§ Mr. GodsiffTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the present circumstances and conditions under which officials from his Department evaluate a home visit to claimant as necessary; and what plans he has for changes in procedures as a result of his announced proposals to reduce benefit abuse. [35369]
§ Mr. Roger EvansHome visits are the responsibility of the chief executives of the Benefits Agency and of the War Pensions Agency, who will write to the hon. Member.
1503WLetter from Ian Magee to Mr. Roger Godsiff, dated 18 July 1995:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the reasons for home visits by officials of the Department and the planned changes in procedures.Benefits such as Child Benefit, Family Credit, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Disability Working Allowance, Attendance Allowance (AA), Invalid Care Allowance, Disablement Benefits and Retirement Pensions are centrally administered by the Benefits Agency (BA) and if a home visit is required BA District staff are locally based to carry them out. A visit may be appropriate if a customer is having difficulty in completing their claim form, perhaps because of illness or disability or because a customer has failed to return an order book that had been requested.As well as carrying out visits for centrally administered benefits, BA District staff routinely visit customers in connection with claims to Income Support (IS), Social Fund, Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance. As a result of the announced proposals to reduce benefit abuse 300,000 additional home visits will be made on new claims for IS during the financial year 1995/96. An additional 187,500 home visits will be made to customers currently in receipt of IS. These home visits will be targeted at claims where there is a significant risk that they are incorrect. The criteria for these visits has been determined through a detailed examination of the outcome of a number of home visits. The aim is not only to reduce benefit abuse but also to reduce customer error and errors by the BA. It will also allow the BA to identify circumstances in which customers are entitled to additional Social Security benefits.The Benefits Agency Medical Service (BAMS) doctors conduct medical examinations in connection with claims for DLA and AA in the customer's own home in order to assess needs within the home environment. Most other claims for benefit that require a medical examination are carried out at the Medical Service's examination centres. A BAMS Medical advisor will consider the available evidence and recommend a home examination if in his opinion it is required because of the customer's medical condition.Annex A outlines the existing criteria for visits to customers claiming locally administered benefits. This list is not exhaustive. Priority would always be given to visits that involved questions of benefit entitlement. Attached at Annexes B and C are the additional criteria applied to new and existing IS claims from which cases may be selected for home visits.I hope you find this reply helpful.1504W
Existing criteria for visit by BA staff Annex AThe customer is unable to complete a postal claim form or Social Fund application and is not able to attend the office for interview.The customer, excluding those that are required to be available and actively seeking work, requests a visit after the issue of a claim form, even if the form has been completed.Difficulties are revealed which cannot be resolved by any other method.In IS cases where a routine case check is due in respect of pensioners appointees.The customer, excluding those that are required to be available and actively seeking work, fails to return a review form A2.It is the only way of verifying the customer's identity and/or address or the validity of the claim.Appointee action is required, if a customer is unable to handle their own affairs.A visit to a customer with a chronic or mental illness who has for no apparent reason stopped submitting medical evidence.The case is included in the random selection of claims made under Trade Dispute procedures.The case is selected for a random check.Visits to UK nationals who are approaching 100 years of age.Retrieval of order books when postal methods have failed.Where there is suspicion of fraud or other irregularity.
Additional criteria for visits on new IS claims Annex BUnexplained background to claim or claim incomplete.Number of children inconsistent with the amount of Child Benefit declared.Customer has no National Insurance Number.Customer has recently separated from partner.Customer has no fixed address, claim form gives address but customer states he is not residing there.Customer requests that their claim is backdated more than one month.Customer indicates on their claim form that the Habitual Residence Test is appropriate.Customer lives at a multi occupancy address or address where there are problems with the postal arrangements.Customer may be living as husband and wife with another person not declared as their partner.Additional criteria for visits on current IS claims Annex CCustomer is a Lone Parent and not receiving One Parent Benefit.Child Benefit inconsistent with the number of children the customer is claiming for.Non-householders aged 25 to 35.Customer, or their partner, was self employed prior to claiming IS.Customer, or their partner, is currently self employed.Customer, or their partner, is working as an employed earner.Customer, or their partner, has income other than earnings or other Social Security Benefit.Customer is over 75 years of age.Payment of IS is made by Automated Credit Transfer (ACT).
Letter from Brian Sweet to Mr. Roger Godsiff, dated 19 July 1995:The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the War Pensions Agency, to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about home visits. Mr. Mathison is away from the office today and has asked me to reply on his behalf.Within the War Pensions Agency, home visits are carried out by the War Pensioners' Welfare Service (WPWS). The visiting policy of the WPWS was agreed by consultation with staff, ex-service organisations and War Pensions Committee members and sanctioned by the Central Advisory Committee following ministerial approval.The policy is as follows:
- 1. To respond to requests for assistance within set target times.
- 2. To visit war widows pensioners aged 60 plus, assessed at 30 per cent. or more disabled and all widows aged 60 plus.
- 3. To visit all current invaliding cases.
- 4. To visit all war widows within 6 weeks of the receipt of notification of a pensioner's death.
- 5. To offer a visit to all inter-war cases by arrangement with the Ministry of Defence.
- 6. To offer a visit to all pensioners whose accepted disablement suggests:
- a) life threatening condition
- b) attendance/mobility needs
- c) psychiatric disorder
- d) greater disablement.
1505W
A standard formula is in use to fully evaluate the visit and an action plan is produced, for resolution of any problems, in each case.There are no plans for changes in WPWS procedures as a result of the Secretary of State for Social Security's proposals to reduce benefit fraud; as such matters are dealt with by the Benefits Agency on our behalf.
§ Mr. DewarTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many home visits have been made by Benefits Agency staff in the course of their duties in the latest period for which figures are available; and what were the equivalent figures(a) three, (b) five, (c) 10 and (d) 15 years ago. [34444]
§ Mr. Roger Evans[holding answer 14 June 1995]: I am unable to provide the figures for all of the home visits
Annex A April 1994-March 1995 April 1991-March 1992 April 1989-March 1990 April 1984-March 1985 April 1979-March 1980 Effective IS visits 498,819 552,191 803,795 3,001,362 6,686,752 Effective CB visits 49,186 n/a n/a n/a n/a IS Income Support CB Contributory Benefit
Data is provisional and is subject to amendment.