§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he intends to take to improve computer systems in his Department's offices dealing with benefits payable to pensioners, war pensioners and parents receiving family allowances.
§ Mr. WhitneyOur plans to improve the administration of the social security programme through the application of new technology are embraced within the social security operational strategy, on which a consultative document was published in 1982. This is a managerial and conceptual framework within which a series of projects, involving both the improvement of existing computer systems and the design of new ones, are being developed.
The payment and record-keeping of retirement pensions and widows' pensions and of child benefit are at present handled centrally by the Department's computer installation at Newcastle. The computer system for dealing with retirement pensions and widow's pensions is currently being redesigned to provide assessment as well as payment services starting in 1988. The child benefit system will be similarly redesigned to give an improved service in the early part of the next decade. In the meantime work is well advanced on two small scale projects to provide staff in Newcastle central office with on-line access to the records of recipients of these benefits and on the computerisation of the child benefit index. These will provide a better inquiry facility and a more efficient service.
Work on war pensions is handled centrally by a computer system at the Department's North Fylde central office and we have no plans at present for major changes to the system.
Pensioners and child benefit recipients may also receive supplementary benefit which is paid through local offices. For our plans to introduce computer systems to these offices I refer the hon. Member to my reply to her on 7 March at column 602.