Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefit Fraud on 17th February 1986.
Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many prosecutions there have been for benefit fraud in (a) Scotland and (b) Britain in 1985.
Mr. Major In 1984-
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Specialist Claims Control on 17th February 1986.
Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why specialist claims control officers are visiting Cowdenbeath.
Mr. Major A specialist claims control team is on a routine visit to Cowdenbeath to assist the local office fraud staff.
Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which areas of Britain specialist claims control officers are now visiting.
Mr. Major Specialist claims control teams are currently visiting local offices at Basingstoke, Birmingham (Edgbaston), Birmingham (Erdington), Bognor, Bournemouth, Bridgend, Brighton, Cardiff (Central), Chatham, Chester, Coventry (East), Cowdenbeath, Devonport, Doncaster (East), Dundee (East), East Kilbride, Epsom, Eston, Farnworth, Glasgow (Craighton), Guildford, Hendon, Hyde, Manchester (Cheetham), Newcastle (East), Newport (Gwent), Northwich, Nottingham (Castlegate), Peckham, Plaistow, Plymouth, Sheffield (South West), Skelmersdale, Southampton, Stirling, Thanet, Walsall (East), Walsall (West), Walthams tow, Wandsworth, Watford, Weymouth, Winchester, Worksop and Worthing.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Walthamstow on 17th February 1986.
Mr. Deakins Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for (a) death grant and (b) maternity grant were made at the Walthamstow office in each year from 1980-
Mr. Major The information relating to the number of claims to death grant and maternity grant (non-
Year | Death Grant | Maternity Grant
1980-
1981-
1982-
1983-
1984-
*1985-
* To 14 January 1986.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on SERPS on 17th February 1986.
Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the minimum state earnings-
Mr. Major The following table sets out the numbers of people receiving state earnings-
Amount of Additional Pension (£ per week) | Numbers of Pensioners (in thousands)
Under 1 | 733
1-
2-
3-
4-
5-
6-
7-
8 and over | 49
Information is not available in the form requested for amounts above £8 per week. The maximum possible additional pension is £20.87 per week.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Staff on 14th February 1986.
Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the number of staff serving in social security offices each year since 1979; what has been the average work load each year in the number of cases dealt with by each of them; how many staff each undertook home visits; how many home visits they made; and how many welfare visits each member of the visiting staff made on average each year.
Mr. Major I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mr. Kevin McHugh on 14th February 1986.
Mr. Frank Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make the ex gratia payment requested on behalf of Mr. Kevin McHugh, of 39 Harland Road, Tranmere, Birkenhead, on the ground that the local office, although aware of his children’s enemesis, had failed to consider or arrange for extra help with laundry costs and so on, which request was made in January 1984 and referred to his headquarters in December 1984.
Mr. Major Mr. McHugh has received substantial arrears of supplementary benefit for additional requirements in respect of his children. The arrears were limited by the independent adjudication authorities to 52 weeks before the date of request for a review in accordance with the law. This is in line with the provisions for national insurance benefits. The relevant law was then regulation 4 of the Supplementary Benefit (Determination of Questions) Regulations 1980 and is now regulation 87 of the Social Security (Adjudication) Regulations 1984.
I regret that the referral of Mr. McHugh’s subsequent request for an ex-gratia payment for arrears beyond 52 weeks was overlooked. An ex-gratia payment, however, cannot be given because to do so in this and similar cases would undermine the decisions of the adjudication authorities and circumvent the intention of the law. However, I understand Mr. McHugh has now appealed to a social security appeal tribunal. Whether such an appeal is heard is a matter of discretion for the appeal tribunal chairman. Mr. McHugh is however entitled to compensation of over £25 on the arrears which have been paid and this will be paid to him shortly.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions on 13th February 1986.
Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be (i) the gross and (ii) the net cost of paying to retirement pensioners currently in receipt of basic or supplementary pension an additional weekly pension of (a) £5, (b) £10 or (c) £15, less the sum of any additional pension, earnings or investment income accruing; and how many pensioners would no longer be entitled to supplementary pension as a result.
Mr. Major I regret that the information requested is not available. Details are not held centrally about pensioners’ earnings below the appropriate earnings limit, or about their investment income.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Single Payments on 13th February 1986.
Mr. Michie Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the number and value of single payments of supplementary benefit in the four social security offices serving Sheffield taken together in each year since November 1980, showing separately figures for maternity expenses, funeral expenses and other single payments.
Mr. Major I shall let the hon. Member have the information that is available as soon as possible.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Girocheques (Delay) on 13th February 1986.
Mr. Millan Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the reason for recent delays in issuing girocheques from his Department’s computer centre at Livingston; and what steps are being taken to prevent further delays.
Mr. Major The computer system at Livingston which deals with the assessment and payment of unemployment benefit (and the payment of supplementary benefit to unemployed claimants) is both large and complex. It deals with the payment of benefit in respect of just under 1.5 million unemployed people, issuing around 750,000 girocheques per week. The system has been in operation since 1977 and has provided a consistent and reliable service since that time.
During the week commencing 27 January there was an unprecedented fault in the system. This was detected immediately and, whilst no incorrect payments were issued, the time needed to restore the situation resulted in the delayed delivery of some 20,000 girocheques by two days, and 65,000 girocheques by one day. The balance of 658,000 girocheques due that week were delivered on time.
The particular fault has now been corrected and recurrence is not to be expected. I am bound to say, however, that some problems are inevitable in an undertaking of this dimension. When any fault does occur, all effort is then directed towards minimising the impact on claimants.
I am grateful for the wholehearted effort demonstrated by the computer centre staff to restore the service as quickly as possible and the patience and co-
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Contributions on 13th February 1986.
Dr. McDonald Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the revenue effect of abolishing the upper ceiling on payments to the National Insurance Fund for employee contributions.
Mr. Major If the upper earnings limit for employee’s class 1 national insurance contributions were to be abolished in 1986-
These figures are based on the same assumptions as Cmnd. 9672 –