§ Mr. CaplinTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will lay regulations under the decision making and appeals provision of the Social Security Act 1998; and if he will make a statement. [74676]
§ Angela Eagle[pursuant to his reply, 2 March 1999, c. 708–09]: Last year in the Social Security Act we laid the foundations for a new system for handling decisions and appeals in benefits, child support and vaccine damage claims. My right hon. Friends the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Social Security will be laying the main Regulations, which will provide the detailed legal framework for this new system, tomorrow.
The new system for handling decisions and appeals is a major step to modernise the delivery of Social Security and child support as part of the Government's programme for welfare reform. The current system needs to change. It is confusing for claimants and staff. Putting mistakes right is complicated and claimants often have to appeal, 805W even when a mistake is obvious to all concerned. Appeals take far too long to be cleared—on average seven months—even where they have no prospect of success. These delays are unacceptable.
The changes we are making will enable the Benefits Agency, Child Support Agency and Employment Service to provide a more helpful and accessible service to the public.
Under the new system, decisions will continue to be based on the facts and the law, with a right of appeal to an independent tribunal. There will be clearer, simpler decisions and a programme to develop simpler communications for the public. There will be new arrangements for handling disputes, so mistakes are put right more easily without having to go to appeal. There will be one type of appeal tribunal, rather than five, with one unified set of rules and three, two or one member tribunals according to the issues raised by the appeal. Appeals, which have no prospect of success, will be resolved more quickly.
The new arrangements will come into operation during the second half of this year. They will apply to child support from the beginning of June. For benefits they will be introduced in stages between July and November, to help maintain service to the public while the new arrangements start to operate.
The Independent Tribunal Service will be replaced by The Appeals Service, which will encompass both the administration of appeals and the appeal tribunals. The administration of appeals will be undertaken from April 2000 by a new executive agency of this Department. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will set targets for the Agency, which will be published and reported on annually. The President of appeal tribunals and the panel members who hear appeals will be appointed by my right hon. Friend the Lord Chancellor and remain independent of this Department.
Benefit claimants and child support clients will receive full information about what the new system means for them as the changes come into effect.