§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will provide the basis for ministers' calculations concerning the number of children who have been lifted out of poverty by the measures introduced by his Government; and what assessment he has made of how many children would be lifted out of poverty by such measures if the take-up rate of social security benefits was 100 per cent. [45288]
§ Dawn PrimaroloI have been asked to reply.
As a result of personal tax and benefit measures announced in the last Parliament there are an estimated 1.2 million fewer children living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the median (after housing costs) than there otherwise would have been. Families with children have very high take-up rates for social security benefits. It would make very little difference whether estimated or 100 per cent. take-up rates were used to calculate the impact of tax and benefit measures on child poverty.
Disability and carers service targets 2002–03 Normal rules claims Special rules claims Renewal claims Reconsiderations Supersessions Appeals Accuracy (%) Disability Living Allowance (DLA) 43 days 8 days 32 days 39 days 49 days 40 days 96 Attendance Allowance (AA) 27 days 8 days 23 days 38 days 38 days 40 days 96 Invalid Care Allowance (ICA) 32 days n/a n/a 95% in 70 days n/a 40 days 95 Note:
Normal rules claims: Claims on which a qualifying period must be served before benefit can be awarded.
Special rules claims: Claims on which no qualifying period has to be served before benefit can be awarded because the claimant is terminally ill and has a life expectancy of less than six months.
Renewal claims: Claims to renew an existing award of benefit that was made for a finite period. This can be made up to six months before the expiry of the existing award.