§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current number of non-pensioner and pensioner claimants at his offices in Walsall; and if he will give the figures for May 1979.
§ Mr. NewtonLocal office figures of those in receipt of supplementary benefit are maintained; so far as contributory benefits are concerned, local office figures are related to claims activity. For the Department's two offices in Walsall the figures are:
contributions to people with several jobs who pay more than the annual maximum national insurance contributions.
§ Mr. NewtonIt remains our practice to invite people in this position to claim a refund of their excess contributions. Previously invitations were issued automatically unless the excess amounted to 50p or less in class 1 contributions or half the weekly contribution or less if class 2 was involved. But from April this year invitations will only be sent to people whose excess contributions are more than half the weekly lower earnings limit for class 1 contribution liability—this means £14.75 for the tax year 1982–83. This reflects existing practice for refunding contributions found to have been paid in error and for collecting underpayments, and implements a recommendation in last year's Rayner scrutiny on contribution records.