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17 Jul 2003 : Column 527W—continued
Benefit Take-up
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much extra grant per year would need to be paid from central Government to local authorities if take-up of all income-related benefits was to be 100 per cent. assuming that current take-up rates are at the mid-point in the range of estimates provided by the Government. [126564]
Mr. Pond: We estimate that a 100 per cent. take-up of income related benefits in 2003–04 would increase centrally funded housing benefit and council tax benefit expenditure by £1.7 billion. Subsidy for local authorities to administer housing benefit and council tax benefit claims is distributed by the Department using a caseload based formula on a definitive sum. Any changes in caseload, or type of caseload, may affect the amount allocated to individual authorities, but not the overall allocation.
1. Estimates are consistent with Budget 2003 estimates of 2003–04 Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (HB and CTB) expenditure. 2. The estimate of the increased funding is rounded to the nearest £100 million 3. Current take-up rates are mid-point 2000–01 estimates from "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2000/2001", published by DWP. 4. Centrally funded benefit expenditure is defined as all HB and CTB benefit expenditure not funded by local authorities. 5. Estimates are based on the assumption that local authorities would contribute the same proportion of HB and CTB benefit expenditure as at present.
DWP Information and Analysis Directorate, Benefit Forecasting
British Sign Language
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Government's recent discussions regarding the allocation of funding to support British Sign Language initiatives; and whether there was direct representation at these meetings by organisations from (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland. [126109]
Maria Eagle:
The British Sign Language working group we have established considered priorities for allocating the additional £1 million funding at its first meeting on 2 July. Their work is on-going and we will receive recommendations in due course. In selecting organisations to be represented on the group, we have identified key organisations of and for deaf people with remits across Great Britain. They will ensure that initiatives progressed reflect needs across Great Britain including Scottish and Welsh interests. The situation in Northern Ireland is being considered by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
17 Jul 2003 : Column 528W
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what policies and procedures are being modified and what actions are being taken within his Department following the Government's decision to recognise British Sign Language as an official language. [126240]
Maria Eagle: The Department is chairing and supporting the BSL working group which was established following the statement on 18 March. We will use that forum, working with organisations of and for deaf people, to identify issues impacting on our capacity to perform as good practice service providers to sign language users and to develop strategies to improve access for deaf people who use BSL. We will then make appropriate modifications to policies and procedures.
Carers
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged over 65 are receiving (a) carer's allowance and (b) the carer's premium in income support; and how many people aged over 65 have claimed (i) carer's allowance and (ii) the carer's premium in income support since April 2003. [126562]
Maria Eagle: Information is not available in the form requested. The information that is available is in the tables.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
2. Claims figures refer to the number of people making a claim. Each person may have made more than one claim.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample
Notes:
1. Based on a 5 per cent. sample of income support and carers allowance claimants, therefore subject to sampling variation.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
3. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
4. Based on any live income support benefit unit where a carer premium is in payment and either the claimant or partner are aged 65 and over and have entitlement to carer's allowance. Includes cases where CA is not actually paid due to overlapping benefit rules.
5. In receipt figures include some cases who claimed carer's allowance and carer premium before the age of 65.
6. New awards have been defined as people aged over 65 who were IS carer premium cases in February 2003 and were not IS carer premium cases in November 2002. Cases that were on IS in November and not getting carer premium but appear on the February 2003 scan with carer premium are included. However, figures exclude cases with an existing award of carer premium who reach 65.
7. This will undercount the number of in flows as those cases flowing on then off again between the scan dates will not be captured.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample.
17 Jul 2003 : Column 529W
Child Support Agency
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether an allowance is made for child care costs, in relation to a child living with an absent parent with care or with the parent being assessed, in the Child Support Agency's formula for child maintenance. [126160]
Mr. Pond: In both the old and new child support schemes, no specific allowance is made for formal child care costs. In the old child support scheme, an allowance is made in the exempt income calculation for the non-resident parent's natural children who reside with them, and all the children who reside with them (including stepchildren) in the protected income calculation. In the new scheme, any children residing with the non-resident parent are taken into account before maintenance liability is calculated.
Allowance is also made for those non-resident parents who share the care of their children. In the old child support scheme, maintenance liability reduces if care is shared for 104 or more nights in a year. In the new scheme, reductions apply if care is shared for 52 nights or more. For equal care, there are special rules.
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the progress made by the CSA in introducing the new system of assessment. [117902]
Mr. Pond: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon North, (Malcolm Wicks), gave to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 3 June 2003, Official Report, column 54W.
Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many liability orders were placed on members of the armed forces by the Child Support Agency in each month since July 2002. [123931]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Doug Smith to Diana Organ, dated July 2003:
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You ask how many liability orders were placed on members of the armed forces by the Child Support Agency in each month since July 2002.
We have not placed any liability orders on members of the armed forces. We have however made deduction of earnings requests in respect of members of the armed forces.
We do not have the information to provide a monthly breakdown. As at 28 February 2003 the Agency had made just under 3,000 deduction of earnings requests. I do not have the figures relating to periods after February 2003.
Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the application of child support regulations to armed forces personnel. [123933]
Mr. Pond: Child support regulations are applied to civilians and armed forces personnel equally, other than the regulations concerning deductions from the pay of service personnel.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much interest was earned from monies held by the Child Support Agency between receipt from parents without care and payment to parents with care in the last year for which figures are available. [124975]
Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated July 2003:
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You ask how much interest was saved from monies held by the Child Support Agency between receipt from parents without care and payments to parents with care in the last year for which figures are available.
Where an amount has been received from the non resident parent and has not been paid over to the parent with care within a 14 day period; any interest accrued during that time, in excess of £5, will be reimbursed to the parent with care. During the 2002–03 financial year this amounted to £20,803. I have no information on the interest relating to amounts paid over to the parent with care within the 14 days and the interest relating to amounts less than £5.
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will apply the new rules for Child Support Agency claims to pre-existing cases. [125163]
Mr. Pond: We have made it clear that we shall only make a decision on this once we are sure that the new scheme is working well.
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