§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children are in families whose head is unemployed and has been in receipt of supplementary benefit for over a year.
§ Mr. Tony NewtonAbout 344,000 at December 1981, the latest date for which information is available.
§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the net annual cost of allowing a year in receipt of any national insurance benefit to count as the one year qualifying period for entitlement to the long-term supplementary benefit rate.
§ Mr. NewtonAbout £35 million net benefit cost, at November 1982 benefit rates, assuming unemployed claimants under 60 would continue to be excluded.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was (a) the total number of supplementary benefit claimants and (b) the total number of unemployed people claiming supplementary benefit, at 1 October, or a near date, and at a comparable date in 1979 in respect of his Department's offices in Stockport.
§ Mr. NewtonFigures for 1 October 1982 are not available. The number of cases in action in the Stockport offices at August 1982 and the equivalent period in 1979 were as follows:
1979 1982 Stockport North (a) Supplementary Benefit 8,547 11,343 (b) Unemployed 2,143 4,382 Stockport South (a) Supplementary Benefit 7,839 10,698 (b) Unemployed 1,928 4,477
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for his Department's offices in Stockport, what was the number of supplementary benefit staff in post at 1 October, or a near date, and at a comparable date in 1979.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information requested is as follows:
1 October 1982 7 October 1979 Stockport North 77 67 Stockport South 67 62 Information on staff in post is not generally split between the supplementary benefit and contributory benefit sides of the work. The figures given are for the complement, that is the number of staff allocated to cope with the work-loads then current.
I draw the hon. Member's attention to the guide to the Department's local office complementing system, now in the Library, which explains the complex relationship between staffing levels and workloads.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services for his Department's offices in Stockport, what was (a) the number of supplementary benefit appeals registered during September, or a near four-week period, and the number during a comparable period in 1979 and (b) the number of registered supplementary benefit appeals that were superseded due to a reassessment of benefit, prior to appeal, during September, or a near four-week period, and the number during a comparable period in 1979.
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§ Mr. NewtonThe information requested by the hon. Member in relation to overpayments of supplementary benefit arising from departmental error is recorded quarterly and relates only to irrecoverable overpayments. Statistics for the Stockport offices are as follows
Q/E September 1982–216 overpayments amounting to £9,138.90.Q/E September 1979–175 overpayments amounting to £5,861.02.No records are kept of underpayments of benefit because all discovered cases are made good.
§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services for his Department's offices in Stockport, what was (a) the number of overpayments of supplementary benefit arising due to departmental error, and their estimated total value during September, or a near four-week period, and for a comparable period in 1979 and (b) the number of underpayments of supplementary benefit arising due to departmental error, and their estimated total value, during September, or a near four-week period, and for a comparable period in 1979.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information requested is as follows:
Office Apsley House Stockport Heron House Stockport Period 5 September 1979–7 October 1979 Appeals Registered 20 16 Appeals Superseded 6 5 Period 1 September 1982–28 September 1982 Appeals Registered 25 21 Appeals Superseded 10 5
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for Baskerville House and Davenport House DHSS offices in Salford, what was (a) the total number of supplementary benefit claimants and (b) the total number of unemployed people claiming supplementary benefit at 1 October, or a near date, and a comparable date in 1979.
§ Mr. NewtonFigures for 1 October 1982 are not available. The number of cases in in action in the two Salford offices at August 1982 and the equivalent period in were as follows:
1979 1982 Salford North (Davenport House) (a) Supplemental benefit 10,368 14,223 (b) Unemployed 2,355 5,409 Salford South (Baskerville House) (a) Supplementary benefit 8,362 11,561 (b) Unemployed 2,078 4,820
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for Baskerville House and Davenport House DHSS offices in Salford, what was the number of supplementary benefit staff in post at 1 October, or a near date, and at a comparable date in 1979.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information requested is as follows:
1 October 1982 1 October 1979 Salford North (Davenport House) 101 92 Salford South (Baskerville House) 81 73 Information on staff in post is not generally split between the supplementary benefit and contributory 473W benefit sides of the work. The figures are given for the complement, that is the number of staff allocated to cope with the workloads then current.
