HC Deb 24 January 1994 vol 236 cc19-20W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the estimated savings of increasing the level of deductions made to claimants of housing benefit and council tax benefit.

Mr. Burt

The estimated savings for 1994–95 across income-related benefits—housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support—are £60 million1.

Source:

1 1989–90–91 family expenditure survey. At 1993–94 levels of prices, incomes and benefit rates.

Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the numbers of former supplementary benefit claimants who are expected to continue to receive transitional additions in 1994–95; and if he will break the figure down by pensioners, couples with children, lone parents and disabled people.

Mr. Burt

[holding answer 21 January 1994]: Due to the small numbers currently in receipt of transitional additions, it is difficult to give accurate forecasts of those likely to be in receipt of them in 1994–95. Our best estimate is that there will be fewer than 6,000 in receipt in 1994–95. The small number involved makes it impossible to provide a reliable forecast of the numbers in the various groups.

The latest information available is for February 1993 and is set out in the table.

Number of cases
Pensioners 500
Couples with children *—
Lone parents 500
Disabled 1,000
Others 4,000
Total 6,500

Notes:

1. Source: Income support statistics quarterly inquiry, February 1993.

2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 500. "*" indicates fewer than 250 cases.

3. As some people appear in more than one group, the figures will not necessarily sum to the total given.

Dr. Godman

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement concerning the implications of the decision of the European Court of Justice, in case C-338/91 Steenhorst-Neerings, 27 October 1993, for the claims for back payment of benefits.

Mr. Scott

This case concerned a claim for Dutch invalidity benefit which was made in 1988 at a time when the Dutch Government had not properly implemented their obligations under directive 79/7/EEC on equal treatment in social security. Benefit was awarded under domestic law from one year before the date of claim but was not backdated to December 1984, the date by which the directive had to be implemented.

The court held that, where claims are made in such circumstances a member state is not prevented from applying national rules which limit the retroactive effect of a claim.

The United Kingdom's time limits on claims for benefit are consistent with this ruling. There will, therefore, be no implications for claims for arrears of benefit.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the estimated savings to his Department in 1994–95 of freezing(a) the earnings disregards for income-related benefits and (b) the savings limit for income-related benefits.

Mr. Burt

None. The level of earnings disregards and the capital limits are kept under review but are not uprated annually. There are no plans to increase them at the present time.