§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the known rate of error in determining entitlement to child benefit;
(2) what is the known rate of error in determining both entitlement to benefit and rate of benefit for all social security benefits; and how this varies by benefit;
(3) if he will publish the known rate of error in determining both entitlement to benefit and rate of benefit for all family income supplement.
§ Mrs. ChalkerKnown rates of error for the quarter ending December 1979 are set out in the following table. The distinction is made, where possible, between errors in calculating the total amount of benefit entitlement covered by an individual payment and those caused by incorrect determination of the weekly rate of benefit payable.
233WThe administration of unemployment benefit is, of course, a matter for my
Error rates (percentage) Weekly Benefit Entitlement benefit rate Composite National Insurance and Industrial Injuries Benefits Short Term Benefits — — 1.90 Retirement Pensions 2.40 4.16 — Widow's Retirement Pension 7.0 1.5 — Widow's Benefit 3.55 10.26 — Child's Special Allowance — — 5.79 Death Grant* — — 0.63 Industrial Death Benefit — 5.25 — Industrial Disablement Benefit* — — 0.58 Non-Contributory Benefits Attendance Allowance — 4.74 — Invalid Care Allowance — 1.97 — Family Income Supplement 0.28 6.23 — Housewive's Non-Contributory Pension 0.15 3.23 — Mobility Allowance — 2.17 — Child Benefit Computerised Processes — — 0.04 Clerical Processes — — 8.83 Supplementary Benefits — — 11.06 * Figures relate to quarter ending October 1979. Notes:
1. Included under short-term National Insurance and Industrial Injuries Benefits are sickness benefit, injury benefit, maternity benefits, invalidity benefits and non-contributory invalidity pension.
2. Entitlement to attendance allowance, invalid care allowance and mobility allowance is a medical matter.
3. For short-term national insurance and industrial injuries benefits and supplementary benefits the error rates quoted are derived from management checks of statistical samples of payments made. Error rates for other benefits are based on the results of pre-payment and post-payment audit in a percentage of cases.
§ Mr. John Browneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements he has made for a scrutiny of the delivery of unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit to the unemployed.
§ Mr. PriorI have been asked to reply.
The Secretary of State for Social Services and I have, with the assistance of Sir Derek Rayner, set up a small team of officials to undertake a scrutiny with the following terms of reference.
To report on whether the organisation and methods by which unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit for unemployed people are delivered can be made more effective".I have placed a copy of the team's study plan in the Library.