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Winter Fuel Payments
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what estimate he has made of the total cost of administering the extended Winter Fuel Payment scheme for men; [128526]
- (2) how many men have been sent letters relating to the extended Winter Fuel Payment scheme; [128527]
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(3) how many completed forms relating to the extended Winter Fuel Payment scheme for men have been received by his Department; [128528]
(4) how many phone calls relating to the extended Winter Fuel Payment scheme for men have been dealt with by the Winter Fuel Payments Helpline. [128530]
Angela Eagle: The estimated cost of administering the extended Winter Fuel Payment scheme is in the order of £25 million; this includes additional costs associated with handling this years retrospective payments.
During April we wrote to around 20,000 people, who had already registered their details. From 5 May, over a five-week period, a mailshot took place to all those identified as being eligible under the new arrangements. Over this period we wrote to around 1.7 million people.
The number of completed claim forms received to date is 1,067,119, which include 6,119 that have been downloaded from the internet. As well as the men aged between 60-64 who may now be eligible, this figure includes claim forms from women aged 60 or over who have not previously received a winter fuel payment as they were not in receipt of the State Retirement Pension or one of the other qualifying benefits.
To date a total of 217,615 calls have been made to the Winter Fuel Helpline.
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of extending Winter Fuel Payments to all disabled people in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK who receive Income Support. [128170]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
The annual cost of extending Winter Fuel Payments to people in Scotland who are in receipt of Income Support with a disability premium, is estimated to be £20 million in 2000-01. The equivalent cost for the whole of Great Britain is estimated to be £140 million.
- Notes:
- 1. Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
- 2. Estimates exclude those in receipt of a disability premium who are in residential care or nursing homes.
- 3. Estimates include those in receipt of income-based Jobseeker's Allowance with a disability premium.
- 4. Figures include an adjustment to take into account reduced payments to people aged 60 or over not in receipt of Income Support who live in the same household as a claimant of Income Support with a disability premium.
- 5. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10 million.
Invalid Care Allowance
Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much it would cost in Scotland and the UK (a) to allow carers over the age of 65 years to claim Invalid Care Allowance and (b) to introduce a (i) five per cent. and (ii) 10 per cent. increase for Invalid Care Allowance after two years of caring in (A) Scotland and (B) the UK. [128175]
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Mr. Bayley: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the tables.
| Estimated cost | |
|---|---|
| Scotland | 5 |
| Great Britain | 30 |
Notes:
1. Costs rounded to nearest five million, cash prices.
2. Estimates are based on Family Resources Survey 1997-98 and 1998-99, and caseload forecasts.
3. As estimates based on survey data the above will be subject to sampling error. The limitations of modelling entitlement from available survey data on the number of hours that individuals spend providing care mean that the above estimates should be treated with caution--there is evidence of under-reporting of hours spent providing care.
4. It is assumed that all normal ICA entitlement rules remain in place after any abolition of the upper age limit for new claims. Costs include the effects on Income Support (IS) carer premium and consequent effects on Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit.
5. Costing does not include any behavioural effects that might arise as consequence of change or IS floaters on.
6. Proportion of extra expenditure in Scotland assumed to be in line with proportion of those with disability benefits potentially qualifying for ICA in Scotland.
7. Costs are provided for GB and Scotland only. Information on benefits in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
| 5 per cent. increase to ICA | 10 per cent. increase to ICA | |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 2 | 4 |
| GB | 20 | 40 |
Notes:
1. Costs rounded to nearest five million for GB, one million for Scotland.
2. Costs include offsetting IRB effects.
3. Two years spent providing care interpreted as two years on ICA, percentage increase taken as applying to dependant increases as well as basic ICA.
4. Proportion of extra expenditure in Scotland assumed to be in line with proportion of those with disability benefits potentially qualifying for ICA in Scotland.
5. Costs are provided for GB and Scotland only. Information on benefits in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Source:
ICAU July 100 per cent. sample count, ICA forecasts
Mr. Swinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost for (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom of (i) abolishing the 21 hour study rule for Invalid Care Allowance and (ii) extending invalid care allowance for eight weeks after the death of the person being cared for. [128128]
Mr. Bayley: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
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| Estimated Cost | |
|---|---|
| Great Britain | 2 |
| Scotland | 0.2 |
Notes:
1. Costs for GB rounded to the nearest million pounds. Costs for Scotland rounded to the nearest £100K.
2. The costs incorporate knock-on effects to Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
3. Information on benefits in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much he estimates it would cost in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK to (i) increase Invalid Care Allowance to the level of the basic state pension, (ii) raise the earnings limit for ICA to the equivalent of the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions and (iii) introduce a taper on ICA set at 50 per cent. of earnings over the (1) existing earnings limit and (2) earnings limit in (ii) above. [128131]
Mr. Bayley: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Costs | 2001-02 |
|---|---|
| GB | 355 |
| Scotland | 40 |
Notes:
1. Costs are rounded to the nearest five million and provided in cash prices
2. Costs are based on the Department's Analytical Services Division's forecast of ICA recipients
3. The cost for Scotland is apportioned using 1998-99 admin data on qualifying benefits obtained from the Scottish Information Centres
4. Costs are provided for GB and Scotland only. Information on benefits in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
5. Income related benefit offset effects are incorporated into the above costs
6. Any behavioural effects that may result due to a change in the policy are not taken into account
7. The estimated cost is calculated by increasing the level of ICA to the level of the Basic State Retirement Pension, currently set at £67.50.
Disability Benefits
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of increasing disability benefits by (a) 5 per cent. and (b) 10 per cent. for people in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK. [128235]
Angela Eagle: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
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| 5 per cent. increase | 10 per cent. increase | |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 80 | 160 |
| Great Britain | 700 | 1,410 |
Notes:
1. Costs rounded to the nearest ten million and presented in cash prices.
2. Costs are derived from expenditure forecasts by Analytical Services Division.
3. Information on benefits in Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost for Scotland and the UK of extending the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance to disabled people aged over 65 years. [128173]
Mr. Bayley: The information is in the table.
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| Great Britain | 2.6 |
| Scotland | 0.3 |
Notes:
1. Costs are in cash prices and rounded to nearest hundred million.
2. Estimates derived from model of entitlement based on 1996-97 Disability Survey and forecast caseloads.
3. Estimates are subject to a significant margin of error reflecting underlying uncertainties of modelling entitlement from available survey data.
4. Estimated costs include effects on income related benefits.
5. Costs for Northern Ireland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
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