§ Mr. McLoughlinTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners a year over the last four years had their pensions reduced after a six week stay in hospital; what estimate he has made of how much money was raised in that way; what estimate he has made of the costs in administration of(a) reducing and (b) reinstating those pension payments; what proportion of people whose pensions were reduced subsequently experienced delays in their benefits being reinstated when they left hospital; and what plans he has to review these rules. [31237]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe available information is in the tables.
639W
Number of people as of 31 March in each individual year with their pension down-rated Year Number down-rated six to 52 weeks March 1998 19,000 March 1999 20,000 March 2000 22,000 March 2001 23,000 Notes:
- 1.Figures rounded to nearest 1,000.
- 2.Information is not available prior to 1997–98.
- 3.Administrative data only records information at an individual point in time. It is therefore not possible to give the total number of people who have their pension down-rated during the course of a year, only the total number at a particular point in time.
Reduction in state pension expenditure due to six weeks hospital downrating £ million Year Over six weeks 1996–97 22 1997–98 22 1998–99 24 1999–2000 26 2000–01 28 Notes:
- 1. Cash terms
- 2. Rounded to the nearest £ million
The Benefit Agency's administration costs are published in the Benefits Agency Annual Report and Accounts 2000–01, copies of which are available in the Library. The costs are not classified by individual tasks but an estimate of the staff costs for administration of hospital downrating is around £0.5 million.
The information about the proportion of people whose pensions were reduced and who subsequently experienced delays in their benefits being reinstated when they left hospital is not collected.
The Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, has looked at issues affecting hospital in-patients including rules governing the downrating of benefits.
This rule prevents double provision from public funds as the publicly funded NHS maintains people while they stay in hospital as well as providing free treatment. Social security maintenance benefits are also paid from state funds. They are therefore not paid in full indefinitely where a person is in a NHS hospital and having their day to day living expenses met through the NHS.
The double provision principle, is a key cornerstone of the system of national insurance introduced over 50 years ago.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 26 November 2001,Official Report, column 710W, on hospital downrating, what the saving to public funds was from the downrating of pensions for people staying (a) more than six weeks and (b) more than 52 weeks in hospital. [30130]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe information is in the table.
640W
£ million Downrating type 6–52 weeks Over 52 weeks Total 1997–98 22 33 55 1998–99 24 32 56 1999–2000 26 30 56 2000–01 28 29 57 Notes:
- 1. Figures are in cash terms
- 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest £ million