§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has about the length of time taken to process different types of benefit claims(a) now and (b) prior to implementation of the new social security system.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardSince the Government reforms were introduced in 1988, the social security system has become simpler for claimants to understand and easier for staff to operate. As a result there have been very real all-round improvements in the clearance times of claims. The table shows comparable performance in key benefit areas.
Average clearance time for benefit claims Days 1987–88 11989–90 Income support 6.3 4.7 Retirement pension 26.7 21.2 Sickness benefit/invalidity benefit 11.3 9.8 Attendance allowance 40.5 242.5 Mobility allowance 40.0 37.0 1 April to February. 2 Provisional figure.