§ Mr. Ron DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children there were in families in Wales receiving invalidity benefit or its equivalent in 1979 and at the latest available date.
§ Mr. ScottInformation for 1979 is unavailable. The latest date for which information is available is 4 April 1992, but not in the form requested. Such information as is available is the following:
Number of child dependency increases in payment to invalidity benefit recipients in Wales—24,000
Source: I per cent. sample of claimants in Great Britain, rounded to the nearest thousand.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements he intends to make for an equivalent premium after 28 weeks for those recipients on income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit who are incapable of work following the introduction of incapacity benefit in 1995 and the award of a higher rate of short-term benefit after 28 weeks.
§ Mr. BurtThe rules for the disability premium will be changing to be consistent with the incapacity benefit rules.
500WIn particular, the new long-term incapacity benefit will act as a passport to the premium and for those who have no other means of entitlement to the disability premium, the period of incapacity needed to qualify will increase from 28 to 52 weeks. The new definition of work and assessment of incapacity will apply. We have no plans to introduce an additional premium payable after 28 weeks incapacity.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what additional resources he plans to provide to fund the Benefits Agency medical service, to take account of the operational costs of incapacity benefit;
(2) what additional resources he plans to provide to meet the costs of additional medical assessors and social security appeal tribunals following the introduction of incapacity benefit.
§ Mr. ScottThe estimated additional administrative costs and manpower consequences of the introduction of incapacity benefit appear in the financial memorandum accompanying the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Bill. Further refinement of these figures will depend upon decisions still to be taken by Parliament. We are still considering the additional resources that may be required for the appeals system for incapacity benefit.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his Department's budget for disability working allowance in 1993–94 and 1994–95 and the expected budget in 1995–96 and 1996–97.
§ Mr. ScottPlanned expenditure for disability working allowance was £16 million in 1993–94, and £50 million in 1994–95 and 1995–96, rounded to the nearest £50 million. Figures for 1996–97 will be available in the departmental report which is expected to be published in March.
§ Mr. Alan HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much has so far been paid in disability working allowance in 1993–94.
§ Mr. ScottDisability working allowance outturn figures for 1993–94 will not become available until the departmental report is published in March.
§ Mr. BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the arrangements for claimants currently in receipt of severe disablement allowance whose incapacity for work is due for review after April 1995.
§ Mr. ScottFrom April 1995 people in receipt of severe disablement allowance will no longer have to undergo any kind of review of their capacity for work.