Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the instructions issued to local offices on the administration of voluntary unemployment deductions.
Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 19 July 1983, c. 119–120]: The instructions to local offices on the administration of voluntary unemployment deductions are contained in the "S" manual, which has now been published. It can be purchased from the DHSS leaflets unit, Stanmore, and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will instruct the social security policy inspectorate to carry out a follow-up study of voluntary unemployment deductions in six months' time.
Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 19 July 1983, c. 119–120]: The Government have already undertaken to monitor the application of the revised regulations in due course. Whether this will be by means of a social security policy inspectorate inquiry or by some other means will be decided at the appropriate time.
Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to identify persons from whom supplementary benefit has been wrongfully withheld on grounds of voluntary unemployment.
Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 19 July 1983, c. 119–120]: All current claims will be examined in the course of the uprating exercise, which is just starting and will be completed by November, and any benefit which it is established has been wrongfully withheld on grounds of voluntary unemployment will be paid in full. Subject to the availability of the relevant records, anybody else who believes that benefit has been wrongfully withheld on these grounds in respect of a previous claim may apply to have his case reviewed. Publicity will be arranged and leaflets prepared inviting such applications. Instructions have been issued to social security local offices and to unemployment benefit offices requiring procedures to be strictly applied for the future.
Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will defer implementation of amendments to the supplementary benefit regulations providing for voluntary unemployment deductions until such time as he is satisfied that administrative procedures have been improved and are being applied correctly.
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Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 19 July 1983, c. 119–120]: Steps are being taken to ensure that the relevant procedures will be properly applied for the future by both social security local offices and unemployment benefit offices, and I see no reason, therefore, to delay the amendments to the regulations.
Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the total amount of supplementary benefit which has been wrongly withheld on grounds of voluntary unemployment in each of the last three years; and what is the average amount per case.
Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 19 July 1983, c. 119–120]: The average weekly amount per case of all voluntary unemployment deductions for the past three years was as follows:
£ 1980 5.92 1981 6.56 1982 6.85 In the social security policy inspectorate study of voluntary unemployment deductions it was found that the average period for deductions was four weeks. The findings of the inspectorate study were based on a small number of cases and cannot necessarily, of course, be applied to all offices.
However, if the broad assumption is made that the results of the inspectorate inquiry would be reflected proportionately among voluntary unemployment cases generally, very rought estimates of the total annual amounts of benefit which may not have been refunded after a decision in favour of the claimant are as follows:
£ 1980 570,000 1981 450,000 1982 400,000
Mr. Johnasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of cases in which supplementary benefit has been wrongly withheld on grounds of voluntary unemployment in each of the last three years.
Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 19 July 1983, c. 119–120]: The report of the social security policy inspectorate on voluntary unemployment deductions throws some light on the likely number of cases affected, but, as the inspectorate points out, the numbers involved were small and the findings of its study cannot necessarily be applied to all offices. The inspectorate found that, of those cases where it was known that an insurance officer had given a favourable decision, 21 out of 93—22.5 per cent.—had not had refunds. On average, about 40 per cent. of all voluntary unemployment cases referred to insurance officers are decided in favour of the unemployed person.
If the broad assumption is made that the findings of the inspectorate study would be reflected proportionately among voluntary unemployment cases generally, very rough estimates of the number of cases where benefit may not have been refunded after a decision in favour of the claimant, in the past few years, is as follows: 214W
Number of cases 1980 24,000 1981 17,000 1982 15,000