§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how the number of pensioners entitled to income support but not claiming income support has been measured. [34708]
§ Mr. DenhamThe estimate is based on an analysis of the Family Resources Survey (FRS), an annual survey of approximately 26,000 households (in 1995–96) in Great Britain.
The FRS asks detailed questions about people's incomes and living circumstances. The information collected makes it possible to estimate people's entitlement to Income Support by simulating the benefit assessment. This indicates which people appear to be entitled to Income Support and, since the FRS shows who is actually receiving the benefit, it is possible to estimate the numbers who are apparently entitled to, but not receiving it.
The FRS is a sample survey, so it is necessary to re-weight the results to get an estimate which is representative of the population as a whole. More information on the methods used to estimate income related benefit take-up can be found in "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-up in 1995–96", a copy of which is available in the Library.
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will provide a breakdown of the £15 million pilot scheme for encouraging pensioner take-up of income support by area; and if each area will be applying the same pilot methodology. [34692]
§ Mr. DenhamThe £15 million allocated to these projects includes expenditure on the programme, administration and evaluation. The programme and evaluation expenditure will be controlled centrally, while the allocation of the administrative budget has not yet been finalised. The pilots will have two main objectives: they will test the best ways of finding potential Income Support claimants by matching records held centrally and locally. They will then test the best ways of reaching potential claimants by visiting them at home, ringing them or writing to them. A variety of methodologies will be used in each of the pilot areas.