I draw the hon. Member's attention to the guide to the Department's local office complementing system, now in the Library, which explains the complex relationship between staffing levels and workloads.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for Baskerville House and Davenport House DHSS offices in Salford, what was the (a) the number of overpayments of supplementary benefit and (b) the number of underpayments of supplementary benefit, arising due to departmental error, and their estimated total value, during September, or a near four-week period, and for a comparable period in 1979.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information requested by the hon. Member in relation to overpayments of supplementary benefit arising from departmental error is recorded quarterly and relates only to irrecoverable overpayments. Statistics for the Salford offices are as follows
Quarter ending September 1982–312 overpayments amounting to £10,375.26.Quarter ending September 1979–244 overpayments amounting to £5,929.14.No records are kept of underpayments of benefit, because all discovered cases are made good.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for Baskerville House and Davenport House DHSS offices in Salford, what was (a) the number of supplementary benefit appeals registered during September, or a near four-week period, and the number during a comparable period in 1979 and (b) the number of registered supplementary benefit appeals that were superseded due to a reassessment of benefit, prior to appeal, during September, or a near four-week period, and the number during a comparable period in 1979.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information requested is as follows:
Office Davenport House Salford Baskerville House Salford Period 5 September to 7 October 1979 Appeals Registered 23 21 Appeals Superseded 2 4 Period 1 September to 28 September 1982 Appeals Registered 25 26 Appeals Superseded 5 5
§ Mr. Wardellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answers to the hon. Member for Gower on 29 November, Official Report, c. 85, when he expects to be able to publish figures showing the value of unemployment benefit for (a) a single person and (b) a married couple as a percentage of average earnings for male manual workers in the United Kingdom and in Wales, respectively, in November 1982.
§ Mr. RossiEstimates of average earnings for male manual workers in Great Britain and in Wales in November 1982 will first become available in mid-January, though the figures will at that stage be provisional. I shall write to the hon. Member then. Firm figures will not be available until the results of next April's new earnings survey are known, later in the year.
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§ Mr. Arnoldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many workers had any means-tested benefits (a) reduced and (b) withdrawn during 1981–82; and if he will give a breakdown of benefits in each category.
§ Mr. NewtonI regret that the information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Craigenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary benefit claimants there were in Scotland in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively.
§ Mr. NewtonThe figures are as follows:
August Number 1979 305,000 1980 323,000 1981 359,000 1982 416,000 Source: Quantity Statistical Enquiry.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for the Dewsbury office of his Department, what was the number of overpayments of supplementary benefit arising due to departmental error, and their estimated total value, during the month of September 1982 or a near four-week period, and for a comparable period in 1979, 1980 and 1981, respectively.
§ Mr. NewtonOverpayments of supplementary benefits arising from official error at the Dewsbury office which came to light in the quarter ending 30 September were as follows:
1979 1980 1981 1982 Number 86 139 144 160 Value £1,474 £4,549 £5,047 £7,549 Information for a single month could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) for the Dewsbury office of his Department, what was the number of supplementary benefit appeals registered during the month of September 1982, or a near four-week period, and the number for a comparable period in 1979, 1980 and 1981, respectively;
(2) for the Dewsbury office of his Department, what was the number of registered supplementary benefit appeals that were superseded due to a reassessment of benefit prior to appeal during the month of September 1982, or a near four-week period, and the number during a comparable period in 1979, 1980 and 1981, respectively.
§ Mr. NewtonThe figures for the four-week period ending 28 September 1982 and equivalent periods in the earlier years are as follows:
Appeals registered Appeals superseded 1979 50 16 1980 42 5 1981 28 8 1982 25 6
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for the Leeds office of his Department, what was the number of overpayments of supplementary benefit 475W arising due to departmental error, and their estimated total value, during the month of September 1982, or a near four-week period; and what was the number in a comparable period in 1979, 1980 and 1981, respectively.
