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9 Mar 2006 : Column 1713W—continued

Child Support Agency

Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many Child Support Agency cases have been transferred from the old scheme to the new scheme in each month since March 2003; and how many old scheme cases remain to be transferred; and if he will make a statement; [21442]
 
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(2) what the total backlog of Child Support Agency cases operating under the old scheme of calculation which were due to transfer to the new scheme, but where the transfer had not yet taken place, has been in each month since March 2003. [21854]

Mr. Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Stephen Geraghty:

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 have been transferred from the old scheme to the new scheme in each month since March 2003; and how many old scheme cases remain to be transferred; and if he will make a statement.

In addition, you asked what is the total backlog of all Child Support Agency cases operating under the old scheme of calculation which are due to transfer to the new scheme but where the transfer has not yet taken place for each month since March 2003.

To date, management information in this area has been limited, an issue which, as an Agency we are now seeking to address. It is not therefore possible to provide a time series for migration, but the overall number of cases that have been transferred from the old scheme to the new scheme: which, as at 31 December stood at around 36,000. This figure is currently a best estimate, and may therefore be subject to change in the future.

We hope to be able to provide a robust time-series of both this information and also information on those cases awaiting early conversion as a result of links to old scheme cases in the next few months. As soon as this is available, it will be published in the Agency's Quarterly Summary Statistics (QSS), a copy of the latest edition of which is available in the House Library.

In respect of those old scheme cases remaining to be transferred, the old scheme caseload stood at 930,000 as at the end of December 2005.

I hope you find this helpful.

Disability Allowance (Peterborough)

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State forWork and Pensions how many young people have been registered for disability allowance in Peterborough constituency in each year since 1997. [55588]

Mrs. McGuire: The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for the chief executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

Letter from Terry Moran, dated 9 March 2006:

You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many young people have been registered for disability allowance in Peterborough constituency in each year since 1997.

The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.

The information requested is in the following table.

 
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Claimants of disability living allowance under age 16 as at August each year from 1997 to 2005 in the parliamentary constituency of Peterborough Thousand

	All entitled cases
2005	0.6
2004	0.6
2003	0.6
2002	0.6
2001	0.6
2000	0.5
1999	0.5
1998	0.4
1997	0.4

Definitions and conventions: -" nil or negligible; ." not applicable; caseload figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Notes:
1.Totals shows the number of people with entitlement to DLA, including those where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.
2.Parliamentary constituencies are allocated using the relevant ONS postcode directory.
3.Figures are as at August of each year.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study for totals and 5 per cent. samples for detail/long time series.

I hope this is helpful.

Housing Benefits

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, columns 244–46W, what the percentage changes in numbers of housing benefit claimants were; and what the cost to the Exchequer was in each local authority in England and Wales in each of the last three years; [56234]

(2) how many claimants of housing benefit there were in each local authority in England and Wales in the last three years for which figures are available; and what total amount was paid in each case. [56333]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested; the available information on claimant numbers, percentage increases and benefit expenditure has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, columns 244–46W, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increases in the number of housing benefit claimants in Hampshire. [56235]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available. However, we want to ensure that people get the money they are entitled to. For example, people claiming pension credit can access housing benefit and council tax benefit at the same time via the Pension Service: one phone call, one number, three benefits.

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of changing the housing benefit taper disregard for earned income only to (a) 30 per cent. and (b) 40 per cent. [56287]

 
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Mr. Plaskitt: The estimated cost of changing the housing benefit taper from 65 per cent. to 30 per cent. for earned income, and keeping it at 65 per cent. for all other income, is £1,050 million per annum.

The estimated cost of changing the housing benefit taper from 65 per cent. to 40 per cent. for earned income, and keeping it at 65 per cent. for all other income, is £550 million per annum.

Notes:

1.The estimate is rounded to the nearest £50 million and is for Great Britain. 2.Earned income consists of income from earnings only, and excludes occupational pensions. For a couple, their earned income is their combined earnings. 3.This impact is estimated using the Department's Policy Simulation Model, which is based on data from the 2003–04 Family Resources Survey, up-rated to 2005–06 prices, benefit rates and earnings levels. 4.Results are subject to sampling and reporting errors and estimation assumptions, and are therefore indicative only. No behavioural changes are assumed.

