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Benefit Payments

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of people in the United Kingdom are claiming (a) incapacity benefit, (b) the children's tax credit, (c) bereavement benefit, (d) attendance allowance, (e) council tax credit,
 
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(f) invalid care allowance, (g) housing benefit and (h) disability living allowance. [191083]


 
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Maria Eagle: The available information is in the table.
Percentage of the population receiving benefits

Percentage of GB populationPercentage of relevant population Relevant age group
Incapacity Benefit(12)5716 and over
Bereavement Benefits(12)0.080.37Bereavement Allowance-45 to State Pension Age
Widowed Parent's Allowance-16 and over
Attendance Allowance(12)2.41565 and over
Council Tax Benefit(13)9.712.416 and over
Carers Allowance(14)0.70.916 and over
Housing Benefit(15)7.89.716 and over
Disability Living Allowance(12)4.54.5All(17)




Notes:
1. Information is not available at UK level and can be provided only at GB level.
2. No information about the percentage of people claiming the child tax credit is yet available. As at July 2004, about 4.37 million in-work families in the United Kingdom were receiving the child tax credit.
3. Council tax benefit totals exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases.
4. Housing benefit figures exclude any Extended Payment cases.
5. Incapacity benefit totals include credit-only cases.
6. People up to age 65 can claim disability living allowance(DLA), although no new claims are allowed once a person reaches the age of 65. People who reach 65 can continue receiving DLA if it is already in payment.
7. Column "Percentage of relevant population," refers to those in receipt of benefit within the age group stated in the third column.
Sources:
1. IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample.
2. Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2003.
3. IAD information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.
4. Housing Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2003(12) .
5. Population data sources: Office for National Statistics (ONS) and General Register Office, Scotland (GROS) using the mid 2003 population estimates.





Child Support Agency

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral evidence of the right hon. Member for Oxford East (Mr. Smith) of 11 February to the Work and Pensions Select Committee, on the Child Support Agency reforms, when the recovery programme to enable old CSA cases to be transferred to the new system began; how many cases have so far been transferred; how many cases are still to be transferred; what upgrades to the telephony and computer system have been made; and if he will make a statement. [193719]

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 Doug Smith to Mr. Steve Webb dated 4 November 2004:

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance the Child Support Agency is able to give applicants for child support in investigating the financial circumstances of the parent responsible for paying child support. [193837]

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 with the information requested.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. David Kidney dated 4 November 2004:


 
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Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how many children, broken down by age, Child Support Agency payments have been calculated in each year since the Agency's inception. [193907]

Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr Frank Field dated 4 November 2004:


Period (As at March)Number
New System:
200312,900
2004328,500
Old System:
19991,273,900
20001,420,500
20011,459,300
20021,488,500
20031,373,700
20041,064,100

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parents with care applied for Child Support Agency (CSA) maintenance after 1 March 2003 and have been prevented from applying on the new scheme because the absent parent is judged by the CSA as having to pay maintenance for children from a previous partner under the old scheme. [194275]

Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.
 
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Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Frank Field, dated 4 November 2004:

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of the EDS contract for the Child Support Agency's new IT system. [194277]

Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.

Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Frank Field, dated 4 November 2004:

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) shortest, (b) average and (c) longest time taken to process a Child Support Agency case from when the application is made to closure or the payment of maintenance to the parent with care was in the last period for which figures are available. [194278]

Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Frank Field, dated 4 November 2004:

Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cost of the new computer system for the Child Support Agency is to date. [194627]


 
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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 Doug Smith to Mr. Nigel Dodds, dated 4 November 2004:


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