HC Deb 26 October 1994 vol 248 cc703-5W
Mr. Clelland

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the cost of each medical examination carried out by his Department's medical officers on customers claiming sickness benefit for the first time and the cost of each subsequent medical examination of customers in receipt of sickness benefit in(a) the north Tyne area and (b) the south Tyne area for the year ending 31 March; and how many (i) first-time and (ii) other claimants' claims for sickness benefit was rejected on the basis of the examining medical officer's report in each area in that year.

Mr. Hague

The administration of sickness benefit 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. David Clelland, dated 25 October 1994: The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about Sickness Benefit (SB) recipients in the north and south Tyne areas and the cost of medical examinations. The information is not available in the format requested. This is because Benefits Agency boundaries do not correspond with county or borough boundaries. SB recipients in the north Tyne area are dealt with by the Newcastle and north Tyneside district offices; SB recipients in the south Tyne area are dealt with by the south Tyneside district office. For the year ending 31 March the number of customers disallowed SB following a Benefits Agency Medical Services report that they were capable of some work was as follows:

  1. (i) first time claim (where a customer claimed SB for the first time)–5 in the Newcastle and north Tyneside Districts and 5 in the south Tyneside district.
  2. (ii) other claimants' claims (where a customer has claimed SB in the past)–14 in the Newcastle and north Tyneside districts and 18 in the south Tyneside district.
Information on the overall cost of Benefits Agency examinations for SB is not available. However, I am able to tell you that the cost in terms of payments to doctors and nurses for each examination is approximately £22.00. The costs of the administrative overheads for SB examinations is not recorded separately from those of other benefits and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. I hope you find this reply helpful.