HC Deb 27 July 1983 vol 46 cc497-8W
Ms. Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give, for the latest available date and for each of the past five years, the numbers and percentages of (a) claims, (b) successful claims, (c) appeals and (d) successful appeals for non-contributory invalidity pension.

Mr. Newton

Doubts have arisen about the accuracy of our claims statistics and I shall write to the hon. Member about this. The information on appeals is as follows:

1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
Appeals to local tribunals
Total appeals 4,700 2,000 2,000 1,700 1,600
Successful appeals
Number 2,050 780 300 620 620
Percentage 44 39 40 37 38
Appeals to the commissioner
Total appeals 94 409 226 210 *
Successful appeals
Number 66 293 66 57 *
Percentage 70 72 29 27 *
*1982 figures not yet available.

Ms. Richardson

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply of 6 July, Official Report, c. 129, regarding savings on the administration of the test, if he will state the current costs for administering non-contributory invalidity pension and non-contributory invalidity pension for married women; and if he will express the costs for each benefit as a percentage of the total expenditure on that benefit.

Mr. Newton

The estimated cost of administering the two benefits in 1983–84 is about £8½ million. It is not possible to apportion this at all precisely, but non-contributory invalidity pension probably accounts for about three quarters and non-contributory invalidity pension for married women for the other quarter, representing about 5½ per cent. and 3½ per cent. of relevant benefit expenditure respectively.

Ms. Richardson

asked the Secretary, of State for Social Services how many of the new or renewed claims for non-contributory invalidity pension for married women, listed in the table given in his answer of 6 July, Official Report, c. 129–30, were decided each year following a medical assessment.

Mr. Newton

The information is not available in the form requested. The only claims which can be decided without a medical assessment are those from people who fail to meet the age, residence or presence conditions. These currently comprise some 2½ per cent. of all claims.