§ Mr. NewtonOverpayments of supplementary benefit arising from official error at the five Leeds offices which came to light in the quarter ending 30 September were as follows:
Number Value£ 1979 604 12,524 1980 635 14,083 1981 721 25,517 1982 840 37,884 Information for a single month could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services for the Leeds office of his Department, what was the number of underpayments of supplementary benefit arising due to departmental error, and their estimated total value, during the month of September 1982, or a near four-week period; and what was the number in a comparable period in 1979, 1980 and 1981, respectively.
§ Mr. NewtonI regret that the information requested is not available.
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) for the Leeds office of his Department, what was the number of supplementary benefit appeals registered during the month of September 1982, or a near four-week period; and what was the number in a comparable period in 1979, 1980 and 1981, respectively;
(2) for the Leeds office of his Department, what was the number of registered supplementary benefit appeals that were superseded due to a reassessment of benefit prior to appeal, during the month of September, or a near four-week period; and the number during a comparable period in 1979, 1980 and 1981, respectively.
§ Mr. NewtonThe figures for the four-week period ending 28 September 1982 and the equivalent period last year for the five Leeds offices are as follows; figures for earlier years are not available.
Appeals registered Appeals superseded 1981 152 52 1982 153 60
§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services for the Dewsbury office of his Department, what was the number of underpayments of supplementary benefit arising due to departmental error, and their estimated total value, during the month of September 1982, or a near four-week period, and the number during a comparable period in 1979, 1980 and 1981, respectively.
§ Mr. NewtonI regret that the information requested is not available.
§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements will be made for the provision of help for supplementary benefit recipients towards winter fuel bills which are higher than normal in the event of exceptionally severe weather.
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§ Mr. NewtonRegulation 26 of the Supplementary Benefits (Single Payments) Regulations 1981 provides that a single payment may be made, under the usual conditions, in respect of a claimant's fuel costs where they are greater than the amount which he or she has put aside to pay for them because a period of exceptionally severe weather has resulted in consumption greater than normal.
In light of last winter's experience, the chief supplementary benefit officer has drawn up revised guidance on the operation of this regulation for use by local supplementary benefit officers. This is now being printed and distributed to local offices and I am arranging for an advance copy to be placed in the Library today; copies of the guidance will, when available, be on sale through the Department's leaflet unit.
In the event of exceptionally severe weather, supplementary benefit officers will determine the amount of any single payment due by using data specially provided by the Meteorological Office. This data will compare temperature levels each week at each of the 16 weather stations in Great Britain with the average temperature for that station. From this a percentage figure will be obtained which can be applied to the claimant's fuel bill to provide an estimate of the extra expenditure on fuel incurred.
The chief supplementary benefit officer will notify local offices if, in his view, the condition in the regulation that there has been a period of exceptionally severe weather has been satisfied. In deciding this, he will have regard to data provided by the Meteorological Office. The precise details of the "triggering" mechanism are still being finalised, but the chief supplementary benefit officer has indicated that he will in any event advise local offices to apply the regulation if temperatures over any week this winter fall as low as they did over the weeks last year when the regulation was applied.
At the same time, revised departmental instructions are being issued to local offices on publicity arrangements to be made should the weather be exceptionally severe. A simple claim form and posters are being printed and will be sent to local offices in advance for immediate display and distribution if the CSBO has indicated that the weather is exceptionally severe. Special arrangements would then be made for people on the fuel direct scheme, whose fuel bills are paid by weekly deductions from their supplementary benefit and who therefore have little apparent incentive to claim a single payment. Local offices are being instructed to make arrangements for everyone on the scheme to be invited to make a claim.
These new arrangements should make a better basis on which to provide help if there is exceptionally severe weather this winter, but we shall continue to look closely at this provision in the light of experience. We shall also have regard to any comments on the regulation and its operation made by the Social Security Advisory Committee. The committee has been paying particular attention to help with fuel costs in its monitoring of the supplementary benefits scheme this year.
§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of raising (a) the ordinary supplementary benefit scale rates to the long-term rates and (b) the short-term national insurance rates to the higher national insurance rates.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 12 November 1982, c. 303]: The information requested is as follows: 477W
- (a) About £630 million, on the basis of the current number of beneficiaries.
- (b) About £820 million, after taking account of savings on supplementary benefit.