§ 35. Mrs. RoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what evidence he has that the new income support scheme is simpler to understand than supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe early indications are encouraging. Claims for income support are being processed more quickly and accurately and a higher percentage are successful than claims for supplementary benefit. They are also generating significantly less appeals—some 34,000 between 11 April and 31 December 1988 as against 95,000 supplementary benefit appeals over a similar period. This represents a welcome improvement for claimants and staff alike and provides some indications that the new income support scheme is simpler to understand than supplementary benefit.
488WA lot of effort has gone into improving the design of the Department's claim forms and leaflets using specialist design consultants as well as the Department's own professional writers and designers. The integrated claim form, combining a claim form and all the information needed by a claimant to establish if he may be entitled, is one of the results. This is proving popular with the public.
All this represents a real step forward from the old supplementary benefit scheme. We will continue to press for further improvements in the service provided as staff and claimants alike become more familiar with the new scheme.