HC Deb 30 March 1999 vol 328 cc616-20W
Mrs. Heal

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what performance targets he has set his Department's agencies for 1999–2000; and if he will make a statement. [79807]

Mr. Darling

The targets I have set the Executive Agencies for 1999–2000 are as given.

They reflect our determination to reform the Welfare State and to modernise the Social Security system to encourage work for those who can and provide security for those who cannot.

They underpin the Departmental Aim and Objectives set out in our Public Service Agreement.

Further information on the Agencies' plans for 1999–2000 is contained in their individual business plans which have been published today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

The targets for 1999–2000 are: Benefits Agency Targets—1999–2000. Active Customer Focused Services 1. To support the programme of welfare reform and modernisation in particular by:

  • implementing DMA
  • closer working with Child Support Agency, Employment Service, Local Authorities and others and jointly working on welfare to work including:
    • the New Deals
    • the Single Work Focused Gateway Pilots, and Employment Zones
  • commencing implementation of an active modern service for pensioners
  • ensuring that all staff are informed of, and kept up to date with, welfare reform and modern service delivery changes.
2. To publish by June 1999 a revised BA Charter in accordance with central guidance and to then baseline performance and achieve agreed targets.

Secure and Accurate Services

3. To implement programme protection plans in order to reduce, by at least 10 per cent., benefit losses from fraud and error in Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance, by 31 March 2002.

Investing in our People

4. To work with the Department in developing a staffing index and contribute to the reduction in public sector sick absences by reducing absences by 6 per cent. by March 2000.

Effective Management of Money

5. To agree with the Department the principles and baseline, for the operation of efficiency indices and to commence pilot operation of these during 1999–2000.

6. To cover the costs of pay and price inflation and other pressures through efficiency savings, equivalent to an average of 4 per cent. per year of running cost provision.

7. To recover £150 million in cases where benefit has been overpaid and to pilot an incentive scheme agreed with the Department and HM Treasury to enable targets to be set for 2000–01 based on increasing the amount of debt recovered.

Quality, Efficient Organisational Processes

8. To support the programme of welfare reform and modernisation in particular by: supporting Modern Service one activity. CSA Targets 1999–2000 Case compliance1 To collect child maintenance and arrears from 70 per cent. of non resident parents with maintenance liability due to be paid through the Agency's collection service. Cash Compliance 1 To collect 67 per cent. of child maintenance and arrears due for payment through the Agency's collection service. Minimum Service Standards 2 To reach a specified level of performance in a series of customer service standards. The minimum service standards are:

  • 65 per cent. of new maintenance applications to be cleared within 20 weeks;
  • 97 per cent. of payments made to the parent with care (or their bank or building society) to be made within 10 working days of receipt from the non resident parent;
  • Where a client is dissatisfied with a Child Support Officer's decision and requests a review; or where a change of circumstances requires a review; 88 per cent. to be cleared within 12 weeks;
  • The National Enquiry Line (NEL) to respond to 80 per cent. of telephone calls within 20 seconds;
  • 60 per cent. of letters to be answered within 10 working days of receipt;
  • 97 per cent. of clients to be seen within 10 minutes of the time of a pre-booked appointment;
  • 90 per cent. of complaints to be acknowledged within 2 working days of receipt;
  • To respond with a full reply to 75 per cent. of complaints, within 10 working days of receipt;
  • 80 per cent. of telephone calls to client helplines to be answered first time;
  • 90 per cent. of customers surveyed on quality call backs (following contact with NEL/Client Helplines and face to face) to be at least satisfied with the service they have received;
  • to reduce the number of complaints received compared to current caseload to less than 0.28 per cent.
Accuracy The cash value of all assessments checked in the year to be correct in at least 78 per cent. of cases. Efficiency To deliver existing services within the running costs total, implying an annual efficiency gain of at least 4 per cent. Milestone targets (a) Debt Reduction To develop and agree with the Department and Treasury a robust debt reduction measure by 30 June 1999 to be run as an internal measure for the remainder of the year. (b) DMA To deliver DMA in accordance with the agreed timetable. To work with DSS HQ and the Appeals Service to enable accurate reporting of performance and agree baseline data to enable targets to be set for 2000–2001. (c) Efficiency/cost To agree with the Department the principles and baseline for the operation of an Efficiency/cost measure and to begin pilot operation of the index during 1999–2000. (d) Staffing Index To work with the Department in developing a staffing index and contribute to the reduction in public sector sick absences by reducing absences by 6 per cent. in 1999–2000. (e) Service First Charter
  1. (i) To review the existing CSA Customer Charter and produce proposals for the customer service measures to be included in a revised charter by 30 June 1999.
  2. (ii) To put in place the arrangements to collect information on performance against the revised measures and where appropriate to propose additional or alternative standards in the minimum service target by 30 September 1999.
  3. (iii) To reach agreement on a revised CSA Customer Charter, drawn up in accordance with central guidance, by 31 December 1999.
 Notes: 1 Compliance targets will cover maintenance arising from full maintenance assessments paid though the Agency's collection service. Taken together, and including maintenance arranged for direct payment this should produce a total of £850 million in maintenance collected and arranged. 2 Including timeliness of assessments and money transmission. ITSA Targets: 1999–2000 Non-financial business results

