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16 Apr 2007 : Column 252W—continued

Social Fund: Greater London

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total current unrecovered Social Fund debt is; and what the figure is for (a) London and (b) each office in London. [131211]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the following table:

Social fund debt balances
£000
Budgeting loan Crisis loan Funeral payment Total

National

601,339

205,910

99,081

906,329

Total London

86,872

28,882

19,131

134,885

London offices

Canning Town

12,380

3,831

3,015

19,226

Bexley

2

0

0

2

Acton

7,768

4,942

1,715

14,426

Highgate

7,931

3,557

1,606

13,095

SE London

19,749

5,747

3,304

28,799

Ilford

9,038

1,653

1,607

12,298

Harrow

7,904

2,976

3,280

14,161

Balham

12,414

4,781

2,555

19,750

Wood Green

1

1

0

1

Barnet Hill

9,685

1 ,395

2,048

13,127

Notes:
1. Balances have been taken as at 28 February 2007.
2. London has been defined as all offices within the London Government office region.
3. Totals may not appear as sum of the individual lines due to rounding.
Source:
Social Fund Computer System.

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much Social Fund debt was written off in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what the figure was for London in each year. [131213]

Mr. Plaskitt: The information is in the following table.


16 Apr 2007 : Column 253W
Social fund debts written off 2001-02 to 2005-06, nationally and for London
£000
2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

National

Budgeting loans

1,486

1,463

1,234

1,315

2,060

Crisis loans

448

463

120

551

922

Funeral payments

32,035

31,081

25,587

37,991

41,867

Total

33,970

33,007

26,940

39,857

44,850

London

Budgeting loans

155

96

123

41

320

Crisis loans

62

44

28

16

130

Funeral payments

2,949

3,406

1,365

2,541

2,511

Total

3,165

3,546

1,516

2,598

2,961

Notes:
1. London has been defined as all offices within the London Government office region as at 30 March 2007.
2. Totals may not appear as sum of the individual lines due to rounding.
Source:
Programme Accounting Computer System.

Social Security Benefits

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were claiming (a) jobseeker’s allowance, (b) incapacity benefits and (c) disability allowance in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2006; and how many of these categories of data are classified as national statistics. [130850]

Mr. Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table. Claimant numbers for all three benefits are DWP National Statistics.

Jobseeker’s allowance, incapacity benefit, and severe disablement allowance claimants in Great Britain; as at August 1997 and 2006
Benefit August 1997 August 2006

Jobseeker’s allowance

1,465,500

924,200

Incapacity benefit

2,455,100

2,447,960

Severe disablement allowance

383,400

277,020

Notes:
1. Jobseeker’s allowance figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.
2. Jobseeker’s allowance figures are seasonally adjusted.
3. Claimant figures for incapacity benefit include incapacity benefit credits only cases.
Sources:
100 per cent. DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) and 100 per cent. Count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria are used to decide the levels of payments made for (a) income support, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement. [131147]

Mr. Plaskitt: The Government take into account a number of factors when reviewing benefit rates each year, the most important of which is the level of inflation. For some years, carer's allowance has been increased in line with the retail prices index. However, jobseeker's allowance and income support are increased by the Rossi index, which is based on the retail prices index and reflects the costs of living increases for people living on these benefits.

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who claim disability living allowance are also claiming (a) industrial injuries disablement benefit, (b) war disablement pension, (c) funding from the independent living fund and (d) constant attendance allowance. [130237]

Mrs. McGuire: As at August 2006, the most recent available information, there were 253,360 people in
16 Apr 2007 : Column 254W
receipt of both disability living allowance and industrial injuries disablement benefit.

Information is not available on the numbers receiving both disability living allowance and war disablement pension.

As at 10 March 2007, there were 19,234 people receiving disability living allowance and financial assistance from the Independent Living Funds.

As at August 2006, the most recent available information, there were 2,140 people in receipt of both disability living allowance and constant attendance allowance.

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefits are available for people with disabilities who are below the retirement age but receive private pensions; and if he will make a statement. [130915]

Mrs. McGuire: The Department administers a wide range of working age benefits to cover different needs and circumstances. All of these could be available to people with disabilities who receive private pensions. However, entitlement to each benefit, and the amount payable, would depend on a person meeting the relevant conditions.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases were referred to the National Identity Fraud Unit in each year since 1997; how many of these cases were investigated in each year; and how many of these cases resulted in a conviction in each year. [124083]

Mr. Plaskitt: Information is not available as to how many of the cases referred to the National Identity Fraud Unit (NIFU) led to a conviction.

The available information is in the following table.

NIFU referrals
Number of cases referred to NIFU( 1) Number of cases referred by NIFU to Fraud Investigation Services( 2)

1998-99

3,823

(3)

1999-2000

5,354

(3)

2000-01

4397

(3)

2001-02

3,111

(3)

2002-03

(4)14,665

(3)

2003-04

(4)39,555

400

2004-05

7,227

793

2005-06

8,891

2,689

(1) Data regarding the number of cages referred to the NIFU not available prior to 1998-99. (2) Not all cases referred to NIFU are referred to the DWP Fraud Investigation Service for investigation. Many are referred to other Government Departments either as intelligence files or for further investigation. The Fraud Investigation Service will only investigate referrals which involve a claim to benefit. Many cases referred to NIFU do not involve benefit cases. (3) Data not available. (4) There was a large increase in the number of referrals in 2002-03 and 2003-04 due to Operation Esme, which was a joint operation with the Home Department which flagged a few thousand immigration offenders to prevent incorrect payment of benefit. Source: National Identity Fraud Unit

16 Apr 2007 : Column 255W

Social Security Benefits: Highland Council

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department plans to continue to fund two posts in the benefit maximisation team at Highland Council after the end of March. [130196]

James Purnell [holding answer 27 March 2007]: No. Under the Link-Age Programme, it was made clear to contractors that funds from The Partnership Fund were time limited and there was no expectation that future funding would be sought from any source, or any extension of funding granted. The purpose of the project was solely for information gathering and evaluation to inform any future strategies and policies.


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