§ Mr. Simon Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Social services if he will provide figures for the number of people dependent on social security benefits, broken down by category of benefit and age group, in the constituencies of Southwark and Bermondsey, Peckham and Dulwich.
§ Mr. LyellI regret that it is not possible to provide all the information requested.
The constituencies of Southwark and Bermondsey, Peckham and Dulwich are covered by the Department's local office as follows:
Constituency Local offices Southwark and Southwark, Kennington Park, Camberwell Bermondsey and Greenwich Park Peckham Peckham, Camberwell and Kennington Park Dulwich Peckham, Brixton and Crystal Palace The boundaries of these offices are not conterminous with those of the constituencies they cover.
The numbers of people receiving locally administered social security benefits from the offices covering these constituencies are:
South wark and Bermondsey Peckham Dulwich Sickness and Invalidity Benefit1 3,875 3,295 5,285 Maternity Allowance1 553 330 743 Severe Disablement Allowance1 478 445 787 Supplementary Benefit2 52,429 35,122 35,569 1 Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action on 10 March 1987. 2 Source: 100 per cent. of cases in action on 10 February 1987. These constituencies are covered for unemployment benefit purposes by the following unemployment benefit offices:
Constituency Unemployment benefit offices Southwark and Bermondsey Borough and Bermondsey Peckham Camberwell 'A' and Camberwell 'B' Dulwich Forest Hill, Cambenvell 'A' and Camberwell 'B' The boundaries of offices covering the constituencies of Peckham and Dulwich are not conterminous with those of the constituencies.
The number of people receiving unemployment benefit from the offices covering these constituencies, at 13 November 1986, the latest available figures, was:
Constituency Unemployment benefit recipients Southwark and Bermondsey 1,088 Peckham 1,721 Dulwich 2,492 Source: 100 per cent. count of claims in payment.
307WHousing benefit is administered in all these constituencies by the London borough of Southwark. In April 1986 — the latest information available — there were an estimated 36,610 recipients of housing benefit in Southwark. This figure is subject to revision.
§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if, following the decision of the social security commissioner in the case of Joseph Hugh Foster of Birmingham made on 20 February, he will arrange for local offices to review all cases of unemployed persons having supplementary benefit reduced because such persons could receive an early reduced pension from a former employer;
(2) if he will introduce legislation to compensate for loss of pension those unemployed persons taking a reduced early pension in consequence of the supplementary benefit notional resource regulations; and if he will make a statement;
(3) how many submissions have been made to his headquarters from local offices in respect of deductions in supplementary benefit to unemployed persons who have a choice of a reduced early pension from a former employer;
(4) what is his estimate of the number of unemployed persons in receipt of supplementary benefit, whose benefit is reduced because they have an entitlement to an early reduced pension from a former employer.
§ Mr. LyellI understand that the Chief Adjudication Officer is considering the decision of the social security commissioner in the case of Mr. Joseph Hugh Foster of Birmingham, and I shall let the hon. Member have a further reply when that has been completed. Information is not available on the number of unemployed persons whose supplementary benefit is reduced because they have an entitlement to an early reduced pension from a former employer. Neither our headquarters nor the Chief Adjudication Office have received any submissions on this subject since my predecessor's replies to the hon. Member on 28 October 1985 at column381 and 13 January 1986 at column 497.