HC Deb 30 April 1996 vol 276 cc456-7W
Mr. Thomason

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Social Security Agency for the current financial year. [27710]

Mr. Moss

The targets are included in the agency's 1996–97 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:

  1. 1. BENEFIT CLEARANCE TIMES1
  2. Social fund crisis loans
  3. On the day the need arises2
  4. Income support
  5. 71 per cent. in five days
  6. 90 per cent. in 13 days
    7. 457
  7. Incapacity benefit
  8. 65 per cent. in 10 days
  9. 85 per cent. in 30 days
  10. Child benefit
  11. 68 per cent. in 10 days
  12. 94 per cent. in 30 days
  13. Family credit
  14. 60 per cent. in 13 days
  15. 95 per cent. in 42 days
  16. Disability living allowance
  17. 65 per cent. in 30 days
  18. 85 per cent. in 53 days
  19. Unemployment benefit
  20. 75 per cent. in 12 days
  21. 85 per cent. in 53 days
  22. 2. BENEFIT ACCURACY
  23. Income support
  24. to pay the correct amount in at least 87 per cent. of cases
  25. Incapacity benefit
  26. to pay the correct amount in at least 94 per cent. of cases
  27. Child benefit
  28. to pay the correct amount in at least 98 per cent. of cases
  29. Family credit
  30. to pay the correct amount in at least 93 per cent. of cases
  31. Disability living allowance
  32. to pay the correct amount in at least 98 per cent. of cases
  33. Unemployment benefit
  34. to pay the correct amount in at least 97 per cent. of cases
  35. 3. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
  36. 390 per cent. of customers to regard the agency's service as satisfactory or better
  37. 4. FINANCIAL RECOVERY
  38. recovery of social fund loans—£23.06 million
  39. recovery of income support overpayments—£1.80 million recovery of centralised benefits overpayments—£0.46 million
  40. benefit savings from detection and prevention of fraud—£14 million
  41. sign-offs as a result of anti-fraud activity—4,0004
  42. to carry out 3, 000 national insurance contributions surveys, including 600 employer educational visits
  43. identify £1.50 million class 1 arrears as a result of compliance work
  44. recovery of social fund loans—£23.06 million
  45. 5. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
  46. to live within a gross allocation of £36.61 million for social fund loans and community care grants
  47. to live within the agency's gross budget allocation
  48. to achieve cash efficiency savings of the order of £5.5 million

Notes

  1. 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. 2 Monitored against 95 per cent. in one day.
  3. 3 The customer satisfaction target covers a two-year period and will be measured by independent survey in 1996–97.
  4. 4 New target.