§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what savings his Department has made as a result of the abolition of single payments in the former supplementary benefit system, for each year since 1988.
§ Mr. ScottThe supplementary benefit scheme was replaced in 1988 by income support and the social fund. The different nature and scope of the schemes means that direct comparisons cannot be made between them.
No precise estimate of any savings resulting from the abolition of supplementary benefit single payments can therefore be made.
§ Mr. BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals against disqualification from invalidity benefit were heard in(a) April, May and June 1992 and (b) April, May and June 1993; and how many were successful.
§ Mr. ScottThe information is not available in the form requested. However, in April, May and June 1992 a total of 1,311 appeals were heard against a variety of invalidity benefit decisions. Of these, 681 were decided in the appellant's favour. Information for the later period is not available.
§ Mr. BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for invalidity benefit were received from people previously in receipt of(a) sickness benefit, (b) income support and (c) statutory sick pay in the year 1992–93.
§ Mr. ScottThe information is not available. Such information as is available is in the table. Information about invalidity benefit recipients previously receiving income support is not available.
Spells of invalidity benefit commencing in the period 2 April 1990 to 30 March 1991 immediately in continuation of entitlement to:
Recipients Sickness benefit 87,000 Statutory sick pay 128,000 Notes:
(i) Based on a 1 per cent. sample of claimants, rounded to the nearest thousand.
(ii) 30 March 1991 is the latest date for which figures are available.
(iii) Figures exclude cases where there has been a break in incapacity of eight weeks or less.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list changes made to benefits for long-term sick and disabled people, since April 1988 together with an estimate for each year to 2000 of the cost or savings for each change.
§ Mr. ScottFor a list of changes I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Bristol, East (Ms Corston) on 26 July, c.715–16.
225WAn estimate of the costs and savings in each case as requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. ChisholmTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants were in receipt of invalidity benefit in(a) Edinburgh, (b) Scotland and (c) the United Kingdom in each of the past five years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. ScottI understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
For such information as is available I refer the hon. Member to the reply to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. McAllion) on 20 July at columns 280–81.