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Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled children qualify for Disability Living Allowance; what the percentage take-up of benefit is; and if he will make a statement on action being taken to improve the take-up figures. [13902]
Maria Eagle [holding answer 13 November 2001]: The latest available information is that 227,000 children aged under 16 were receiving Disability Living Allowance at 31 May 2001. Estimates of the take-up of this benefit are not routinely made. We keep take-up of benefit under review.
Touch Screen Kiosks
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the cost of touch screen kiosks for job search in jobcentres. [14093]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 12 November 2001, Official Report, column 583W.
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Benefits (Buckingham)
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people living in the Buckingham
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constituency were in receipt of income-related benefits in each of the last four years. [14211]
Malcolm Wicks: The available information is in the tables.
| Income support | Jobseeker's allowance (income based) | Family credit/working families tax credit | Disability working allowance/disabled person's tax credit(54) | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1998 | 2,000 | *300 | *300 | 11 | 2,600 |
| May 1999 | 2,000 | *300 | *300 | 14 | 2,600 |
| May 2000 | 2,000 | *200 | 500 | 14 | 2,700 |
| May 2001 | 2,000 | *100 | 800 | 18 | 3,000 |
(54) Disabled Working Allowance/Disabled Person's Tax Credit figures are for April each year.
Notes:
1. Figures (other than Disability Working Allowance/Disabled Person's Tax Credit which is a 100 per cent. count of all cases) are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
2. Figures marked '*' are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be treated as a rough guide to the situation only.
3. Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based) and 'Total' figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
4. Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance claimants in receipt of Family Credit/Working Families Tax Credit or Disability Working Allowance/Disabled Person's Tax Credit are not shown in Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance totals.
5. Family Credit and Disability Working Allowance were replaced by Working Families' Tax Credit and Disabled Person's Tax Credit in October 1999.
Sources:
Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries May 1998–May 2001.
Jobseeker's Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiries May 1998–May 2001.
Family Credit/Working Families' Tax Credit Quarterly Statistical Enquiries May 1998–May 2001.
Disability Working Allowance/Disabled Person's Tax Credit Quarterly Statistical Enquiries April 1998-April 2001.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit figures are not available for the Buckingham constituency but are available for Aylesbury Vale district council.
| Aylesbury Vale(55) | Housing Benefit | Council Tax Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| May 1998 | 5,880 | 6,840 |
| May 1999 | 5,720 | 6,660 |
| May 2000 | 5,220 | 6,150 |
| May 2001 | 5,000 | 6,020 |
(55) Buckingham parliamentary constituency and Aylesbury parliamentary constituency are both covered in part by the Aylesbury Vale Local Authority area. Figures are not therefore representative of the constituency area.
Notes:
1. The data refer to households, which may be a single person or a couple.
2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 cases.
Source:
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken each May from 1998 to 2001.
Benefits Agency
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many cases of vandalism were recorded in Benefits Agency offices in each year since 1997; and how many successful prosecutions were brought in respect of such cases; [14229]
- (2) what was the approximate cost of vandalism in Benefits Agency offices in each year since 1997. [14239]
Mr. Nicholas Brown [holding answer 12 November 2001]: At the outset of the PRIME contract on 1 April 1998, all risk arising from vandalism and causing damage to accommodation, furniture and fittings in Benefits Agency premises transferred to Land Securities Trillium. Land Securities Trillium is responsible therefore for all costs associated with their repair or replacement. Land Securities Trillium do not maintain statistics on vandalism in Benefits Agency offices.
Incidents such as criminal damage or vandalism, are referred to the police for investigation and possible prosecution.
Social Security (Modernisation Budget)
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what items the budget for modernising the delivery of the social security system allocated in the 2000 Spending Review has been spent; and how the budget will be spent in 2001–02. [14311]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The budget for modernising the delivery of the social security system, allocated in the 2000 Spending Review, was spent on the items listed. Spending will continue on these items in 2001.
- Payment Modernisation Programme
New IT for the Child Support Agency
New front end systems
Replacement of legacy systems
Improvement to management information
PCs for all staff
Modernising services to pensioners, including preparation for the pensioner credit
DSS (now DWP) work on the integrated child credit, which now forms part of New Tax Credit.
Benefit Expenditure (Scotland)
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent request he has received from
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the Scottish Executive to transfer benefit expenditure to the Executive; and what consequential changes to benefit eligibility are implied by such requests. [14350]
Maria Eagle [holding answer 13 November 2001]: In September 2001, the Scottish Executive requested a transfer of resources from the Department in respect of their proposals on free personal care.
My right hon. Friend decided not to agree to their proposal. No further request has been received from the Scottish Executive.
Pension Clawback
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what was (a) the total annual clawback of pensions arising from downgrading owing to hospitalisation and (b) the estimated total arising from each specific category of downgrading in each of the last five years. [14368]
Mr. McCartney [holding answer 13 November 2001]: Information is unavailable prior to 1997–98.
The estimated total arising from each specific category of downrating in each of the last five years is:
| Year | 6–52 weeks downrating | Over 52 weeks downrating |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 23 | 36 |
| 1998–99 | 25 | 34 |
| 1999–2000 | 26 | 31 |
| 2000–01 | 28 | 29 |
Notes:
1. Figures in 2000–01 prices
2. Figures rounded to nearest £ million
The rules for the adjustment of benefits for periods in hospital are applied to most social security benefits such as incapacity benefit as well as to retirement and widow's pension. These rules, which are laid down in law, have been applied with only minor modifications since the introduction of the national insurance scheme over 50 years ago. The rules are based on the view that while the national health service provides free maintenance as well as free treatment, maintenance benefits, also paid out of state funds, should not be paid in full indefinitely.
Departmental Name Change
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost has been to public funds of re-branding his Department to accommodate its name change following the last general election. [14436]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The total cost of re-branding the Department to accommodate its name change following the last general election has been £232,044.
Pension Credit
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what measures he has taken to ensure that advice is available to benefit recipients on the interaction between housing/council tax benefit and the pension credit; and what is the anticipated cost of that advice; [14448]
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- (2) if he will make a statement on how entitlements to housing and council tax benefit will be affected by the pension credit; [14447]
Mr. McCartney: The pension credit forms a key part of the Government's overall strategy for tackling pensioner poverty.
We are completing the design of the pension credit and will publish details of our proposals, including the interaction of pension credit with housing benefit and council tax benefit, when the Bill is introduced. We are planning a more customer-focused service tailored to individual needs which will include information on the benefits to which pensioners may be entitled.
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