HC Deb 16 June 1988 vol 135 c286W
Mr. Pendry

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how much was paid in single payments to social security applicants in Tameside in the last complete financial year; and how much has been allocated under the social fund for the current year.

Mr. Portillo

The metropolitan borough of Tameside is served by the Department's local offices at Ashton, Hyde and Openshaw. The boundaries of the areas covered by these offices are not conterminous with those of the borough. The amount paid in single payments of supplementary benefit in the year 10 April 1987 to 8 April 1988 is shown in the table. The figures are provisional and subject to amendment.

£
Ashton 385,725
Hyde 562,320
Openshaw 582,242
Total 1,530,287

Information on the social fund allocations to local offices for 1988–89 was contained in the reply of my hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security and the Disabled to my hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) on 4 November 1987, at columns 774–81.

Mr. Nellist

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the backlog in single payment claims, made before 11 April, at his Department's offices in(a) Coventry and (b) nationally; and what instruction he has issued to managers as to the time limits for clearing the backlog.

Mr. Portillo

The Department has two local offices in Coventry, Coventry, east and west. On 31 May there were 5,125 cases awaiting action on single payment requests in Coventry, east office and 2,124 cases at Coventry, west. On 29 April the national total was 349,827 cases. These figures are provisional and subject to amendment. All claims are examined on receipt and priority was given to urgent cases.

No national instructions on clearance times have been issued. Every local office manager is, however, aware of the importance of clearing the arrears as a matter of urgency, and in many offices the task has already been completed. In both Coventry, east and west additional manpower resources are being used to clear the backlog as quickly as possible.