To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the costs to the Benefits Agency of the administration of the habitual residence test in relation to income support between 1 August 1994 and 31 July. [37734]
The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 20 October 1995:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what were the costs to the Benefits Agency of the administration of the habitual residence test in relation to Income Support between 1 August 1994 and 31 July 1995.
The current assessment of the cost to the Agency for the period in question is: £3,428,940.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants have been refused income support under the habitual residence test in each Benefits Agency district office in England, Wales and Scotland; and if he will update the information in his answer of 28 February, Official Report, column 547–48. [37694]
The administration of income support is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 20 October 1995:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question which asked how many claimants have been refused Income Support under the habitual residence test in each Benefits Agency district office in England, Wales and Scotland, and for an update on information supplied in his answer of 28 February, Official Report, column 547–48.
Information about the number of people refused Income Support after failing the HRT has been collated for the period 1 August 1994—31 August 1995 and is shown in the attached table. A copy of this table has been placed in the library, it shows the 20 Area Directorates that make up Great Britain and lists the Districts that make up each are.
This information is now placed in the House of Commons Library on a monthly basis.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Annex A: failed habitual residence test figures 1 August 1994 to 31 August 1995
| |
Total
| |
Anglia
| |
| Cambridgeshire | 131 |
| Leaside | 1,087 |
| Northamptonshire | 111 |
| North and East Hertfordshire | 60 |
| Norwich | 56 |
| Suffolk | 82 |
| West Hertfordshire | 134 |
Annex A: failed habitual residence test figures 1 August 1994 to 31 August 1995
| |
Total
| |
Chilterns
| |
| Barnet | 515 |
| Bedfordshire | 265 |
| Buckinghamshire | 162 |
| Ealing | 1,280 |
| Euston | 4,472 |
| Harrow and Hillingdon | 647 |
| Oxfordshire | 243 |
South London and West Sussex
| |
| South Downs | 370 |
| West Sussex | 99 |
| Palace | 1,665 |
| London Central | 1,397 |
| South West Thames | 1,329 |
| Bankside | 422 |
| North Surrey | 606 |
West Country
| |
| Bristol Brunei | 111 |
| Bristol Severnside | 106 |
| Cornwall | 65 |
| Dorset | 219 |
| Devon | 67 |
| Gloucestershire | 81 |
| Somerset | 39 |
| South Devon | 94 |
East London and Essex
| |
| Barking and Havering | 197 |
| City East | 278 |
| Essex South East | 68 |
| Essex South West | 23 |
| Hackney and Islington | 187 |
| Lea Roding | 531 |
| Newham | 464 |
| North Essex | 41 |
South East
| |
| Canterbury and Thanet | 73 |
| Channel | 48 |
| North Kent | 155 |
| East Sussex | 62 |
| Thameside | 92 |
| Neasden | 699 |
| South Circular | 1,234 |
| West Kent | 99 |
Wessex
| |
| Wiltshire | 44 |
| Berkshire | 180 |
| Surrey Downs | 126 |
| Hampshire North | 35 |
| Solent and Forest | 87 |
| Hounslow and Kingston | 1,431 |
| South East Hampshire and Isle of Wight | 85 |
East Midlands
| |
| Chesterfield and Worksop | 15 |
| East Nottinghamshire | 52 |
| Leicestershire North | 141 |
| North Nottinghamshire | 11 |
| South Leicestershire | 73 |
| Wash Coast | 29 |
| West Lincolnshire | 39 |
| West Nottinghamshire | 71 |
Midlands and South West
| |
| Birmingham Chamberlain | 134 |
| Birmingham Heartlands | 73 |
| Birmingham North West | 66 |
| Birmingham South East | 85 |
Annex A: failed habitual residence test figures 1 August 1994 to 31 August 1995
| |
Total
| |
| Birmingham South West | 115 |
| Coventry | 35 |
| Hereford and Worcester | 85 |
| Warwickshire | 40 |
West Mercia
| |
| Central Derbyshire | 39 |
| Central Staffordshire | 45 |
| North Staffordshire | 26 |
| North Worcestershire | 41 |
| Sandwell | 51 |
| Shropshire | 19 |
| South Derbyshire | 12 |
| Walsall | 40 |
| Wolverhampton | 74 |
Wales
| |
| Cynon, Merthyr and Rhymney Valley | 14 |
| Gwyneddigion | 23 |
| Mid Wales and Maelor | 19 |
| North Gwent and Brecon | 10 |
| North Wales Coast | 30 |
| Ogwr Afan Nedd | 21 |
| South Glamorgan | 118 |
| South Gwent and Islwyn | 66 |
| Swansea | 49 |
| Taff Rhondda | 5 |
| West Wales | 16 |
Merseyside
| |
| Knowsley | 10 |
| Liverpool Central | 10 |
| Liverpool North | 17 |
| Liverpool South | 56 |
| Sefton | 27 |
| South Cheshire | 21 |
| South West Lancashire | 11 |
| Wirral | 34 |
Greater Manchester
| |
| Manchester Central | 126 |
| Manchester Salford | 27 |
| Manchester South | 125 |
| Manchester Trinity | 107 |
| North Cheshire | 22 |
| Oldham | 109 |
| Sale and East Cheshire | 45 |
| Stockport | 51 |
| Tameside | 25 |
Lancashire and Cumbria
| |
| Blackburn and Accrington | 33 |
| Blackpool | 40 |
| Bolton | 36 |
| Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale | 27 |
| Lancaster and South Cumbria | 55 |
| North Cumbria | 13 |
| Preston | 44 |
| West Pennine | 109 |
| Wigan and Leigh | 25 |
Tyne Tees
| |
| Newcastle | 118 |
| North Durham | 17 |
| North Tees | 22 |
| North Tyneside | 1 |
| Northumberland | 13 |
| South Durham | 22 |
| South Tees | 44 |
| South Tyneside | 29 |
| Wearside | 18 |
Annex A: failed habitual residence test figures I August 1994 to 31 August 1995
| |
Total
| |
South Yorkshire and Humberside
| |
| Barnsley | 19 |
| Doncaster | 22 |
| East Yorkshire | 14 |
| Hull | 64 |
| Rother and Dearne | 27 |
| Sheffield East | 116 |
| Sheffield West | 148 |
| South Humberside | 35 |
North and West Yorkshire
| |
| Bradford | 244 |
| Kirklees | 55 |
| Leeds Aire and Wharfe | 141 |
| Leeds Ridings | 49 |
| North Yorkshire | 44 |
| Wakefield | 10 |
| Yorkshire Pennine | 93 |
Scotland and Northern
| |
| Glasgow City | 29 |
| Glasgow East | 7 |
| Glasgow Laurieston | 32 |
| Glasgow South West | 11 |
| Glasgow West | 17 |
| Renfrew | 19 |
| Springburn and Cumbernauld | 16 |
North, Central and West Scotland
| |
| Clyde Coast and Cowal | 5 |
| Coatbridge | 105 |
| Forth Valley | 28 |
| Highlands and Islands | 61 |
| Irvine and Kilmarnock | 11 |
| Lomond and Argyll | 6 |
| Clyde Valley | 18 |
| South West Scotland | 26 |
East Scotland
| |
| East Lowlands | 79 |
| Fife | 42 |
| Grampian and Shetland | 23 |
| Lothian Central | 199 |
| Lothian West | 34 |
| Tayside | 17 |
| Total | 27,291 |
These figures are provisional and are subject to amendment.
:To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what guidance has been given to his Department's staff with reference to informing
| Numbers and percentages of pupils in classes of 36 or more taught by one teacher in maintained primary schools in each local education authority area in England: 11994 and 1995 (provisional) | ||||||
| Position in January each year | ||||||
| 1994 | 1995 provisional | change | ||||
| Number | Percentage1 | Number | Percentage1 | Number | Percentage2 | |
| City | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Camden | 0 | 0.0 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 36 | 3— |
| Greenwich | 0 | 0.0 | 122 | 0.7 | 122 | 3— |
| Hackney | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Hammersmith | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Islington | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 36 | 0.7 | 0 | 0.0 | -3.6 | -100.0 |
| Lambeth | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Lewisham | 0 | 0.0 | 120 | 0.6 | 120 | $ |
| Southwark | 0 | 0.0 | 37 | 0.2 | 37 | $ |
| Tower Hamlets | 37 | 0.3 | 50 | 0.3 | 13 | 35.1 |
| Wandsworth | 195 | 1.4 | 221 | 1.6 | 26 | 13.3 |
claimants of their rights to interim [payments pending appeal while refused benefits under the habitual residence rules; [37141]
(2) what information has been given to (a) his Department's staff, (b) claimants and (c) the general public about the right to interim payments pending appeals of people refused benefit under the habitual residence rules. [37142]
The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mrs. Bridget Prentice, dated 20 October 1995:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about guidance provided to the Department's staff and information available to the public on the subject of interim payments.
Interim payments can be made where there is a reasonable expectation that benefit will be awarded at a future date. Whilst it is possible to make an interim payment where a person has appealed against a decision not to award benefit, the fact that a person has lodged an appeal is not in itself a reason for making a payment. The Secretary of State will, therefore, need to be satisfied that the customer may become entitled to benefit following the appeal.
Staff in Benefit Agency offices are aware of the need to consider interim payments and guidance is provided in the Income Support Payments Guide, paragraphs 6000–6499. A copy of the Guide is in the Library. Information on interim payments is included in the leaflet IS20 "A Guide to Income Support" which is available to the general public from many outlets such as Benefit Agency offices, Citizen Advice Bureaux, doctors surgeries, public libraries and Post Offices. I enclose a copy of this leaflet for your information.
I hope you find this reply helpful.