HC Deb 14 November 1988 vol 140 cc439-40W
22. Mr. Knapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action the Government are taking to increase the efficiency of the social security system.

Mr. Scott

We are making very good progress in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the social security system. The new benefits we brought in in April have simplified the system and made it easier to understand, both for claimants and for staff. As a result fewer people are finding it necessary to visit their local social security offices and the time taken to clear benefit claims has been reduced, from a national average of six days for the last year of supplementary benefit to five days for the first six months of income support. Similarly, national error rates have also improved from 11.6 per cent. to 9.7 per cent. We recognise that further progress still needs to be made and to help with this we are setting improved targets and standards of service. For example, a comprehensive system of quality assessment of local office contacts with the public has been developed.

These changes are complemented by our huge computerisation programme which is transforming the administration of social security, bringing major benefits for the taxpayer and all who use the social security system. Following the successful computerisation of the family credit system in April, trials of the initial version of the new pensions system and the central index system are now under way in the first local offices. A new microcomputer-based system has also recently been brought into operation for the retirement pension forecast service, providing a quick, personalised reply to most inquiries. The public reaction to this has been overwhelmingly favourable. We are also taking further steps to provide a better and more efficient service to the public by relocating some work away from some of our most hard-pressed local offices. I have also asked officials to advise whether social security operations could with advantage be run as a next steps agency or agencies and to report by the end of the year. There is also an active, and ongoing, programme of efficiency scrutinies which has today yielded savings of over £80 million and over 4,000 posts.

Our staff are themselves taking an active part in helping to improve efficiency, by making increasing use of the Department's suggestions scheme which has saved at least £5 million this year alone.