§ Mr. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how people aged(a) between 65 and 74, (b) between 75 and 84 and (c) over 85 years of age in receipt of income support live in each of post code areas SK1 to SK8 in the metropolitan borough of Stockport.
§ Mr. BurtThe 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.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Andrew Bennett, dated 21 July 1994:
622WThe Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking about pensioners in particular age groups in specified postal districts of Stockport.Unfortunately the information you have requested is not available. We do not routinely collect statistics on Income Support (IS) customers in a way which would enable me to provide the details you require for postal districts SK1 to SK8. The information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. To obtain the information would entail an examination of every case in the Stockport area; currently 24,709 cases.However, I am able to give you the number of Income Support customers aged 60 and over who are in receipt of various pensioner premiums from the Stockport Benefits Agency District. The District covers a larger area than SK1 to SK8. Some customers of 60 years of age and over may be in other statistical groups, such as those in nursing or residential care homes. These customers do not receive the pensioner premiums and will therefore not be included in these figures. The latest information available is for 30 June 1994 and is in the attached appendix.I hope you find this reply helpful.
Persons by age group in receipt of a pensioner premium in Stockport District. Number Customer or partner 80 or over receiving higher pensioner premium 2,906 Customer or partner under 80 receiving higher pensioner premium 630 Customer or partner aged 75–79 receiving enhanced pensioner premium 1,006 Customer or partner aged 60–74 receiving pensioner premium 3,023
§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects benefit cases deferred pending decisions on the Thomas case to be resolved; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HagueBenefit cases affected by the ruling of the European Court in the case of Thomas are being considered on an ongoing basis; any arrears due are being awarded and paid.
§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many income support claimants are registered at the Chesterfield, Buxton, Ilkeston, Derby (Beckett Street), Derby (London Road) and Sutton Benefits Agency offices as at March 1994; and how many at each of these were(a) income support claimants signing on as unemployed, (b) pensioners, (c) income support claimants receiving a lone parent premium, (d) those receiving a disability premium, (e) those receiving a carer's premium and (f) those receiving a severe disability premium.
§ Mr. BurtFurther to his letter of 21 June 1994 Mr. Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, has written again to the hon. Member with corrected information.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 21 July 1994:
I am writing, further to my reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, about the number of income support recipients in each client group in the Derbyshire area (OR. Col. 184–185). Unfortunately, due to a clerical error, some of the information supplied to you in respect of the Buxton, Chesterfield and Ilkeston Benefit Agency offices was inaccurate. I have appended below the corrected information.
Number Buxton Office Unemployed cases 855 Pensioner premium 982 Lone parent premium 351 Disability premium 201 Chesterfield Office Lone parent premium 2,948 Disability premium 1,766 Ilkeston Office Unemployed cases 5,160 I hope you find this reply helpful and please accept my apologies for any inconvenience that this error may have caused.
§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the number of people claiming income support in Scotland by(a) gender and (b) age for the latest month for which figures are available.
623W
§ Mr. BurtThe information is in the table:
Income support recipients in Scotland by age and gender Age of the claimant Men 000s Women 000s 16–19 16 15 20–29 75 68 30–39 51 47 40–49 36 26 50–59 28 21 60–69 26 27 70–79 11 43 80 and above 11 52 All Ages 255 297 Notes:
1. Source: Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry August 1993.
2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
3. The figures show the number of recipients at the time of the Enquiry.
They do not include partners or dependants.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidance has been issued to adjudication officers for the purpose of interpreting SI, 1994, No. 1004, amending schedule 3 of the Income Support (General) Regulations, if increased housing costs are not reflected in income support levels; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BurtA memorandum to the adjudication officers' guide was issued. The contents of the memorandum will be incorporated into the adjudication officers' guide from September 1994.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what income support will be payable where a person has joint and several liability for a mortgage, is unmarried and is entitled to benefit where a person with income leaves the mortgaged property and all the housing costs are met by the claimant.
§ Mr. BurtAn income support claimant who has joint and several liability for a mortgage can receive help with all the eligible housing costs for the home if he or she becomes responsible for meeting them all.