HC Deb 09 November 1987 vol 122 cc90-3W
Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give details of staffing levels at the local offices in Rusholme, Chorlton and Sale, broken down by type of work; how this compares with the position six months ago and 11 months ago; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Portillo

The table details the number of staff in post on 1 November 1987, 1 May 1987 and 1 December 1986, at Rusholme, Chorlton and Sale local offices, and reflects organisational differences between the offices.

1 November 1987 1 May 1987 1 December 1986
Training/Local Information 5.0 4.0 3.0
Finance 9.0 9.0 8.0
Overpayments 2.0 2.0 2.0
Senior Management 2.0 2.0 2.0
Totals 177.5 174.5 161.0
1 Decision taken to set up new section to specialise in take-up campaigns and reform implementation.
2 Unemployment Review ceased to be a responsibility of the Department from April 1987.

Chorlton
1 November 1987 1 May 1987 1 December 1986
Supplementary Benefit
(i) Allowances/Social Security Reforms implementation 35.0 29.0 29.0
(ii) Pensions 5.0 5.0 5.0
(iii) Visits/Special Case Officer 4.0 4.0 4.0
(iv) Liable Relative 3.0 3.0 3.0
(v) Appeals 2.0 2.0 2.0
Reserve cover for (i)—(v) 2.0 2.0 2.0
(vi) Miscellaneous/Reception 7.0 7.0 7.0
(vii) Single Payments 5.0 4.0 4.0
(viii) Training/Local Information Officer 3.0 2.0 2.0
Reserve cover for (vi)—(viii) 2.5 1.0 1.0
(ix) Fraud/Special Investigation 5.0 5.0 5.0
(x) Board & Lodging Control 2.0 2.0 2.0
Contributory Benefits
(i) NI Contributions & Compliance 7.0 7.0 7.0
(ii) Reception 1.0 0.0 0.0
Reserve cover for (i)—(ii) & (ix)—(x) 2.0 2.0 2.0
(iii) STB/LTB 6.0 7.0 7.0
(iv) Training/Overpayments 1.0 1.0 1.0
(v) Pensions/Disablement Benefit 5.0 5.0 5.0
Reserve cover for (iii)—(v) 4.0 4.0 4.0
Other
(i) Finance 7.5 7.0 7.0
(ii) Premises/Common Services 9.0 8.0 8.0
Reserve cover for (i)—(ii) 2.0 2.0 2.0
Management 7.0 7.0 7.0
Totals 127.0 116.0 116.0

Sale
1 November 1987 1 May 1987 1 December 1986
Supplementary benefit
Allowances/Reception 44.0 37.5 37.5
Visits/Liable Relative 17.5 16.0 14.0
Fraud/Special Investigation 9.0 9.0 8.0
Training/Single Payments/NHS/Direct Payments/Appeals (a) 0.0 28.5 25.5
Appeals/Single Payments/NHS/Direct Payments (a) 14.0 0.0 0.0
Training/Operational Strategy1 5.0 0.0 0.0
Contributory Benefits
NI Contributions and Compliance 15.5 14.0 13.0
STB/SDA/Disablement Benefit 30.5 25.5 25.5
Pensions & Overpayments (including Supp. B) 27.5 26.5 25.5
Other
Finance/Common Services 24.5 24.5 24.5
Management 11.0 11.0 10.0
Totals 198.5 192.5 183.5
1 Re-organisation of section into two separate parts.

Abbreviations: STB—Short Term Benefits; LTB—Long Term Benefits; SDA—Severe Disablement Allowance.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give details of staffing levels of(a) the Chorlton, (b) the Rusholme, and (c) the Sale offices of his Department dealing with appeals at present, six months ago and 12 months ago; and if he will give details of the other sections to or from which any personnel have been transferred.

Mr. Portillo

The staffing levels dealing with supplementary benefirt appeals for each of the offices are as follows:

1 November 1987 1 May 1987 1 November 1986
Chorlton ILO 2 2 2
Rusholme ILO 5 3 2.5
Sale ILO 3.5 3 3

Since 1 November 1986 Chorlton ILO has not transferred any posts to or from the appeals section.

Since 1 November 1986 Rusholme ILO has transferred one post from the visiting section and one post from the single payment section to the appeals section. A part-time appeals officer has taken up full-time work in the appeals section.

Since 1 November 1986 Sale ILO has transferred a part-time post from the supplementary pensions section to the appeals section.

Abbreviations: ILO — Integrated Local Office