House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 Jul 2005 (pt 24)

13 Jul 2005 : Column 1117W—continued

Child Support Agency

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken by the Child Support Agency to reply to a letter from a member of the public is in the last year for which figures are available. [804]

Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. Nigel Evans, dated 13 July 2005:

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, what the average time taken by the Child Support Agency to reply to a letter from a member of the public is in the last year for which figures are available.

The Agency receives a great many letters from the public every day. These range from simple enquiries to complaints. For the majority of letters we do not record how long it takes to reply to them. I am sorry to say that I am not therefore able to answer the question in terms of all letters received from clients.

However, we do have targets to resolve or agree a resolution plan in 68% of client complaints within 15 working days of receipt. I can tell you that 74.3% of complaints were resolved or a resolution plan was agreed in 2004–05.

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the internal audit recommendation in 2003–04 regarding an effective audit trail for CS2 was made; and when such a trail was established. [8753]

Mr. Plaskitt: The internal audit recommendation regarding an effective audit trail for CS2 was made in December 2003. An interim audit trail is operating in CS2 currently. The current plans indicate that full audit trail functionality will be implemented in spring 2006 following a further release of the software.

Housing Benefit

Mr. Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many prosecutions for housing benefit fraud were undertaken by each local authority in each year since 1997; how many were successful; and how many people were imprisoned as a result. [5488]

Mr. Plaskitt: The available information has been placed in the Library. Information regarding imprisonment is not available.

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received housing benefit in each London borough in the last period for which figures are available; and how much was paid in total in each. [2482]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the following tables.
Average housing benefit caseloads in London local authorities: February to November 2004

Local authority Number

Barking and Dagenham 16,600

Barnet 19,600

Bexley 10,600

Brent 25,800

Bromley 14,300

Camden 27,800

City of London 1,100

Croydon 23,100

Ealing 21,800

Enfield 20,200

Greenwich 23,900

Hackney 31,600

Hammersmith and Fulham 19,200

Haringey 28,600

Harrow 11,200

Havering 10,200

Hillingdon 14,800

Hounslow 15,600

Islington 28,800

Kensington and Chelsea 15,600

Kingston upon Thames 6,700

Lambeth 34,200

Lewisham 28,000

Merton 9,600

Newham 32,100

Redbridge 12,500

Richmond upon Thames 7,900

Southwark 35,000

Sutton 8,800

Tower Hamlets 31,000

Waltham Forest 19,500

Wandsworth 21,900

Westminster 20,700

London 648,300

Notes:
1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
3. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated.
4. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases.
Source:
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in February, May, August and November 2004.

13 Jul 2005 : Column 1118W

Housing benefit expenditure in London local authorities, in nominal terms, 2002–03

£ million

Barking and Dagenham 53.3

Barnet 96.4

Bexley 40.2

Brent 143

Bromley 58.1

Camden 134.9

City Of London 4.8

Croydon 102.3

Ealing 106.1

Enfield 105.8

Greenwich 84.6

Hackney 155.5

Hammersmith and Fulham 87.9

Haringey 148.6

Harrow 58.9

Havering 33.2

Hillingdon 69.9

Hounslow 64.5

Islington 119.2

Kensington and Chelsea 77.4

Kingston upon Thames 31.1

Lambeth 146.6

Lewisham 104.7

Merton 38.7

Newham 155.7

Redbridge 64.7

Richmond upon Thames 35.3

Southwark 132.2

Sutton 34.1

Tower Hamlets 131.5

Waltham Forest 83.4

Wandsworth 100.5

Westminster 135.7

Total London 2,939.0

Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000.
2. Figures presented are audited, but may change in future if local authorities' audited accounts are amended after a decision or appeal.
Source:
Local authority claims for Housing Revenue Account subsidy and Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit subsidy.

13 Jul 2005 : Column 1119W

13 Jul 2005 : Column 1120W

Local authority	Number
Barking and Dagenham	16,600
Barnet	19,600
Bexley	10,600
Brent	25,800
Bromley	14,300
Camden	27,800
City of London	1,100
Croydon	23,100
Ealing	21,800
Enfield	20,200
Greenwich	23,900
Hackney	31,600
Hammersmith and Fulham	19,200
Haringey	28,600
Harrow	11,200
Havering	10,200
Hillingdon	14,800
Hounslow	15,600
Islington	28,800
Kensington and Chelsea	15,600
Kingston upon Thames	6,700
Lambeth	34,200
Lewisham	28,000
Merton	9,600
Newham	32,100
Redbridge	12,500
Richmond upon Thames	7,900
Southwark	35,000
Sutton	8,800
Tower Hamlets	31,000
Waltham Forest	19,500
Wandsworth	21,900
Westminster	20,700
London	648,300