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of changing the council tax benefit income disregard for earned income only to 10 per cent. [56288]

Mr. Plaskitt: The cost of changing the council tax benefit taper from 20 per cent. to 10 per cent. for earned income, and keeping it at 20 per cent. for all other income, is estimated to be £290 million per annum.

Notes:

1.The estimate is rounded to the nearest £10 million and is for Great Britain. 2.Earned income consists of income from earnings only, and excludes occupational pensions. For a couple, their earned income is their combined earnings. 3.This impact is estimated using the Department's policy simulation model, which is based on data from the 2003–04 Family Resources Survey, up-rated to 2005–06 prices, benefit rates and earnings levels. 4.Results are subject to sampling and reporting errors and estimation assumptions, and are therefore indicative only. No behavioural changes are assumed.

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people living within (a) St. Edmundsbury borough council, (b) Mid Suffolk district council and (c) the constituency of Bury St.Edmunds were in receipt of incapacity benefit in each of the last 10 years. [42763]

Mrs. McGuire: Information broken down by parliamentary constituency is not available prior to 1997. The available information is in the following table.
Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants in St. Edmundsbury borough council, Mid Suffolk district council and the Bury St. Edmunds parliamentary constituency areas

May	St. Edmundsbury borough council	Mid Suffolk district council	Bury St. Edmunds parliamentary constituency
1995	2,000	2,000	—
1996	2,200	2,000	—
1997	2,200	2,100	2,200
1998	2,200	2,100	2,100
1999	2,500	2,200	2,400
2000	2,600	2,000	2,400
2001	2,700	2,000	2,500
2002	2,700	2,000	2,600
2003	2,700	2,000	2,500
2004	2,700	2,100	2,600
2005	2,700	2,100	2,600

Notes:
1.The local authority figures from 1995 to 1999 and the parliamentary constituency figures for the years 1997 to 1999 have been produced using the 5 per cent. data and have been rated up proportionally using the Great Britain WPLS 100 per cent. IB/SDA totals.
2.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
3.Summed figures for St. Edmundsbury council and Mid Suffolk council do not represent total figures for Bury St. Edmunds parliamentary constituency.
4.'Claimant' figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disability allowance claimants including IB credits only cases.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate, 5 per cent. Samples from 1995 to 1999 and Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data thereafter.




 
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Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit claimants in the borough of Wandsworth have been receiving benefit for five years or more; and if he will make a statement. [57207]

Mrs. McGuire: As at August 2005 there were 4,900 claimants of incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance in the London borough of Wandsworth who had been claiming for five years or more.

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Putney constituency were receiving incapacity benefit in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03, (c) 2003–04 and (d) 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [57208]

Mrs. McGuire: The available information on the number of people claiming incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance is in the table.
Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants in the Putney parliamentary constituency

As at August each year:	Number
2001	2,700
2002	2,700
2003	2,800
2004	2,900
2005	2,900

Notes:
1.Figures are shown rounded to the nearest hundred.
2.'Claimant' figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance cases, including IB credits only cases.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Putney constituency aged (a) 20 to 25, (b) 26 to 30, (c) 31 to 35, (d) 36 to 40, (e) 41 to 45, (f) 46 to 50, (g) 51 to 55, (h) 56 to 60 and (i) 61 to 65 years are in receipt of incapacity benefit; and if he will make a statement. [57209]

 
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Mrs. McGuire: The available information on the number of people claiming incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance is in the table.
Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants by age in the Putney parliamentary constituency: August 2005

	Number
All ages	2,900
Under 20	—
20 to 25	200
26 to 30	200
31 to 35	300
36 to 40	300
41 to 45	400
46 to 50	400
51 to 55	400
56 to 60	500
61 to 65	200
66 and over	—

Notes:
1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2.—" means nil or negligible.
3.'Claimant' figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance, including IB credits only cases.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) male and (b) female incapacity benefit claimants there were in Putney (i) in total, (ii) broken down by age and (iii) broken down by category of claim in each of the past five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [57210]

