| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1372W—continued
Warships
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 14 October 2004, Official Report, column 327W, on warships, what the timeline is for the refit of HMS Victorious; and when she is expected to return to service. [193441]
Mr. Ingram:
The refit (Long Overhaul Period (Refuel)) of HMS Victorious is currently planned to start in the first quarter of 2005. On completion of sea trials, she is expected to return to service with the Fleet mid 2008.
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1373W
WORK AND PENSIONS
Child Support Agency
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many Child Support Agency cases are waiting to be transferred onto the new IT system; how many attempted transfers have failed; and how many cases have been successfully transferred from the old scheme to the new; [194322]
(2) how many Child Support Agency cases where money has been paid to the parent with care have successfully been transferred from the old scheme of calculation to the new system. [194324]
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 with the information requested.
Letter from Mr. Doug Smith to Mr. Frank Field, dated 28 October 2004:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Support Agency cases are waiting to be transferred onto the new IT system; how many attempted transfers have failed; and how many cases have been successfully transferred from the old scheme to the new.
You also asked, how many Child Support cases where money has been paid to the parent with care have successfully been transferred from the old scheme of calculation to the new system.
I do not have the information you require. I can however say that since March 2003 around 18,500 cases have successfully transferred from the old scheme to the new scheme.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency cases were waiting (a) to be calculated and (b) for money to be paid at 1 March 2003. [194323]
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 with the information requested.
Letter from Mr. Doug Smith to Mr. Frank Field, dated 28 October 2004:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Support Agency cases (a) were waiting to be calculated and (b) for money to be paid at 1 March 2003.
I do not have the information required. I can, however, say that there were around 142,000 applications for maintenance awaiting action as at 1 March 2003.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Child Support Agency applications waiting to be calculated were made (a) before 1 March 2003, (b) after 1 March 2003 but are assessed on the old scheme of maintenance calculation and (c) after 1 March 2003 and are assessed on the new scheme of maintenance calculation. [194325]
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 with the information requested.
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1374W
Letter from Mr. Doug Smith to Mr. Frank Field, dated 28 October 2004:
In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Support Agency applications waiting to be calculated were made (a) before 1 March 2003 (b) after 1 March 2003 but are assessed on the old scheme of maintenance calculation and (c) after 1 March 2003 and are on the new scheme of maintenance calculation.
No new applications received after 3 March 2003 will be progressed under the 'old scheme'. Around 26,000 applications made before 3 March 2003 currently await a final decision being made—this may or may not result in a maintenance assessment.
Around 240,000 applications recorded on the new IT system after 3 March 2003 are also awaiting a decision—again, this may or may not result in a maintenance calculation.
Pension Credit
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of the effects of pension credit on pensioner poverty; [193370]
(2) what the average value is of pension credit for (a) women and (b) all pensioners; [193371]
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) women and (b) all pensioners in receipt of pension credit. [193372]
Malcolm Wicks: Even before the introduction of pension credit, the Government's basic strategy of getting more money to pensioners, particularly the poorest, was making significant inroads into tackling pensioner poverty. The latest figures available show that by 2002–03 absolute pensioner poverty (the number living below the 1996–97 low-income threshold) had fallen by two-thirds, or 1.8 million.
Since its introduction in October 2003, pension credit has had an impact on pensioner incomes by giving around 1.94 million households (2.36 million individuals) an average £16.33 a week more money (figures to the end of August). This represents 74 per cent. of all households receiving pension credit at the end of August 2004. The number and proportion of households gaining have risen in each of the months since October 2003 and this positive trend is set to continue with increased take-up levels.
At the end of August there were 2.61 million households receiving pension credit in Great Britain. This figure comprises 3.17 million individuals, of whom 2.11 million were women. The average award was £41.71 a week for all pensioner households and £41.13 for households containing a woman.
Notes:
1. Numbers of pension credit recipients are rounded to the nearest 10 thousand.
2. Individual recipients include a small number of partners under age 60.
Incapacity/Severe Disablement Benefit
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to put time limits on payments of incapacity benefit; and if he will make a statement. [193256]
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1375W
Maria Eagle:
We currently have no such plans. The Government's approach, as delivered in its flagship incapacity benefit reform programme, Pathways to Work, is to work actively and intensively with the large number of people on incapacity benefit who expect and want to work again and any longer term reform will continue to build on that approach.
28 Oct 2004 : Column 1376W
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the ratio was in each year since 1990 of the average incapacity benefit payment to the average jobseeker's allowance payment in cases in which the claimant claimed both benefits for a year or more. [193592]
Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
| Average incapacity benefit payment (sickness benefit/invalidity benefit prior to April 1995) (£) | Average jobseeker's allowance payment (income support for unemployed prior to October 1996 (£) | Ratio of average incapacity benefit payment to average jobseeker's allowance payment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 61.41 | 39.62 | 1.55:1 |
| 1991 | 66.52 | 44.38 | 1.50:1 |
| 1992 | 74.31 | 45.53 | 1.63:1 |
| 1993 | 78.14 | 46.53 | 1.68:1 |
| 1994 | 81.68 | 47.37 | 1.72:1 |
| 1995 | 84.01 | n/a | n/a |
| 1996 | 83.05 | n/a | n/a |
| 1997 | 85.19 | 62.30 | 1.37.1 |
| 1998 | 87.37 | 62.98 | 1.39:1 |
| 1999 | 87.66 | 65.02 | 1.35:1 |
| 2000 | 86.49 | 67.52 | 1.28:1 |
| 2001 | 87.36 | 70.41 | 1.24:1 |
| 2002 | 87.04 | 69.96 | 1.24:1 |
| 2003 | 87.03 | 71.41 | 1.22:1 |
| 2004 | 87.88 | 71.06 | 1.24:1 |
Notes:
1. Incapacity benefit (IB) replaced sickness benefit (SB) and invalidity benefit (IVB) from April 1995.
2. Jobseeker's allowance (JSA) replaced income support (IS) for the unemployed from October 1996. IS and JSA figures are not available by duration for 1995 or 1996.
3. Ratios are rounded to 2 decimal places.
4. Average amounts have been given to the nearest penny.
5. JSA figures are based on 5 per cent. samples and therefore subject to sampling variation.
6. SB, IVB and IB figures are based on 1 per cent. samples up to April 1995 and 5 per cent. samples thereafter.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 1 per cent. and 5 per cent. samples.
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance in each year since 1997 had their claims terminated as a result of assessments made by doctors employed by or under contract to the Department, broken down by (a) age and (b) region. [191678]
Maria Eagle: The Information has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance recipients claimed (a) statutory sick pay, (b) jobseeker's allowance income support and (c) other benefits before receiving incapacity benefit in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) age and (ii) region. [191692]
Maria Eagle: Information on the benefits previously claimed by incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance recipients is not available.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |