The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Tag: Benefits

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Widows – 28 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Widows on 28th October 1985.

    Mr. Shore Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pensions are being paid to widows residing in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, of men who worked in the United Kingdom and contributed to the national insurance scheme.

    Mr. Major The number of women living in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan receiving national insurance widow’s benefit on 2 April 1985, the latest date for which figures are available, was 210, 381 and 951 respectively. Some of the 2,587 retirement pensioners in India, the 1,139 in Bangladesh, and 3,145 in Pakistan will be widows receiving pensions on their late husbands’ insurance, but we are unable to identify these separately.

    Mr. Shore Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for widows’ pensions are currently with his Department from widows residing in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

    Mr. Major The overseas branch of the Department is currently dealing with 33 widows’ benefit claims from widows in India, 171 from widows in Pakistan and 290 from widows in Bangladesh.

    Mr. Shore Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures his Department has taken to inform and communicate with widows residing in the Indian sub-continent about their entitlement to national insurance widows’ pensions.

    Mr. Major If details of a wife are held at the time of the death of a male beneficiary, a claim form is sent to the widow wherever she is. In addition special arrangements have been made with the State bank of India and the Sonali bank in Bangladesh to help widows to make claims and to obtain the necessary documentary evidence which is required. Although it has not been possible to make the same arrangements with the Habib bank in Pakistan, it acts as paying agents and gives limited assistance to claimants. The Department also co-operates with representatives of claimants where there are language difficulties. Leaflet FB2, “Which Benefit”, is now available in Bengali, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Heating Costs (Burnley) – 28 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Heating Costs (Burnley) on 28th October 1985.

    Mr. Pike Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report any housing estates in the Burnley borough council area designated by him as having abnormally high heat costs in accordance with the Supplementary Benefit (Requirement) Regulations, schedule 4, paragraph 11.

    Mr. Major I assume that the hon. Member is referring to paragraph 6 of schedule 4 to the Supplementary Benefit (Requirements) Regulations, which allows a special rate of supplementary benefit heating addition where the home is part of an estate built with a heating system recognised by the Secretary of State as having disproportionately high running costs. No heating systems in the Burnley borough council area have been so recognised.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Gas and Electricity (Disconnections) – 25 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Gas and Electricity (Disconnections) on 25th October 1985.

    Mr. Hardy Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to ensure that his Department extends to all cases its current practice of informing local authority social services departments about gas or electricity disconnections only where young children are involved.

    Mr. Major Where a fuel board has notified the DHSS local office of its intention to disconnect a supplementary benefit claimant’s fuel supply, and this cannot be avoided by paying part of the claimant’s supplementary benefit direct to the fuel board, staff are instructed to inform the local authority social services department. This applies to all such cases and not just those involving young children.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 24 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 24th October 1985.

    Mr. Chris Smith Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list, for each month since January 1985, the total value of supplementary benefit payments made to persons of no fixed abode in (a) each of the local Department of Health and Social Security offices located in the inner London area, covered by the Inner London Education Authority, (b) the London north region and (c) the London south region.

    Mr. Major The Department’s local offices do not keep separate statistics on payments made to persons of no fixed abode. The information is therefore not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Debt Collection Agencies – 24 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Debt Collection Agencies on 24th October 1985.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in what circumstances his Department makes arrangements with debt-collection agencies for direct debit of outstanding debts; how many claimants are now covered by this procedure; whether money-lending agencies can benefit from this procedure; what check is made of the debt-collection agencies who benefit; and whether any charge is made on the debt-collection agencies for the service provided.

    Mr. Major The Department does not under any circumstances make arrangements for money to be deducted from any claimant’s benefit for payment direct to a debt collection agency or a money lending agency.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Housing (Single Payments) – 24 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing (Single Payments) on 24th October 1985.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in what circumstances single payments are being refused to single persons or married couples who take on the lease of a council house.

    Mr. Major It is assumed that the question refers to claims for single payments of supplementary benefit for essential furniture and household equipment. Such claims may be refused for a number of reasons: for example, there is no entitlement to supplementary benefit; there is no need for the item(s) claimed; the claimant’s capital in excess of £500 is sufficient to meet the cost of the item(s); the claimant has not been in receipt of benefit for a continuous period of six months or, where he has, there is suitable, alternative furnished accommodation available in the area.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pound Lodge Resettlement Unit – 24 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pound Lodge Resettlement Unit on 24th October 1985.

    Mr. Freeson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy that the Pound Lodge resettlement unit in Willesden remains open and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security to my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Mr. Batiste) on 5 February at c.548-49. The future of Pound Lodge resettlement unit and the six other London resettlement units will be reviewed when the replacement scheme for the Camberwell unit is further advanced, and no action will be taken until then.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Single Pensioners – 22 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Single Pensioners on 22nd October 1985.

    Mr. Barry Jones Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the percentage of single pensionable households in England.

    Mr. Major Of the total number of households in England there are some 14.15 per cent. with one person of pensionable age usually resident and living alone. (Source 1981 census.)

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 21 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 21st October 1985.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the costs of meeting mortgage interest payments for claimants of supplementary benefit, other than the unemployed, breaking these down into one-parent families, the sick and disabled and pensioners, and showing how many persons in each category benefit.

    Mr. Major [pursuant to the reply, 13 May 1985,c. 32]: The information is not available in the precise form requested. The best figures available, obtained from the Annual Statistical Enquiry 1983 (a copy of which is in the Library) are given in the table. These show the amounts of mortgage interest included in the assessment of supplementary benefit. No account has been taken of adjustments made in respect of non-dependants or other deductions.

    Mortgage Interest Considered in Assessment

    Claimant Type | Number | Annual Amount (£ million)

    One Parent Families | 35,000 | 21

    Sick and Disabled | 15,000 | 9

    Pensioners | 39,000 | 10

    Others (excluding unemployed) | 12,000 | 5

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Mr. Paul Escott – 21 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mr. Paul Escott on 21st October 1985.

    Mr. Ron Davies Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will be replying in full to the letter sent on 20 June from the hon. Member for Caerphilly concerning board and lodgings payments to one of his constituents, Mr. Paul Escott of Ystrad Mynach, Mid-Glamorgan.

    Mr. Major I will write to the hon. Member this week.