§ Dr. WrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the likely level of administrative costs for the planned incapacity benefit as a proportion for all such benefit paid.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimates he makes of the proportion of recipients of incapacity benefit who are likely to be receiving occupational pension payments(a) between the 29th and 52nd week of incapacity and (b) after the 52nd week; and what is its basis for these estimates.
§ Mr. BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security at what intervals new claimants for incapacity benefit who pass the test of incapacity for work after 28 weeks will be re-tested.
§ Mr. ScottClaimants who are terminally ill or in receipt of the highest rate care component of disability living allowance or suffering from one of the prescribed severe incapacitating disabilities will not be retested. In other cases, the adjudication officer will decide on the intervals between reviews of the case, based on advice from a doctor from the Benefits Agency medical service. The intervals will depend on the type of medical condition involved and the particular circumstances of each case.
§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of those who are expected to fail to satisfy the test for incapacity benefit are protected tenants for the purposes of regulation 11 of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987; and whether he will consider extending transitional protection for two years to protected tenants on the date when the Act comes into force.
§ Mr. ScottThe information requested is not available. We have no plans to introduce rules allowing people found capable of work to remain on incapacity benefit.