§ Tony WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of(a) disability living allowance and (b) incapacity benefit in (i) West Dunbartonshire and (ii) the UK have taken up work and remained in employment for longer than a year since the introduction of the linking rule. [51577]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownDisability living allowance is payable regardless of whether or not the recipient is in
378W
§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many prospective pensioners have received combined pensions forecasts to date; and what his target number is of recipients for each of the next three years. [54240]
§ Mr. McCartneyTo date state pension information has been provided to pension scheme providers to enable the issue of 33,662 combined pension statements.
A further 15,000 records have recently been provided to enable the issue of combined pension statements by the scheme provider in the near future.
The on-going recruitment of providers will build to a service that enables the private sector to issue up to 15 million forecasts by 2005–06. Precise volumes are difficult to predict year-on-year as this is dependent on take-up levels within the industry.
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will update his estimates based on the Family Resources Survey 1999–2000 of(a) median pensioner incomes, excluding means-tested benefits, by age, sex and marital status, on the basis of his answer of 16 November 2000, Official Report, column 790W, on pensions, and (b) the size of each group. [53009]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe information requested is in the table. It should be noted that the "median income" represents the income of the person or family exactly in the middle of the range of ranked incomes of the age group. For each age group there is a wide range of incomes.
work, providing that the qualifying criteria continue to be met. No linking rules therefore apply.
Information on the number of people who have stopped receiving incapacity benefit to take up work, and have remained in employment for longer than a year since the extension of the linking rule to 52 weeks is not available.
§ Tony WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of(a) disability living allowance and (b) incapacity benefit in (i) West Dunbartonshire and (ii) the United Kingdom have taken 379W up work and subsequently been able to reclaim and receive those benefits within a year owing to the linking rule. [51576]
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownDisability living allowance is payable regardless of whether or not the recipient is in work, providing that the qualifying criteria continue to be met. No linking rules therefore apply.
1 December 1998 to 30 November 2000 People in Great Britain Who stopped claiming incapacity benefit to start work1 48,400 Who returned to incapacity benefit from full-time work or employment training within 52 weeks 9,500 People in West Dunbartonshire Who stopped claiming incapacity benefit to start work 22,003 Who returned to incapacity benefit from full-time work or employment training within 52 weeks 3— 1 Figure refers only to people leaving incapacity benefit who declare that they are moving into work within seven days and protect their rate of benefit in payment for the following year. It does not represent all people who leave incapacity benefit. 2 This figure is taken from a small number of sample cases and is subject to a high degree of sampling error. It should therefore only be used as an indication of the current situation. 3 Denotes a negligible figure. Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. Social Security matters in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
3. The 52-week linking rule was introduced from 5 October 1998 for people who leave incapacity benefit to go into paid work or employment training. Information on the number benefiting from the change is available on the incapacity benefit computer system from 1 December 1998.
Source:
Figures are taken from 5 per cent. samples of the incapacity benefit computer system in Great Britain and exclude a small number of cases held clerically.