Benefits (Hansard, 4 November 1988)

§ Mr. Harry Barnes
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has plans to add vinyl chloride disease to the list of diseases qualifying for disablement benefit under category C24 of his Department's leaflet N12.

§ Mr. Scott
In considering additions to the list of prescribed industrial diseases, we are advised by an independent body, the industrial injuries advisory council. The council has made no recommendations concerning vinyl chloride disease, though a number of conditions arising from work with vinyl chloride monomer have been recognised and are already prescribed. I understand the council is keeping other effects of vinyl chloride monomer under review.

§ Mr. Wigley
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons have been affected by tax changes to the reduced earnings allowance of the industrial injury and disablement benefit which were implemented on 10 April; and what is the Government's latest estimate of the savings made by these changes.

§ Mr. Scott
I assume the changes to which the hon. Member refers are those whereby entitlement to reduced earnings allowance will cease when a beneficiary reaches pensionable age and retires from regular employment and a new benefit, retirement allowance, may be payable in its place. These changes make no difference to the treatment of reduced earnings allowance for income tax purposes, and it remains non-taxable. Retirement allowance will also806W be non-taxable. The estimated benefit savings arising from these changes are £2 million in 1989–90, rising to £10 million in 1991–92.

§ Mr. McCrindle
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what new measures he intends to take to increase the take-up of means-tested benefits; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
On family credit, a special major exercise will start at the end of this month to issue a leaflet about family credit to people when they collect their child benefit from the post office. This new leaflet gives more information about family credit, particularly on points where there is evidence of misunderstanding, and encourages people to claim. We shall also improve the information about family credit in the child benefit order book itself, and in the whole range of departmental leaflets, as these come up for renewal. We are looking at ways to improve the claim form, following experience of the form in use.
For the future, we plan to have a further major advertising campaign, including television, and we shall continue other ways of publicising family credit, especially to make clear the levels of income at which it can be paid.
Income support and housing benefit will continue to have a wide distribution of leaflets, claim forms and information sheets. Many of these have been translated for use by claimants from ethnic minority groups. Advice is also readily available through regional and local information services and through the Freeline telephone service.

§ Mr. McCrindle
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to simplify and shorten the number of questions asked on application forms for family credit and other social benefits; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Peter Lloyd
The Department employs professional information designers to produce major claim forms. They take care to ask only those questions that are essential to give the information required to arrive at correct decisions on entitlement, without the need for follow-up inquiries which might delay payment of benefit.
No one has to answer every question on a particular form. Only parts that are applicable to the individual have to be filled in, and these parts are clearly signalled. This means that the form may look rather long, but is easier to fill in than a first impression might suggest.