	£ million
Barking and Dagenham	53.3
Barnet	96.4
Bexley	40.2
Brent	143
Bromley	58.1
Camden	134.9
City Of London	4.8
Croydon	102.3
Ealing	106.1
Enfield	105.8
Greenwich	84.6
Hackney	155.5
Hammersmith and Fulham	87.9
Haringey	148.6
Harrow	58.9
Havering	33.2
Hillingdon	69.9
Hounslow	64.5
Islington	119.2
Kensington and Chelsea	77.4
Kingston upon Thames	31.1
Lambeth	146.6
Lewisham	104.7
Merton	38.7
Newham	155.7
Redbridge	64.7
Richmond upon Thames	35.3
Southwark	132.2
Sutton	34.1
Tower Hamlets	131.5
Waltham Forest	83.4
Wandsworth	100.5
Westminster	135.7
Total London	2,939.0

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average entry wage has been of those returning to work after claiming incapacity benefit as a proportion of the ongoing wage for men and women aged (a) 18 to 24, (b) 25 to 29, (c) 30 to 34, (d) 35 to 39, (e) 40 to 44, (f) 45 to 49, (g) 50 to 54 and (h) 55 to 58 in (i) the UK and (ii) Pathways to Work pilot areas from 1979 to the most recent year for which figures are available. [11577]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 11 July 2005]: The information is not available.

Income Support

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) males and (b) females aged (i) 16 to 24, (ii) 25 to 30, (iii) 30 to 39 and (iv) 40 years and over were on income support in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [10477]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the table.
Income support claimants in Great Britain by age and gender at dates shown

As at February: All claimants 16–24 25–29 30–39 40–59 60 and over

2000

All 3,805,700 336,100 318,600 700,500 858,200 1,592,400

Male 1,298,700 83,400 85,100 219,500 400,500 510,200

Female 2,507,000 252,700 233,500 480,900 457,700 1,082,200

2001

All 3,890,000 329,500 301,700 698,200 893,500 1,667,200

Male 1,341,700 81,600 80,700 222,900 417,200 539,400

Female 2,548,300 247,900 221,000 475,300 476,300 1,127,800

2002

All 3,940,700 321,100 282,700 687,300 925,300 1,724,300

Male 1,377,000 80,100 76,000 223,400 430,800 566,700

Female 2,563,700 241,000 206,700 463,900 494,500 1,157,600

2003

All 3,959,500 305,900 268,300 678,400 951,700 1,755,200

Male 1,399,300 67,700 73,000 223,600 441,500 593,300

Female 2,560,300 238,200 195,300 454,700 510,200 1,161,800

2004

All 2,204,000 302,100 262,200 665,100 969,100 5,500

Male 807,200 64,800 71,600 221,100 447,400 2,300

Female 1,396,800 237,300 190,600 444,000 521,700 3,100

2005

All 2,137,000 292,600 251,100 620,400 972,500 ⁽³²⁾500

Male 778,600 60,300 66,800 207,200 444,100 ⁽³²⁾200

Female 1,358,400 232,300 184,300 413,200 528,400 ⁽³²⁾300

⁽³²⁾ Figures are based on very few sample cases and therefore subject to a high degree of sampling variation.
Notes:
1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. From November 2003 IS figures are affected by the introduction of pension credit, which replaced minimum income guarantee on 6 October 2003 and extended income support entitlement to customers aged 60+. Pension credit cases are not included in the figures in the table.
Source:
Information Directorate, 5 per cent. samples

As at February:	All claimants	16–24	25–29	30–39	40–59	60 and over
2000
All	3,805,700	336,100	318,600	700,500	858,200	1,592,400
Male	1,298,700	83,400	85,100	219,500	400,500	510,200
Female	2,507,000	252,700	233,500	480,900	457,700	1,082,200

2001
All	3,890,000	329,500	301,700	698,200	893,500	1,667,200
Male	1,341,700	81,600	80,700	222,900	417,200	539,400
Female	2,548,300	247,900	221,000	475,300	476,300	1,127,800

2002
All	3,940,700	321,100	282,700	687,300	925,300	1,724,300
Male	1,377,000	80,100	76,000	223,400	430,800	566,700
Female	2,563,700	241,000	206,700	463,900	494,500	1,157,600

2003
All	3,959,500	305,900	268,300	678,400	951,700	1,755,200
Male	1,399,300	67,700	73,000	223,600	441,500	593,300
Female	2,560,300	238,200	195,300	454,700	510,200	1,161,800

2004
All	2,204,000	302,100	262,200	665,100	969,100	5,500
Male	807,200	64,800	71,600	221,100	447,400	2,300
Female	1,396,800	237,300	190,600	444,000	521,700	3,100

2005
All	2,137,000	292,600	251,100	620,400	972,500	⁽³²⁾500
Male	778,600	60,300	66,800	207,200	444,100	⁽³²⁾200
Female	1,358,400	232,300	184,300	413,200	528,400	⁽³²⁾300

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