HC Deb 02 June 1992 vol 208 cc477-80W
Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to publish the rules governing the schemes for compensating individuals for late payment of benefits.

Mr. Burt

The arrangements for making special payments to compensate individuals for late payment of benefit are made in accordance with the general principles concerning ex-gratia payments in "Government Accounting", The Treasury's published guide to accounting and financial procedures in Government. Each case is decided within these general principles, taking into account the particular facts and circumstances, which vary widely from case to case.

Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals received compensation payments; and how much was paid, for each benefit in each year since the scheme for compensating individuals for late payment began.

Mr. Burt

Payments made to customers to compensate them for late payment of benefit in individual cases are as follows:

Benefit Number of individual payments Total amount paid1 £
1984–85
Maternity allowance 1 9
National insurance contributions (refund/waiver) 5 552
Retirement pension2 45 9,474
Widow's benefits 11 11,062
Invalidity/sickness benefit 37 6,046
Attendance allowance/invalid care allowance 5 999
Disablement benefit/constant attendance allowance 1 78

Benefit Number of individual payments Total amount paid1 £
Unemployment benefit 25 1,350
Industrial death benefit 1 23
Severe hardship allowance 3 1,130
Mobility allowance 1 90
NCIP 2 316
War pensions 34 59,869
Supplementary benefits 3 3
1 Figures rounded to the nearest £.
2 Includes Christmas bonus.
3 Figures unavailable.

Benefit Number of individual payments Total amount paid1 £
1985–86
Retirement pension2 359 264,150
Widow's benefits 16 9,863
Invalidity/sickness benefit 31 12,535
Attendance allowance/invalid care allowance 6 1,016
Disablement benefit/constant attendance allowance 4 4,684
Industrial death benefit 1 22
Child special allowance 1 163
Severe hardship allowance 1 154
Unemployment benefit 13 562
War pensions 60 89,940
Supplementary benefits 48 1,938
1 Figures rounded to the nearest £.
2 Includes Christmas bonus.

Benefit Number of individual payments Total amount paid1 £
1986–87
Maternity allowance 3 59
National insurance contributions (waiver/refund) 3 104
Retirement pension2 460 403,037
Widow's benefits 20 20,517
Invalidity/sickness benefit 87 28,850
Attendance allowance/invalid care allowance 10 4,661
Mobility allowance 2 959
Severe disablement allowance/NCIP 2 1,100
Disablement benefit/constant attendance allowance 5 2,089
Guardian's allowance 1 48
War pensions 59 64,100
Industrial death benefit 2 149
Supplementary benefits 3 3
Child benefit/one parent benefit/Family income supplement 3 3
1 Figures rounded to the nearest £
2 Includes Christmas bonus.
3 Figures unavailable.

Benefit Number of individual payments Total amount paid1 £
1987–88
Maternity allowance 1 20
National insurance contributions (waiver/refund) 9 2,985
Retirement pension2 469 473,941
Widow's benefits 23 39,006
Invalidity/sickness benefit 66 23,220

Benefit Number of individual payments Total amount paid1 £
Attendance allowance/invalid care allowance 7 2,184
Mobility allowance 41 32,232
Disablement benefit/constant attendance allowance 15 5,149
Unemployment benefit 1 118
War pensions 20 56,411
Severe disablement allowance/NCIP 3 1,331
Supplementary benefit 254 51,237
Child benefit/one parent benefit/Family credit 2 317
1 Figures rounded to the nearest £.
2 Includes Christmas bonus.

Benefit Number of individual payments Total amount paid1 £
1988–89
Maternity allowance 2 99
National insurance contributions (waiver/refund) 2 534
Retirement pension2 167 127,997
Widow's benefits 16 8,476
Invalidity/sickness benefit 67 18,932
Attendance allowance/invalid care allowance 10 3,502
Mobility allowance 7 6,203
Severe disablement allowance/NCIP 7 3,016
Disablement benefit/constant attendance allowance 10 8,285
Guardians allowance 37 495
Income support 204 47,610
1 Figures rounded to the nearest £.
2 Includes Christmas bonus.

Benefit Number of individual payment. Total amount paid1 £
1989–90
Maternity allowance 1 34
National insurance contributions (waiver refund) 9 987
Retirement pension2 127 50,750
Widow's benefits 9 28,115
Invalidity/sickness benefit 86 44,048
Attendance allowance/invalid care allowance 6 6,983
Mobility allowance 7 4,454
Severe disablement allowance/NCIP 4 2,631
Income support 153 32,458
1 Figures rounded to the nearest £.
2 Includes Christmas bonus.

Benefit Number of individual payments Total amount paid1 £
1990–91
Maternity allowance 8 789
National insurance contributions (waiver/refund) 10 931
Retirement pension2 103 76,271
Widow's benefits 11 9,875
Invalidity/sickness benefit 39 15,686
Attendance allowance/invalid care allowance 6 3,417

Benefit Number of individual payments Total amount paid1 £
Mobility allowance 2 3,481
Severe disablement allowance/NCIP 2 750
Income support 122 199,657
1 Figures rounded to the nearest £.
2 Includes Christmas bonus.

1991–92

Figures are not yet available.

Forward to