Staffing Levels (Hansard, 18 November 1981)

§ Mrs. Renée Short
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further cuts he is proposing in the staffing levels in social security offices; if he will give details of these; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Chalker
The staffing levels of the social security side of the Department are governed by two factors. First, the extent to which people claim the benefits to which they may be entitled and, secondly, the influence of measures being investigated in relation to increasing administrative efficiency towards the Government's target of a Civil Service of not more than 630,000 by 1 April 1984.
So far as the local office network is concerned, trends of claim activities over the last year or so have been downwards, thus reducing the staff required. The latest review of manning levels on this basis, which takes place at quarterly intervals, has resulted in a decision to reduce the present level of staff (64,000 as at 1 October 1981) by about 2,000 posts by 1 April 1982. This will be achieved through normal wastage.
The staffing of the remainder of the Department (regional offices, central offices and headquarters) is less influenced by the level of benefit claims and the present total number of staff in post (33,300) is not expected to alter greatly between now and next April.
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were obtained in that year (c) whether such prosecutions were made under the Theft Act 1968, and for what reasons (d) the total amount of social security benefits involved in those cases of fraud for which convictions were obtained (e) the total number of social security claims received at those offices in that year and (f) the total amount of money paid out in social security benefits at those offices during that year.

§ Mr. Rossi
The available information is as follows; the other information requested could be produced only at disproportionate costs.
For the longer term, the manpower target for the Department for 1 April 1984 is, as announced by the Lord President on 27 November 1980, a staff-in-post not exceeding 87,700. This requires some changes in the structure of our social security benefits system and improvements in administrative efficiency. The Social Security and Housing Benefits Bill now before the House is the main vehicle for the former and should enable savings of about 5,850 staff to be made, mainly in local offices, by 1984. Efficiency measures will enable further savings in all areas of the Department.
For example, between 1,000 and 1,200 posts are expected to be saved by the re-organisation of regional social security offices, a measure designed to devolve more responsibility to local offices. A copy of the report of the study which gave rise to these changes is in the Library of the House^*. It is not possible to put precise numbers to the remaining proposals, many of which are at early stages of development. ^* Report on traffic in social security work between local and regional offices and headquarters. DHSS 1981.