The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Tag: Benefits

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensioners (Housing Benefit) – 29 April 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensioners (Housing Benefit) on 29th April 1986.

    Mr. Haynes Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many local authorities go beyond the £4 disregard for war pensioners when applying for housing benefit; and if he will list them in the Official Report;

    (2) how many local authorities act on the guidelines to implement the £4 disregard for war pensioners when applying for housing benefit; and if he will list them in the Official Report.

    Mr. Major All 489 authorities administering housing benefit are required by law to apply a £4 disregard to war disablement and war widows’ pensions. (Regulation 16 of the Housing Benefits Regulations 1985).

    Information on the number of authorities applying a discretionary disregard higher than the statutory amount is not held centrally.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit – 29 April 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 29th April 1986.

    Mr. David Atkinson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received on the new method of assessment of housing benefit.

    Mr. Major Over 2,000 submissions were made by individuals and organisations in response to the housing benefit proposals contained in our Green Paper “Reform of Social Security.” Further comments have been received on our subsequent White Paper. Virtually every submission commented – favourably – on the proposed new method of assessing housing benefit on the same basis as income support.

  • Mr Major’s Parliamentary Answer on One-Parent Benefit – 29 April 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s Parliamentary Answer on One-Parent Benefit on 29th April 1986.

    Mr. Knox Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the percentage take-up of one-parent benefit.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security (Mr. John Major) The percentage take-up has steadily improved over recent years, and the latest available estimate shows that about 75 per cent. of those who stand to gain by claiming one-parent benefit are receiving it.

    Mr. Knox I accept that there has been a great improvement during the last few years, but does my hon. Friend not think that the figure is still disappointing? Does he have any plans to try to improve the percentage take-up?

    Mr. Major I share my hon. Friend’s wish that the take-up should be improved. We shall continue with the brief television fillers, which have proved to be particularly successful in encouraging people to claim this benefit, as well as with the traditional advertisements, which appear in child benefit books and on leaflets and posters in a variety of places, notably surgeries, health centres, post offices, law centres and elsewhere. I hope that in this fashion we will increase the take-up.

    Mr. John Mark Taylor Would my hon. Friend care to speculate upon how many people do not take up the one-parent benefit, although they are entitled to it, and upon what the cost would be if they did?

    Mr. Major I do not have the most recently available figures, but, broadly, about 100,000 families who could have claimed one-parent benefit did not take it up. According to the latest figures, the cost would have been about £18 million a year. I hope that in about three months’ time we will be able to update those figures.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 28 April 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 28th April 1986.

    Mr. Frank Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many extra young people aged (a) 16 years, (b) 17 years and (c) 18 years he estimates were eligible for supplementary benefit in 1985 and are eligible in 1986 following the decision of the Tribunal of Commissioners R(F) 2/85.

    Mr. Major A total of approximately 52,000 young people left school at Easter 1985 but the number who had exams to take and who might have been eligible to claim supplementary benefit following Commissioners’ decision R(F) 2/85 is unknown. However, 24,859 young people successfully claimed benefit and 8,164 of these still had exams to take. No breakdown by age is available. There are no figures yet available for 1986.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits (School Leavers) – 24 April 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits (School Leavers) on 24th April 1986.

    Mr. Frank Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) of he will detail the number of claims from those leaving school between the end of the spring term and 17 May 1985 detailing (a) the total number of claims, (b) the number successful, (c) the total number of school leavers paid benefit whose 16th birthday was after 31 January 1985 in England and Wales and 28 February 1985 in Scotland and (d) the total number of school leavers paid benefit after returning to school to undertake exams after the Easter holiday;

    (2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the information gathered as requested in circular 5/17/85.

    Mr. Major A special monitoring exercise was mounted between the end of the spring school term and 17 May 1985 to obtain the figures requested by the hon. Member at (b) to (d) of his question. The information required was on the number of successful claims to benefit: the total number of claims was not asked for and is not available. The figures are:

    (b) 24,859

    (c) 936

    (d) 8,164

    There is no other information which could be placed in the Library.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits – 22 April 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits on 22nd April 1986.

    Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what was the per capita expenditure on social security benefits in England in the last year for which figures are available;

    (2) what was the per capita expenditure on social security benefits in Wales in the last year for which figures are available;

    (3) what was the per capita expenditure on social security benefits in Scotland in the last year for which figures are available.

    Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 17 April 1986, c. 452]: Estimated per capita expenditure on social security benefits in 1984-85 was as follows:

    Country | £

    England | 641

    Wales | 714

    Scotland | 700

    This analysis covers about 95 per cent. of total benefit expenditure in Great Britain. A breakdown of the remainder is not available.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Housing Benefit Scheme – 21 April 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Housing Benefit Scheme on 21st April 1986.

    Mr. Pike Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he proposes any changes in the administration of the housing benefit scheme.

    Mr. Major There are no plans to change the general arrangements under which local authorities are responsible for the administration of the housing benefits scheme. Minor changes to detailed procedures will always be necessary from time to time and a number of more significant changes will result from the Government’s plans for reforming the housing benefits scheme set out in the White Paper on the reform of social security (Cmnd. 9691).

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 18 April 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 18th April 1986.

    Mr. Frank Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims to supplementary benefit have been registered by young people at school studying for examinations during the summer term.

    Mr. Major This information is not available. Other than in exceptional circumstances, young people who are still attending school, as opposed to those who have left but still have exams to take, are unlikely to qualify for supplementary benefit.

    Mr. Frank Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to produce an updated form FB20 on “Leaving School? A Pocket Guide to Social Security”.

    Mr. Major Leaflet FB20 is currently under review, and a revised version will be issued in due course.

    Mr. Frank Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many circulars outlining the rights of young people to supplementary benefit while they take their examinations have been produced following the commissioners’ decision on this subject; and to whom they have been sent.

    Mr. Major Two S circulars were issued following the commissioners’ decision on the entitlement of young people to supplementary benefit while they take their examinations. These circulars were sent in the normal way to DHSS local and regional offices, to the House of Commons Library, and to members of the public who subscribe to the S manual and circulars.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits – 17 April 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits on 17th April 1986.

    Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what was the per capita expenditure on social security benefits in England in the last year for which figures are available;

    (2) what was the per capita expenditure on social security benefits in Wales in the last year for which figures are available;

    (3) what was the per capita expenditure on social security benefits in Scotland in the last year for which figures are available;

    (4) what is the number of claimants for each benefit administered by the Department of Health and Social Security in Wales;

    (5) how many people are entitled to each of the benefit payments available through the Department of Health and Social Security in Wales; and what is the level of take-up.

    Mr. Major I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit – 14 April 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 14th April 1986.

    Mr. Alton Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount paid in housing benefit via local authorities to claimants during 1985.

    Mr. Major Information about housing benefit expenditure is available only on the basis of financial years. Latest estimates available from local authorities subsidy claims indicate that authorities paid £4.2 billion in housing benefit in the year ending 31 March 1985 and £4.6 billion in the year ending 31 March 1986.

    Mr. Alton Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the administration of the housing benefit system.

    Mr. Major We believe that there is scope for improvement in the housing benefits scheme and its administration. Our proposals for reform include measures to simplify the system and to encourage and assist authorities to run the scheme as efficiently as possible.