Benefit Claimants (Hansard, 26 May 1993)

§ Mr. Burt

The administration of social security benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Frank Field, dated 26 May 1993: As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking for details of the target and achieved accuracy rates for each social security benefit for each of the last five years; and how many people made a claim for each social security benefit for each of the last five years. I have attached a list of targets and achievement at Annex A. At Annex B I attach a list of benefits and the number of claims made. I should point out that a number of these claims will have been made by the same person. I hope you will find this information helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also appear in the Library.

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Benefit	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93
Disability Living Allowance²	²—	²—	²—	196,366	457,865
Disability Working Allowance²	²—	²—	²—	4,153	28,385
Legal Aid	¹—	¹—	¹—	344,848	371,515
Child Benefit	856,361	825,095	815,714	821,023	813,077
One Parent Benefit	166,697	182,796	190,451	178,972	193,600
Guardians Allowance	26,746	25,300	20,944	21,752	22,826
Overseas Branch Long Term Benefits	¹—	¹—	¹—	79,120	73,031
Overseas Branch Short Term Benefits	¹—	¹—	¹—	3,066	2,766
¹ No figures available.
² New benefit from April 1992.
³ Figures available only from August 1988 to March 1989.
⁴ Benefit ceased.
⁵ Relates to the number of applications made rather than the number of actual applicants.

Benefits agency accuracy targets and achievement 1988–89 to 1992–93
Benefit area	Target 1988–89 Per cent.	Year end achievement	Target 1989–90 Per cent.	Year end achievement	Target 1990–91 Per cent.	Year end achievement	Target 1991–92 Per cent.	Year end achievement	Target 1992–93 Per cent.	Year end achievement
Income support accuracy	90.0	90.3	91.0	92.1	92.0	93.7	93.0	95.7	94.0	94.4
Short term benefits accuracy¹	96.0	96.0	96.3	96.2	96.5	96.2	96.5	96.5	96.5	96.5
Family credit accuracy	96.0	91.4	93.0	91.6	93.0	92.2	93.0	91.5	94.0	88.9
War pensions disablement claims accuracy	97.3	95.3	96.8	93.1	95.0	94.1	95.0	94.5	95.0	97.7
War widows claims accuracy	98.5	94.4	98.5	88.9	98.5	97.5	98.5	97.4	98.5	97.6
DLA accuracy³	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	96.0	92.0
DWA accuracy³	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	95.0	100.0
Legal aid accuracy	92.0	92.6	92.0	93.5	94.0	95.9	94.0	94.8	94.0	94.6
Operational targets —ie set by the relevant Benefits Directorate; not the BA Management Team or Secretary of State.
Attendance allowance	99.0	99.3	99.0	99.5	99.0	98.2	99.0	94.7	¹—	²—
Mobility allowance accuracy	98.5	97.4	98.5	98.0	98.5	97.6	98.5	98.7	²—	²—
Invalid care allowance accuracy	93.0	96.5	96.0	96.9	96.0	96.5	96.0	97.2	96.0	99.1
Child benefit claims accuracy (s/forward)	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	98.0	98.0
Child benefit claims accuracy (non s/forward)	97.0	97.2	97.5	98.1	97.5	97.9	97.5	98.5	⁴—	⁴—
One parent benefit accuracy	96.0	96.0	96.0	97.0	96.0	97.0	96.0	98.5	96.0	96.5
Change of circs accuracy	96.5	97.1	96.5	96.6	96.5	97.1	96.5	99.5	96.5	98.0
Guardians allowance accuracy	98.0	99.6	98.0	100.0	98.0	100.0	98.0	100.0	98.0	100.0
Claims reserved to CPB accuracy	97.0	97.8	97.0	98.6	97.5	99.0	97.5	98.2	97.5	99.4
Change of circs accuracy (OBs)	98.0	98.4	98.0	98.9	98.0	99.5	98.0	96.9	⁴—	⁴—
Change of circs accuracy (periodic payments)	96.5	98.2	96.5	98.5	96.5	84.1	96.5	100.0	96.5	98.7
LPG claims accuracy	98.0	91.6	98.0	99.0	98.0	99.2	98.0	97.9	98.0	98.5
Agency benefit accuracy	92.5	91.5	92.5	93.3	92.5	95.8	—	—	—	—
Health benefit unit accuracy	92.5	94.1	93.5	97.6
OVB Long term benefits accuracy	97.4	97.2	97.0	98.4	97.0	99.1	97.0	96.2	97.0	98.8
OVB Short term benefits	98.0	91.9	98.0	99.7	98.0	97.5	98.0	100.0	98.0	99.6
OVB medical benefits	—	—	99.0	100.0	99.0	98.6	98.0	100.0	98.0	99.8
¹ Includes Sickness Benefit, Invalidity Benefit, SDA and Maternity Allowance.
² Benefit ceased from April 1992
³ New benefit from April 1992
⁴ Child Benefit straight forward and non straight forward claims accuracy and Central Pensions Branch change of circs (OBs) and (periodic payments) accuracy combined from April 1992.