HC Deb 25 February 2002 vol 380 cc776-7W
Mr. Drew

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on GP compliance with the appeals system for benefit reduction. [34424]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

General Practitioners (GPs) play an important role in providing factual information to this Department about patients who have claimed a state incapacity or disability benefit. Where necessary, information is obtained by the Department to ensure that initial decisions on benefit entitlement are based on appropriate medical evidence. In relation to state incapacity benefits NHS GPs are required to provide information to a DWP medical officer where they have issued a medical statement to the patient. GPs are not required as part of the NHS terms of service to provide their patients with medical evidence to support an appeal against benefit disallowance.

Chris Ruane

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of benefits there were by region as(a) a percentage of population and (b) a total number, in descending order according to percentage figures in 2000. [30606]

Malcolm Wicks

[holding answer 30 January 2002]: The available information is in the table.

Recipients of key benefits1 by Government office region—May 2000
Benefit recipients2 Percentage of the population
England (North East) 820 32
Wales 920 31
England (North West) 2,030 29
Scotland 1,510 29
England (Yorks and Humber) 1,400 28
England (South West) 1,370 28
England (West Midlands) 1,450 27
England (East Midlands) 1,100 26
England (Eastern) 1,340 24
England (London) 1,760 24
England (South East) 1,910 24

Notes:

  1. 1. Key benefits are jobseeker's allowance, retirement pension, incapacity benefit, housing benefit, council tax benefit, severe disablement allowance, disability living allowance (DLA), minimum income guarantee and income support.
  2. 2. Figures are expressed as thousands and rounded to the nearest ten thousand.
  3. 3. Although a person can receive one or more of these benefits, double counting is eradicated. However, it is possible that some under-16's receiving DLA may live in the same family as an adult receiving a key benefit.
  4. 4. Figures exclude cases where people receive national insurance credits only.

Source:

Client Group Analysis of DWP Information Centre 5 per cent. statistical samples—May 2000, Extract of Disability Living Allowance Computer System, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Annual 1 per cent. sample taken in May 2000. Population figures are provided by Office of National Statistics.