§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the number of people claiming supplementary benefit in South Yorkshire ad at each of the offices of his Department serving the Wentworth constituency in 1979 and at the latest available date, the percentage change this represents, the percentage change in the number of staff dealing with this benefit and the total number of staff employed in these offices in 1979 and at the present time.
§ Mr. LyellSouth Yorkshire is covered by 13 of the Department's offices (Rotherham North, Rotherham 907W South, Sheffield South-East, Sheffield South-West, Sheffield North-East, Sheffield North-West, Barnsley West, Barnsley East, Wath on Dearne, Doncaster East, Doncaster West, Mexborough and Goldthorpe). Mexborough and Goldthorpe are national insurance offices and do not deal with supplementary benefit.
Number of new-repeat claims to supplementary benefits (including unsuccessful) Number of people1 receiving supplementary benefit 1982–83 1985–86 Percentage change 1982–83 1985–86 Percentage change Rotherham North office 5,619 5,571 -0.9 5,291 5,520 +4.3 Wath upon Dearne office 9,350 9,393 +0.5 6,958 8,174 +17.5 South Yorkshire offices 164,455 160,174 +2.6 129,422 147,164 +13.7 1 Based on a 100 per cent, count of cases in action at February each year.
Changes in complement 1982–83 to 1985–86 Total staff complement 1982–83 Total staff complement 1985–86 Rotherham North office 74 69 Wath upon Dearne office 56 66 South Yorkshire offices 1,667 1,602
Supplementary benefits staff 1982–83 complement 1985–86 complement Percentage change Rotherham North office 36 44 +22.2 Wath upon Dearne office 56 66 +17.8 South Yorkshire offices 906 1,074 +18.5 Direct comparisons between numbers of staff and claims are misleading as workloads vary considerably by type and duration of claim and the action that has to be taken. All these factors vary over time as a result of legislative, policy and procedural changes. Examples of such changes are the introduction of housing benefit and postal claim forms.
§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give the numbers of people receiving supplementary benefit in each of the 36 metropolitan districts for each year from 1979 to 1986;
(2) if he will give the numbers receiving supplementary benefits per thousand head of population in each of the 36 metropolitan districts for each year from 1979 to 1986;
(3) if he will list the numbers of children in each of the 36 metropolitan districts who are dependent upon supplementary benefit claimants for each year from 1979 to 1986;
(4) if he will list the numbers of children dependent upon people receiving supplementary benefit per thousand head of population in each of the metropolitan districts for each year from 1979 to 1986.