Departmental General Index

HC Deb 20 December 1983 vol 51 cc200-1W

Mr. Ashdown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when the address of a person recorded on his departmental general index at Newcastle is updated;

(2) when his Department's completed general index at Newcastle became operational;

(3) how inquiries of his Department's general index by staff in local offices are transmitted to Newcastle;

(4) if he will list the data held on his Department's computerised national insurance contributions system at Newcastle, for each holder of a national insurance number;

(5) what different types of inquiry are handled by his Department's staff at Newcastle working with on-line access to the general index:

(6) whether it is possible for his Department's staff at Newcastle, with access to records of national insurance contributions, to identify the employer of a person in employment for whom the national insurance number is given.

Mr. Newton

Phased implementation of the DHSS computerised general index at Newcastle began in November 1981; it became fully operational in April 1982. The index is used to trace national insurance numbers. Inquiries for local offices are normally sent by post, though some are transmitted by datalink. Addresses of people on the index are updated when their records on the national insurance contributions recording sytem in Newcastle have been amended.

The national insurance contributions system—which is a different system to the general index—can be used to identify employers for whom contributors worked during the last year for which National Insurance contributions are recorded. The categories of information recorded on this system are as follows:

1. (a) Personal details—NI number, name and address, sex, marital status, dates of birth and death.
2. (b) NI contribution categories, and exemption from or deferment of liability for payment.
3. (c) Information on the control of the NI account and issue of statements.
4. (d) Information on NI contributions and credits—tax year, class and rate of contributions, payment details, adjustment of contributions and detailes of contracted-out employment.

1. (e) Information on direct debit accounts.
2. (f) Cross references with other countries' state insurance schemes.
3. (g) Information on occupational pension schemes.
4. (h) Information on graduated pension (NI graduated contributions scheme).
5. (i) Information on claims for short-term benefits, invalidity benefit, widows benefit and retirement pension.