§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for family credit are still to be determined; and what is the average time currently taken for the determination of a family credit claim.
§ Mr. Peter LloydAt 14 October 1988 there were 62,299 claims for family credit still to be determined. Of these, there were 37,238 where replies to inquiries were awaited, mainly from employers about earnings, before further action could proceed.
The average time between receipt and determination of claims cleared during September 1988 was 29.7 working days. During much of that period clearance times were affected by the postal dispute, particularly in delaying further inquiries. Prior to the dispute, in August, the average clearance time was just over the target of 18 working days.
§ Mr. Tony BanksTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of people entitled to family credit have claimed it.
§ Mr. Peter LloydA precise estimate of the number of people currently entitled to family credit cannot be made until information from the 1988 family expenditure survey is available.