§ Brian CotterTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefits claimants have moved to a system of automated credit transfer in each year since the service has been available. [43343]
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§ Malcolm WicksInformation on the number of customers moving to automated credit transfer (ACT) each year since ACT became a method of payment is not available in the precise format requested. However, we do collect information on the number of benefit recipients being paid by ACT and this is given in the table.
As the table shows, the number of customers paid by ACT increased by 800,000 in 2001. This shows that the status quo is not an option, because people are already voting with their feet.
Number of benefit recipients receiving their benefit by ACT 1993 5,166,000 1994 5,852,000 1995 7,084,000 19961 7,508,000 1997 8,005,000 19982 8,691,000 1999 9,180.000 20003 10,213,000 2001 11,015,000 1 Includes industrial injuries disablement benefit from June 1996 2 Includes invalid care allowance from June 1998 3 Includes guardian's allowance from June 2000 Information is available from 1993 on the number of customers being paid by ACT with the exception of customers in receipt of jobseeker's allowance (for which data is not available). The table reflects the number of benefit recipients being paid by ACT. The figures include customers receiving payment by ACT for the first time as well as those moving from paper based methods of payment to ACT.