§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the helplines, or schemes which include a helpline service, for which his Department provides any funding, stating which are(a) independent organisations, (b) run by his Department or agencies of his Department or (c) of another classification; how many calls each received in each of the last five years; and how much money each received from his Department in each of the last five years. [9803]
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§ Mr. BurtFull information is not available and can be supplied only at disproportionate cost. However, information is available as follows:
(a) The Department does not provide funding for any outside organisations.
(b) Helplines run by the Department or its agencies are as follows:
Social Security headquarters Public Enquiry Office (PEO) (national call rate) Number of calls received 1990 29,446 1991 39,879 1992 64,120 1993 75,907 1994 86,355 1995 67,645 Any telephone costs to the Department which may be incurred by the PEO on follow-up calls and so forth cannot be distinguished from overall telephone costs for the building from which they operate.
Until October 1993 the Department of Social Security public enquiry office also answered inquiries on behalf of the Department of Health.
Information supplied by the Department's agencies is as follows:
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Benefits Agency Amount Freeline (free phone) Number of calls handled in the last 12 months up to 24 November 1995 2.7 million Annual cost of call charges £1.1 million Annual running costs (staff) £4.9 million Benefit Enquiry Line (free phone) Number of calls handled in the last 12 months up to 24 November 1995 0.9 million Annual cost of call charges £0.75 million Annual running costs (staff) £2.72 million Family Credit Advice Line (full rate) Number of calls handled in the last 12 months up to 24 November 1995 2.2 million Annual cost of call charges NIL Annual running costs (staff) £1.6 million Disability Living Allowance Line (subsidised) Number of calls handled in the last 12 months up to 24 November 1995 2 million Annual cost of call charges £0.072 million Annual running costs (staff) £1.62 million Disability Working Allowance Line Number of calls received January 1995-December 1995 50,374 Costs £54,568 Pensions Telephone Liaison Service (TLS) Number of calls received: 1994 70,864 1995 65,162 Annual running cost (staff) £90,458.00 Annual running cost (accommodation) £6,042.00 Total £96,500.00
Contributions Agency Social Security Advice Line for Employers (SSALE) Amount Number of calls received: April 1991-March 1992 162,153 April 1992-March 1993 189,221 April 1993-March 1994 242,223 April 1994-March 1995 225,124 April 1995-December 1995 237,976 Cost of running SSALE: 1994–95 Staff costs £639,852 Non staff costs £393,585 Total £1,033,437 1995–96 Staff costs £550,154 Non staff costs £199,000 Total £749,154
War Pensions Agency Amount War Pensions Helpline Number of calls: 1992 56,065 1993 105,787 1994 315,021 1995 821,696 Running costs (staff): 1992 £84,144 1993 £119,625 1994 £267.098 1995 £285,205 Costs of establishing the technical system in 1992 were £114,941 and the annual maintenance cost is £9,700.
Child Support Agency Amount National Enquiry Line (NEL) (Includes Child Support Agency Employer Line Child Support Agency Enquiry Line) Number of calls: June 94-January 96 993,438 Cost of operating (NEL) £1,123,895 Child Support Agency Literature Line Number of calls/coupons/cards: 1992–94 19,964 1994–95 18,237
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The cost of Housing Benefit and the number of recipients, for Scotland 1983–84 to 1994–95 Average number of housing benefit recipients (000s) Housing benefit expenditure (£ million) Financial years Local authority tenants (including new towns and Scottish Homes) All private tenants (including HA tenants) HA tenants Other private tenants (ex HA tenants) Local authority tenants (including new towns and Scottish Homes) All private tenants (including HA tenants) HA tenants Other private tenants (ex HA tenants) 1983–84 n/a n/a n/a n/a 211 30 n/a n/a 1984–85 n/a n/a n/a n/a 235 41 n/a n/a 1985–86 n/a n/a n/a n/a 262 55 n/a n/a 1986–87 n/a n/a n/a n/a 300 71 n/a n/a 1987–88 n/a n/a n/a n/a 338 89 n/a n/a 1988–89 494 72 n/a n/a 363 86 n/a n/a
Child Support Agency Amount Running costs (Totals): April 94-March 95 £134,881.77 April 95-May 95 £19,070.29 June 95-November 95 £52,290.77 c) Other classification: Headquarters Teleresponse Lines These lines cannot strictly speaking be classified as "helplines"; they are routine telephone information lines set up to enable the public to respond to any publicity related to the following issues; they are not permanent. Pension Teleresponse Line Number of calls/coupons: February 1994-March 95 41,483 Cost of running the line £36,751 Family Credit Number of calls/coupons: April 94-April 95 18,255 Cost of running the line £142,641 Disability on the Agenda Number of calls/coupons: April 1993-March 1995 (2 years) 34,570 Cost of running the line £82,092 Incapacity Benefit Number of calls/coupons: Year up to April 95 138,470 Cost of running the line £234,639 Disability Working Allowance Number of calls/coupons April 1994-January 1996 42,260 Cost of running the line £94,000