Mrs. McGuire: The available information is in the tables:
Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants in the Putney parliamentary constituency; by age and gender

	August
Putney	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
All Persons	2,700	2,700	2,800	2,900	2,900
Under 25	100	100	100	200	200
25–34	400	400	400	400	400
35–44	600	700	700	700	700
45–49	300	300	400	400	400
50–54	400	400	400	400	400
55–59	500	500	500	500	500
60–64	300	300	300	300	300
65+	—	—	—	—	—
Women	1,100	1,100	1,200	1,200	1,200
Under 25	100	100	100	100	100
25–34	200	200	200	200	200
35–44	300	300	300	300	300
45–49	100	100	200	200	200
50–54	200	200	200	200	200
55–59	200	200	300	200	200
60–64	—	—	—	—	—
65+	—	—	—	—	—
Men	1,600	1,600	1,600	1,700	1,700
Under 25	100	100	100	100	100
25–34	200	200	200	200	200
35–44	400	400	400	400	400
45–49	200	200	200	200	200
50–54	200	200	200	200	200
55–59	200	200	200	300	300
60–64	300	300	300	300	200
65+	—	—	—	—	—

 
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Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants in the Putney parliamentary constituency; by gender and diagnoses group

	All Persons	Women	Men
August 2001
All Diagnoses in Putney	2,700	1,100	1,600
Neoplasms	100	—	—
Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases	100	—	—
Mental and Behavioural Disorders	1,100	500	600
Diseases of the Nervous System	200	100	100
Diseases of the Circulatory System	100	—	100
Diseases of the Respiratory System	100	—	—
Diseases of the Digestive System	—	—	—
Diseases of the Musculoskeletal system and Connective Tissue	400	200	200
Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified	300	100	200
Injury, Poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes	100	100	100
Other Diagnoses	300	100	200
August 2002
All Diagnoses in Putney	2,700	1,100	1,600
Neoplasms	—	—	—
Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases	—	—	—
Mental and Behavioural Disorders	1,100	500	600
Diseases of the Nervous System	200	100	100
Diseases of the Circulatory System	100	—	100
Diseases of the Respiratory System	100	—	—
Diseases of the Digestive System	—	—	—
Diseases of the Musculoskeletal system and Connective Tissue	400	200	200
Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified	300	100	200
Injury, Poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes	100	—	100
Other Diagnoses	200	100	200
August 2003
All Diagnoses in Putney	2,800	1,200	1,600
Neoplasms	100	—	—
Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases	100	—	—
Mental and Behavioural Disorders	1,200	500	700
Diseases of the Nervous System	200	100	100
Diseases of the Circulatory System	100	—	100
Diseases of the Respiratory System	100	—	—
Diseases of the Digestive System	100	—	—
Diseases of the Musculoskeletal system and Connective Tissue	400	200	200
Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified	300	100	200
Injury, Poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes	100	—	100
Other Diagnoses	200	100	100
August 2004
All Diagnoses in Putney	2,900	1,200	1,700
Neoplasms	100	—	—
Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases	100	—	—
Mental and Behavioural Disorders	1,300	500	700
Diseases of the Nervous System	200	100	100
Diseases of the Circulatory System	100	—	100
Diseases of the Respiratory System	100	—	—
Diseases of the Digestive System	100	—	—
Diseases of the Musculoskeletal system and Connective Tissue	400	200	200
Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified	300	100	200
Injury, Poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes	100	—	100
Other Diagnoses	300	100	200
August 2005
All Diagnoses in Putney	2,900	1,200	1,700
Neoplasms	100	—	—
Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases	—	—	—
Mental and Behavioural Disorders	1,400	600	800
Diseases of the Nervous System	200	100	100
Diseases of the Circulatory System	100	—	100
Diseases of the Respiratory System	100	—	—
Diseases of the Digestive System	—	—	—
Diseases of the Musculoskeletal system and Connective Tissue	400	200	200
Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified	300	100	200
Injury, Poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes	100	—	100
Other Diagnoses	300	100	200

Notes:
1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
2.—" denotes nil or negligible
3.'Claimant' figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement Allowance, including IB credits only cases.
4.All diagnoses are coded using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, published by the World Health Organisation.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.





 
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