1. Work for the Department, and with its IS/IT suppliers, to support Welfare Reform and the Modern Service Programme by active involvement in Modern Service 1, including taking forward the IS/IT supply lead within the Department and enabling the Modern Service Programme and others to make use of appropriate IS/IT supply routes.

2. Develop Modern Service Programme IS/IT deliverables to specified time and quality standards including the identification and provision of IS/IT to support the Single Work Focused Gateway pilots.

3. Deliver an agreed IS/IT work programme for the support and enhancement of existing systems to budget, time and quality to the satisfaction of customers.

4. Manage the Year 2000 Programme within the Department ensuring date change risks are identified and managed, and that compliance and assurance work is completed according to agreed timescales and standards.

People satisfaction

5. Promote the most effective use of people by: Achieving re-recognition of Investor in People accreditation by 1 January 2000. Working with the Department to define and develop a Staffing Index in line with the Department's Output and Performance Analysis. Develop and implement a health care strategy in order to contribute towards the reduction in public sector sickness levels by reducing absences by 2 per cent. in 1999–2000.

Customer Satisfaction

6. Achieve agreed targeted improvement of our customer satisfaction rating using the Business Excellence Model (BEM), an industry wide business improvement framework.

Financial business results

7. Manage the Agency's income and expenditure (derived from normal trading activities), as presented on audited accruals accounts, so that the Agency recovers its full economic costs from customers within a tolerance of +/-2 per cent.

8. Reduce unit costs and prices to deliver an overall efficiency improvement of 2 per cent. to the Department and work with the Department to define and develop the principles and baseline for the operation of efficiency indices and commence pilot operations of these during 1999–2000.

WPA Targets: 1999–2000

Putting Service First

1. To deliver a first-class service to war pensioners and war widows by achieving the standards set in the Agency's Service First Charter. 2. For 90 per cent. of all claims to meet the quality criteria.

Working in partnerships 3. To agree improvements in the end to end Decision Making and Appeals process with the Agency and the Pensions Appeals Tribunal to reduce the overall time taken for clearance of decisions and appeals, to improve notifications and the subsequent implementation of decisions together with improved monitoring and meaningful targets.

Managing Change 4. To implement the proposals approved by the Secretary of State from the Prior Options Review to the agreed standards and timetable.

Valuing our People 5. To work with the Department in developing a Staffing Index and to reduce our sickness absence levels by 7 per cent. during 1999–2000.

Efficiency 6. To agree with the Department the principles and baseline for the operation of Efficiency Indices and to commence pilot operations of these in 1999–2000. 7. To generate efficiencies during 1999–00 that will enable the War Pensions Agency to absorb the impact of financial pressures equivalent to 4 per cent. of running costs.

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