HC Deb 02 March 1992 vol 205 cc81-3W
Mrs Fyfe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many benefit claimants in Glasgow have requested a review of their supplementary benefit entitlement under the regulation 72 take-up campaign; how many of these(a) have had their requests for review refused, (b) are pending and (c) have received payments; what is the total amount of back-dated benefit paid out to Glasgow claimants as at 31 January; and what was the average amount of such payments;

(2) if he will list the number of claimants for each individual benefit at each of his Department's offices serving the Glasgow, Maryhill constituency as at 30 December.

Miss Widdecombe

The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the public information office.

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many additional people who at present have reduced entitlement to benefits would qualify for full entitlement to benefit as a result of increasing the initial capital cut off point from £3,000 to £6,000, while retaining the present upper limits and tapers for(a) income support, (b) family credit, (c) housing benefit and (d) community charge benefits; and what would be the full year cost in each case;

(2) what is the number of people who receive reduced entitlement to benefit as a result of the rules on capital limits for (a) family credit, (b) income support, (c) housing benefit and (d) community charge benefit;

(3) how many additional people, who at present have reduced entitlement to benefits, would qualify for full entitlement to benefit as a result of increasing the initial capital cut off point from £3,000 to £4,000, while retaining the present upper limits and tapers for (a) income support, (b) family credit, (c) housing benefit and (d) community charge benefits; and what would be the full year cost in each case;

(4) how many additional people who at present have reduced entitlement to benefits would qualify for full entitlement to benefit as a result of increasing the initial capital cut off point from £3,000 to £5,000, while retaining the present upper limits and tapers for (a) income support, (b) family credit, (c) housing benefit and (d) community charge benefits; and what would be the full year cost in each case.

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 25 February 1992]: Where a claimant's capital exceeds £3,000, a weekly income is assumed in each of the income-related benefits according to a tariff income formula. However, any actual interest earned by the capital is not counted as income when deciding entitlement to benefit. In many cases, this interest exceeds the tariff income taken into account.

The estimated numbers of recipients of income-related benefits, whose entitlement to benefit is affected because they have capital in excess of £3,000 are as follows:

  1. (a) Family Credit: 3,000
  2. (b) Income Support: 73,000
  3. (c) Housing Benefit: 174,000
  4. (d) Community Charge Benefit: 608,000

Increasing the existing lower capital limit of £3,000 would affect all claimants with capital above £3,000. The numbers of claimants who, on the latest information available, would not have tariff income taken into account if the lower capital limit were increased to the levels stated, and the estimated costs of raising the lower level for all cases with capital, are in the table:

£4,000 £5,000 £6,000
Income Support 39,000 58,000 69,000
Family Credit 1— 1— 1—
Housing Benefit 59,000 101,000 130,000

£4,000 £5,000 £6,000
Community Charge Benefit 165,000 289,000 389,000
Estimated costs across the income.related benefits £90 million £150 million £200 million

Sources: (latest information available)

August 1991 Family Credit Statistical System

May 1990 Annual Statistical Enquiry of Income Support recipients

May 1990 Housing Benefit Management Information Statistics.

Notes:

  1. 1. Costs of increasing the lower capital limit are based on the results of modelling using data drawn from the 1987–88–89 family expenditure surveys at 1992–93 prices and benefits levels.
  2. 2. Estimates of capital holdings drawn from the family expenditure survey are imputed from reported income from investment and savings and are therefore uncertain.

1—Less than 2,500 claimants.

Mr. Nellist

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest figures for Coventry and Warwickshire for the number of claims to(a) income support, (b) family credit and (c) housing benefit; and what were the figures one year ago.

Miss Widdecombe

The administration of benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available, and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

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