Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Invalidity Benefit on 12th November 1985.
Mr. Clay Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to change the child dependent allowance paid to invalidity pensioners, beyond those changes already announced.
Mr. Major We have no plans for changing the qualifying conditions for child dependency additions paid to invalidity pensioners, though later this month the rate will go up from £7.65 to £8.05 a week.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Lambeth on 12th November 1985.
Mr. John Fraser Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the staffing levels of Department of Health and Social Security offices in Lambeth.
Mr. Major The staffing of DHSS local offices which deal with claimants in Lambeth is as follows:-
Office | Provisional complement 1985-
Kennington | 90 | 107
Kennington Park | 97 | 109
Brixton | 148 | 155
Streatham | 122 | 135
Balham | 156 | 176.5
Battersea | 140 | 158
Crystal Palace | 117 | 131.5
Peckham | 141 | 142.5
Southwark | 134 | 151.5
Note: –
As will be seen each office is staffed above the complement which is determined by a complementing system –
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 12th November 1985.
Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now withdraw the Supplementary Benefit (Requirements and Resources) Miscellaneous Provisions Regulations (S.I. 1985, No. 613).
Mr. Newton I refer the hon. Member to the announcement made in the House yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.
Mr. Nellist Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently in receipt of supplementary benefit in the city of Coventry; and how this compares with 1979.
Mr. Major The city of Coventry is covered by two offices of the Department, Coventry east and Coventry west, but their boundaries are not conterminous with the city of Coventry. The total number of persons in receipt of supplementary benefit on 30 July 1985 (the latest figures available), and 25 December 1979 –
Year | Coventry East | Coventry West
30 July 1985 | 22,795 | 18,527
25 December 1979 | 12,078 | 9,876
Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action.
The text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit on 12th November 1985.
Mr. Michael Forsyth Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families have been disallowed child benefit for children over the age of 16 years because they are educating them at home; and whether he has any plans to change this position.
Mr. Major The figures requested are not available although the numbers are thought to be small. Child benefit may be payable for a child over 16, when the child is not attending a recognised educational establishment, if the special educational arrangements have been authorised by the local authority. There are no plans to change these requirements.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s response (his first answering on behalf of the Government) to the Sick Pay debate, held on 12th November 1985.
Mr. John Mark Taylor asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the minimum hours and earnings threshold for entitlement to statutory sick pay.
The Parliamentary Under-
Mr. Taylor I congratulate my hon. Friend on his first appearance on the Front Bench to answer questions. I thank him for his reply. Can he comment on the circumstances of an older employee in my constituency on £35 per week, but with some savings, who finds himself ineligible either for unemployment benefit or for sickness pay?
Mr. Major I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his kind words. In the case of the man that he mentioned, if his earnings are below £35.50 he will have no entitlement to statutory sick pay. He may, of course, have an entitlement to sickness benefit, which would depend on his previous national insurance contributions. If, however, he falls outside statutory sick pay and state sickness benefit, he may have a residual entitlement to supplementary benefit.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 11th November 1985.
Mr. Nicholls Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps social security officers are obliged to take to establish the identity and address of claimants who present themselves for the payment of supplementary benefit.
Mr. Major Social security officers should be satisfied that details of identity and address provided by claimants in connection with a claim for supplementary benefit are correct. When they consider it necessary officers are able to ask claimants to provide documentary proof.
Mr. Nicholls Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what criteria adjudicating officers use in determining whether a person is available for work and therefore eligible for supplementary benefit.
Mr. Major A claimant for supplementary allowance is required to be available for work (unless he is in a category exempt by regulations from this requirement). In determining availability the adjudication officer takes into consideration whether the claimant is occupied or engaged in any activity which would prevent him from taking employment. In addition the adjudication officer must be satisfied that the claimant is not imposing such restrictions on the nature or other conditions of employment he is prepared to accept, that he has no reasonable prospects of obtaining work. If there is reason to doubt the claimant’s availability at any time during the currency of his claim, the adjudication officer may review the case.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Fraud Investigators on 30th October 1985.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many investigators into social security fraud are employed in (a) Greater Manchester, (b) Greater London and (c) the West Midlands.
Mr. Major The number of posts allocated as investigators into social security fraud in the relevant local offices of the Department is as follows:
Area | Number
(a) Greater Manchester 107
(b) Greater London 223
(c) West Midlands 235
The text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Departmental Office, Huyton on 28th October 1985.
Mr. Sean Hughes Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of hours of overtime worked in the Huyton office of his Department in each of the last five years and to date in 1985.
Mr. Major The hours of overtime worked in the Huyton office are as follows:
Year | Hours
1981-82 | 4,508
1982-83 | 9,996
1983-84 | 2,237
1984-85 | 10,640
The overtime hours worked from 10 April 1985 to 24 September 1985 (the latest date for which accounts are held) are 12,950.
Mr. Sean Hughes Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the annual cost of the overtime worked in each of the last five years and to date in 1985 in constant terms in the Huyton office of his Department.
Mr. Major The annual cost in constant terms of overtime worked in Huyton office in each of the last five years and to date in 1985 is as follows:
Year | Cost (£)
1981-82 | 31,544
1982-83 | 69,934
1983-84 | 15,646
1984-85 | 74,441
The cost of overtime from 10 April 1985 to 24 September 1985, the latest date for which accounts are held, is £90,605.
These figures are based on 1984-85 average costs of overtime in the Department.
Mr. Sean Hughes Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the reduction in personnel in the Huyton office of his Department over the last three years; and what savings have resulted from the reduction in staff.
Mr. Major Information is available only for the last two years. On 1 April 1983 there were 160 staff in post, on 1 April 1985 the corresponding figure was 153.
The seven posts resulted in a saving of £51,576 based on 1984-85 average salaries costs.
The text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 28th October 1985.
Mr. Rooker Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will introduce legislation to compensate for loss of pension those unemployed persons taking a reduced early pension in consequence of the supplementary benefit notional resources regulations; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what is his estimate of the number of unemployed persons in receipt of supplementary benefit, whose benefit is reduced because they have an entitlement to an early reduced pension from a former employer;
(3) how many submissions have been made to his headquarters from local offices in respect of deductions in supplementary benefit to unemployed persons who have a choice of a reduced early pension from a former employer.
Mr. Major Regulation 4(2)(a) of the Supplementary Benefit (Resources) Regulations (SI 1981/1527) provides that any resource which would become available to a member of the assessment unit upon application duly being made, but which has not been acquired by him may if, in the opinion of the adjudication officer it is reasonable in the circumstances to do so, be treated as if it were possessed by him.
Information on the number of persons to whom this provision has been applied because of entitlement to an early reduced pension is not available. Our headquarters received one submission on the matter in 1981 and I understand that the office of the Chief Adjudication Officer has in recent weeks given guidance to a local office in an individual case. We have no plans at present either to amend the existing law or to introduce legislation providing for compensation in such cases.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits on 28th October 1985.
Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will be publishing the 1983 statistics for social security benefits.
Mr. Major 1983 statistics on many social security benefits were included in “Social Security Statistics 1984”. 1983 statistics on most other benefits will be included in the next volume of “Social Security Statistics” planned for publication in the spring of 1986.
In addition copies of the full set of tabulated figures from the 1983 supplementary benefit annual statistical inquiry will be deposited in the Library and made available from the DHSS leaflets unit at the end of November 1985.