§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment she has made of delays in social security payments due to poor performance of the computer system; and what steps she is taking to address the problem. [39482]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyThe Department continually monitors the performance of its computer systems to ensure any problems which may cause a delay in the issuing of Social Security payment are identified and remedied immediately.
The total number of payments made annually is in excess of 200 million. Once payments have been calculated, the small number of instances of late issue (less than 0.1 per cent.) can be attributed to human error rather than poor performance of the computer system. There is a continuous programme in place between the Department's Information Technology Services Agency and its Service Providers to increase the level of automation in payment production, thus eliminating the need for manual intervention.