HC Deb 04 July 2000 vol 353 cc159-60W
Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what estimate he has made of the total cost of administering the extended Winter Fuel Payment scheme for men; [128526]

(2) how many men have been sent letters relating to the extended Winter Fuel Payment scheme; [128527]

(3) how many completed forms relating to the extended Winter Fuel Payment scheme for men have been received by his Department; [128528]

(4) how many phone calls relating to the extended Winter Fuel Payment scheme for men have been dealt with by, the Winter Fuel Payments Helpline. [128530]

Angela Eagle

The estimated cost of administering the extended Winter Fuel Payment scheme is in the order of £25 million; this includes additional costs associated with handling this years retrospective payments.

During April we wrote to around 20,000 people, who had already registered their details. From 5 May, over a five-week period, a mailshot took place to all those identified as being eligible under the new arrangements. Over this period we wrote to around 1.7 million people.

The number of completed claim forms received to date is 1,067,119, which include 6,119 that have been downloaded from the internet. As well as the men aged between 60–64 who may now be eligible, this figure includes claim forms from women aged 60 or over who have not previously received a winter fuel payment as they were not in receipt of the State Retirement Pension or one of the other qualifying benefits.

To date a total of 217,615 calls have been made to the Winter Fuel Helpline.

Mrs. Ewing

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of extending Winter Fuel Payments to all disabled people in(a) Scotland and (b) the UK who receive Income Support. [128170]

Angela Eagle

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.

The annual cost of extending Winter Fuel Payments to people in Scotland who are in receipt of Income Support with a disability premium, is estimated to be £20 million in 2000–01. The equivalent cost for the whole of Great Britain is estimated to be £140 million.

Notes:
  1. 1. Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
  2. 2. Estimates exclude those in receipt of a disability premium who are in residential care or nursing homes.
  3. 3. Estimates include those in receipt of income-based Jobseeker's Allowance with a disability premium.
  4. 4. Figures include an adjustment to take into account reduced payments to people aged 60 or over not in receipt of Income Support who live in the same household as a claimant of Income Support with a disability premium.
  5. 5. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10 million