hope this is helpful.

9 Jun 2000 : Column: 408W

Pensions (Payment Methods)

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what estimate he has made of the total annual cost of administering weekly payments in cash for state pensions, including payments to the Post Office and other third parties; [124780]

(2) what estimate he has made of the total annual cost of making payments of pensions to pensioners by ACT; [124781]

(3) what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who failed to switch to ACT because of the change from weekly to monthly payment. [124782]

Mr. Rooker: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows:

Information on total annual costs of administering payments for State Pensions, including payments to the Post Office and other third parties is collated but not split by method of payment of frequency of payment. The latest total annual cost of administering Retirement Pension for 1998/99 was £314 million.

Frequency of payment is a big issue for many pensioners and anecdotal evidence suggests that the non-availability of weekly payment by ACT is a potential issue, which may prevent some customers switching from order book to ACT. Unfortunately, information upon which a numerical estimate of the number of these pensioners could be based is not available. This is obviously an issue we are giving consideration to.

National Insurance

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the National Insurance Recording system stores the date of birth of individuals linked with their National Insurance number. [125308]

Mr. Rooker: Yes, the National Insurance Recording System stores an individual's date of birth, which is linked with the National Insurance Number.

Benefit Fraud

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate, for each local authority, the total amount saved in benefit expenditure in the most recent year arising from anti-fraud initiatives; if he will express this figure as a percentage of the total expenditure on social security benefits administered by each local authority; and if he will provide an aggregate estimate for Great Britain. [125309]

Mr. Rooker: The most effective way of combating benefit fraud is to stop it happening in the first place. That is why, for example, we are taking steps to improve the way local authorities deal with new claims for Housing Benefit (the "Verification Framework") which has been allowed to occur and which is to reduce the scope for fraud and error at the outset. It is therefore not possible to quantify the total amount saved by all the anti-fraud initiatives we are taking to drive fraud out of the system.

The weekly benefit savings scheme provides a measure of that part of Social Security benefit fraud (including Housing Benefit, Council Tax benefit and Income Support) based on what local authorities have

9 Jun 2000 : Column: 409W

subsequently detected. A weekly benefit saving is the amount of benefit fraudulently in payment multiplied by 32, the average time in weeks that benefit would have been likely to continue in payment if the fraud had gone undetected. A table providing the information requested expressed in terms of weekly benefit savings has been placed in the Library. The data in the table are for 1998-99, the latest year for which comprehensive information is available.

We have recently announced changes to the weekly benefit savings scheme. The changes mean that authorities which uncover more fraud and prosecute fraudsters can expect to receive greater financial reward than before. We will also give additional reward to those authorities which operate the Verification Framework.

---