§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Social Security Agency for the current financial year.
§ 5. Mr. AncramThe targets are included in the agency's 1994–95 business plan, which was published today. A copy of the plan will be placed in the Library. The targets are in line with the Government's policy of improving the service provided to customers and fully support the standards established in the Northern Ireland citizens charter. I am satisfied that the targets present a demanding challenge for the agency. They are as follows:
Benefit Clearance Times1
Social Fund Crisis Loans
on the day need arises2Social Fund Community Grants
- 65 per cent. in 7 days
- 95 per cent. in 20 days
Income Support
- 71 per cent. in 5 days
- 90 per cent. in 13 days
Sickness/Invalidity Benefit
- 65 per cent. in 10 days
- 95 per cent. in 30 days
Child Benefit
- 73 per cent. in 10 days
- 95 per cent. in 30 days
Family Credit
- 60 per cent. in 13 days
- 95 per cent. in 42 days
Disability Living Allowance
- 68 per cent. in 30 days
- 85 per cent. in 53 days
Retirement Pension
- 65 per cent. in 20 days
- 95 per cent. in 60 days
Unemployment Benefit
6.5 daysBenefit Accuracy Income Support
to pay the correct amount in at least 92 per cent. of casesSickness/Invalidity Benefit
to pay the correct amount in at least 97 per cent. of casesChild Benefit
to pay the correct amount in at least 98 per cent. of casesFamily Credit
to pay the correct amount in at least 93 per cent. of casesDisability Living allowance
to pay the correct amount in at least 98 per cent. of casesRetirement Pension
to pay the correct amount in at least 99 per cent. of casesUnemployment Benefit
to pay the correct amount in at least 96.5 per cent. of casesCustomer Satisfaction
90 per cent. of customers to regard the Agency' service as satisfactory or betterFinancial Recovery
- recovery of Social Fund loans—£17.24 million
- recovery of Income Support overpayments—£1.40 million
- recovery of centralised benefits overpayments—£0.40 million
- benefit savings from detection and prevention of fraud£11.50.million
- to carry out 5,100 National Insurance contributions surveys (including 1,020 employer educational visits)
- identify £1.10 million Class 1 arrears as a result of compliance work
Resource Management
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- to live within a gross allocation of £29.80 million for Social Fund loans and community care grants
- to live within the Agency's gross administration budget of £130.0 million, of which £126.5 million relates to running costs
- to achieve cash efficiency savings of the order of £3.0 million
Notes:
1. In all cases, clearance time is measured from the date of receipt of a claim or application in the office to the date on which the claim or application is decided. The measure, therefore, excludes the time taken to issue notification of the decision and any payment.
2. Monitored against '95 per cent. in 1 day'.