Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit on 1st July 1986.
Mr. Ralph Howell Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the total number of families receiving child benefit at the present time and in 1979, respectively.
Mr. Major On 4 June 1986, 6.85 million families were receiving child benefit. The comparable figure for 31 May 1979 was 7.23 million.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 1st July 1986.
Mr. Pike Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were in receipt of supplementary benefit in (a) the north-west region and (b) Burnley in 1979 and each subsequent year.
Mr. Major North-western region was formed in 1983 by the amalgamation of the former north-west (Manchester) and north-west (Merseyside) regions with parts of the former northern region. The table shows the number of people receiving supplementary benefit in (a) Burnley and (b) those offices which now form northwestern region.
Figures given show the position at 6 May 1986, the latest available, and at comparable dates for each of the years since 1979.
Year | Burnley | Region
1979 | 10,239 | 454,955
1980 | 10,156 | 458,474
1981 | 11,984 | 534,489
1982 | 14,345 | 628,573
1983 | 15,351 | 672,937
1984 | 16,167 | 713,229
1985 | 17,062 | 745,329
1986 | 16,579 | 762,492
Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 1st July 1986.
Mr. Freeson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the housing benefit returns for each of the past three years for the London boroughs of Brent, Barnet and Camden.
Mr. Major On the basis of information provided by the London boroughs of Brent, Barnet and Camden in connection with their subsidy claims, it is estimated that the average number of recipients of rent rebate, rent allowance and rate rebates is:
Benefit | 1984-85 | 1985-86 | 1986-87
Brent
Rent rebates | 13,500 | 13,500 | 10,200
Rent allowances | 8,000 | 8,100 | 9,700
Rate rebates | 39,800 | 39,900 | 33,500
Barnet
Rent rebates | 12,300 | 12,000 | 11,500
Rent allowances | 7,500 | 7,700 | 7,400
Rate rebates | 30,700 | 30,400 | 29,200
Camden
Rent rebates | 17,800 | 17,800 | 17,800
Rent allowances | 9,100 | 9,800 | 9,600
Rate rebates | 29,500 | 30,400 | 30,000
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Single Payments on 1st July 1986.
Mr. Barnett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current average length of time for a decision on an application for a single payment.
Mr. Major I regret that this information is not available. However, claims for single payments are determined as soon as possible after all the information required has been collected, urgent claims being given priority.
Mr. Austin Mitchell Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many Department of Health and Social Security single payments were made in Lincolnshire in 1984 and 1985.
Mr. Major Six local offices serve Lincolnshire but their boundaries are not conterminous with that of the county. The single payments they made during years ended early in April are shown in the following table:
Office | 1984-85 | *1985-86
Boston | 2,641 | 3,944
Grantham | 2,753 | 4,536
Lincoln (Newland) | 4,902 | 6,931
Lincoln (Orchard Street) | 8,944 | 13,254
Skegness | 1,155 | 1,619
Grimsby | 11,375 | 14,871
Totals | 31,770 | 45,155
* Provisional figures.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 1st July 1986.
Mr. Raynsford Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate (a) the number of recipients of housing benefit who will receive less benefit than would otherwise have been their entitlement as a result of the Government’s decision to change the basis for uprating the needs allowance in July and (b) the saving which Her Majesty’s Government will make in a full year as a result.
Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 12 May at column 381. I have also written to him about the detailed points he raised in the debate on the uprating orders on 11 June, at columns 361-65.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits Claimants on 1st July 1986.
Mr. Nicholls Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the operation of section 5(1) (a) and (b) of the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976 concerning availability of benefit claimants for work; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major The term “available for employment” contained in section 5 of the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976 has the same meaning as for unemployment benefit purposes. It is the responsibility of Department of Employment to test the availability of unemployed claimants for both benefits when new claims are made. In addition, those drawing benefits sign a declaration regularly that they remain available for work. The present availability test has been the subject of criticism by the Public Accounts Committee and other evidence which casts doubt on its adequacy comes from the labour force survey. As a result, the Department of Employment in conjunction with the DHSS has reviewed the arrangements and a pilot exercise of a strengthened availability test started on 16 June in 12 unemployment benefit offices.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Non-UK European Community Citizens on 1st July 1986.
Mr. Patrick Thompson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many non-United Kingdom European Community citizens have drawn social security benefits during a visit lasting less than six months in the period April to October 1985.
Mr. Major I assume my hon. Friend is referring to claims for supplementary benefit, of which there were approximately 1,000 in the first seven months of 1985. More recent figures are not yet available and records are not kept of the period a claimant to benefit has spent in this country prior to making his claim.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Residential Homes) on 1st July 1986.
Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received on his Department’s consultative paper on his payment of pensions to pensioners at local authority residential homes; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major My right hon. Friend has received representations from seven organisations, including the Social Security Advisory Committee, the Association of Metropolitan Authorities, the Association of County Councils, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Associations of Directors of Social Work and of Services, and the Social Care Association. Their comments are being considered.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on YTS (Benefits) on 30th June 1986.
Mr. Nellist Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many young people in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) nationally, have had their benefit cut as a result of coming off the YTS prematurely or because they refused a place when offered one.
Mr. Major Department of Employment statistics show that for the year ending April 1986, altogether 17,804 young people were disqualified from benefit for premature termination of a youth training scheme. I regret that reliable information is not available for Coventry and the West Midlands.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Legal Aid on 30th June 1986.
Mr. Terry Fields Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many outstanding applications for finance for legal aid are on file at the Department of Health and Social Security legal aid assessment offices at Preston, Lancashire; what is the average period of time taken to process such claims; if he has plans to increase staff at the office: and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major There are 54,845 outstanding applications for finance for legal aid on file at the Department’s legal aid assessment office at Preston, Lancashire. Information on the time taken to process such claims is not available in the form requested by the hon. Member, however, 59 per cent. of applications are cleared within six weeks of registration at the office. Staffing levels were increased from 292 to 313 in April 1986. There are no plans for any further increase, but a staffing survey is planned for August 1986.