§ Mr. SimpsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants of incapacity benefits have been found(a) capable of work, (b) capable of alternative work and (c) capable of their usual occupation during each of the last four quarters; and in each category, how many of these were examined and how many were not. [16102]
§ Mr. HagueThe available information is in the table.
Outcome of claims referred to Benefits Agency medical service. Quarter ending December 1993 March 1994 June 1994 September 1994 Capable of alternative work 25,000 28,000 25,000 27,000 Capable of normal occupation 5,000 5,000 4,000 4,000 Notes:
1. Based on a 100 per cent. count of cases, rounded to the nearest thousand.
2. References are for sickness benefit, invalidity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants, but excludes those references where the national insurance contribution conditions for sickness/invalidity benefit have not been satisfied and benefit is payable because the person's incapacity is the result of an accident at work or a prescribed industrial disease.
3. Figures for June and September do not include references to Durham medical examination centre. Figures for September do not include references to Swansea reference office.
All these claimants were examined by the Benefits Agency medical service.
§ Mr. O'HaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if Mr. Harold Fairs' entitlement to incapacity benefit will cease on 1 June; if his retirement pension will be payable from the first pension pay day on 5 June; and from which public funds during the period 2 to 4 June Mr. Fairs will meet the needs for which his incapacity benefit is intended. [17354]