§ Mr. AshdownTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 17 January,Official Report, column 333W, on automated credit transfer, if he will break down his estimate of the £400 million per year anticipated savings from paying benefits and pensions directly into bank accounts rather than through post offices to show the proportion of these savings which result from (a) reduced payments to post offices, (b) reduced paper and printing costs and (c) other sources; and if he will make a statement. [109481]
§ Mr. RookerIt is not appropriate to give a full breakdown of how the overall savings figure is calculated as part of the costs are commercially confidential between the Benefits Agency and its suppliers.
PO rewards scheme claims October 1995 to 31 March 1996 1 April 1996 to 30 March 1997 31 March 1997 to 29 March 1998 30 March 1998 to 28 March 1999 29 March 1999 to 26 December 1999 Number of claims accepted 23,397 53,156 54,021 49,396 39,378 Value of IoPs (OBs and giros) impounded on accepted claims £11,463,664.27 £28,034,410.40 £29,694,440.67 £27,894,642.61 £24,163,044.65 Rejected 3,671 6,078 6,095 7,994 6,795 Value of IoPs (OBs and giros) impounded on rejected claims £1,725,840.33 £2,697,306.93 £2,877,367.61 £4,113,746.71 £3,631,145.92 Total value of IoPs (OBs and giros) impounded £13,189,504.60 £30,731,717.33 £32,571,808.28 £32,008,389.32 £27,794,190.57