§ Mr. RowlandsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people to date have lost their reduced earnings allowances in each of the benefit districts in Wales. [40465]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe administration of reduced earnings allowance is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Ted Rowlands, dated 15 October 1996:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary question asking how many people to date have lost their Reduced Earnings Allowances (REA) in each of the benefit districts in Wales.I have assumed this question refers solely to Adjudication Officer's decisions to transfer over pensionable age (as at 24 March 1996) REA recipients to retirement Allowance following the coming into force of the Social Security (Industrial Injuries and Diseases) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1996 on 24 March 1996.As at 31 August 1996, the number of people whose entitlement to REA has been transferred to Retirement Allowance by each District in Wales is detailed in the table below:—
Benefits agency district Number of cases transferred West Wales 242 Gwent Borders 57 Swansea Bay 266 Mid Glamorgan 690 Wrexham and North Wales 176 Cardiff and Vales 82 Gwyneddigion Maldwy 102 Eastern Valleys 335 Figures are provisional and subject to amendment.I hope this reply will be helpful.1009W
§ Mr. RowlandsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the additional costs of holding the appeals against the withdrawal of the reduced earnings allowance. [40462]
§ Mr. EvansAssuming that approximately 25 per cent. of the reduced earnings allowance recipients transferred to retirement allowance following the introduction of amending legislation will appeal against the adjudication officer's decision, the total cost of the processing and holding the appeals is estimated to be in the region of £1 million.
§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of people who have suffered a reduction in the related earnings allowance with the introduction of the retirement allowance in the benefit offices covering(a) Doncaster and (b) Mexborough. [40836]
§ Mr. BurtThis is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 16 October 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what estimate he has made of the number of people who have suffered a reduction in the reduced earnings allowance with the introduction of the retirement allowance in the benefit offices covering (a) Doncaster and (b) Mexborough.The information is not available in the format requested. This is because statistics are collected by Benefits Agnecy Districts and not by individual benefit offices. I have provided below the figures for Doncaster District which includes Doncaster Castle House and Doncaster St Peters House and Rother and Dearne District which includes Goldthorpe, Mexborough, Rotherham North, Rotherham South and Wathon Dearne. These figures are provisional and may be subject to amendment.In order to assess these people who might be transferred to Retirement Allowance under amending legislation (Social Security (Industrial Injuries and Diseases) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1996) which came into force on 24 March 1996, the Benefits Agency identified all Reduced Earnings Allowance recipients over pensionable age as at 24 March 1996. As a result of assessing all those cases identified in the Doncaster and Rother and Dearne Districts the numbers whose benefit has been reduced are as follows:—
- (a) Doncaster District: 291
- (b) Rother and Dearne District: 349
I hope you find this reply helpful.
§ Mr. CummingsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people covered by the Seaham and Peterlee Benefits Agency offices have had retirement allowance substituted for reduced earnings allowance. [41221]