§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in relation to applications for Incapacity Benefit from residents of Milton Keynes, how many(a) new applications and (b) renewals were made for Incapacity Benefit; how many applicants were required to take a medical examination; and how many of those medical examinations were undertaken at (i) Luton, (ii) Aylesbury, (iii) Euston and (iv) the person's home in each year since 1997. [158208]
§ Mr. BayleyThe information is in the tables.
Incapacity Benefit claims received in the Milton Keynes Benefits Agency office area Thousand January to December 1997 2,943 January to December 1998 2,627 January to December 1999 2,521 January to December 2000 2,489 Notes:
- 1. New claims data are from a 100 per cent, count. A new claim may not result in an award of benefit, for example where a claim is withdrawn.
- 2. There are no renewal claims as Incapacity Benefit awards are indefinite. Some claims may link back to earlier periods of entitlement but it is not possible to identify these separately.
Initial entitlement to Incapacity Benefit requires the claimant to provide medical evidence of their incapacity (normally a general practitioner's certificate). Subsequently, incapacity is assessed under the Personal Capability Assessment but not all claimants are required to attend a medical examination.
Number of Incapacity Benefit claimants from Milton Keynes who were assessed at Medical Examination Centres (MECS) Aylesbury MEC Euston MEC Luton MEC October 1998 to December 1998 304 0 7 January 1999 to December 1999 817 88 222 January 2000 to December 2000 817 2 37 Notes:
- 1. Figures are from data supplied by Medical Services and include first and subsequent referrals. Information for individual MECs is not available prior to October 1998.
- 2. Figures relate to Incapacity Benefit claimants living in the area covered by Milton Keynes Benefits Agency office.
3. Information on the number of examinations carried out at claimants' homes is not available.
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 25 April 2001,Official Report, column 269W, how many Incapacity Benefit claims were terminated because the claimant (a) died, (b) reached pensionable age, (c) started employment and (d) left the caseload for another reason. [160231]
§ Mr. BayleyThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
787W
Incapacity Benefit terminations April 1998 to March 1999 Number of terminations Death of claimant 36,000 Award of retirement pension 172,000 Other reason 591,000 Notes:
- 1. Figures are taken from a 1 per cent. sample of claimants.
- 2. We do not routinely ask people why they have stopped claiming Incapacity Benefit.
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the average claim period of an Incapacity Benefit claimant is. [160203]
§ Mr. BayleyI refer the hon. Gentleman to the written answer I gave on 25 April 2001,Official Report, column 269W.