To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he stopped paying attendance allowance
| Value of total overpayments recorded and recovered from 1997£98 to 2001£02 | |||||
| £ million | |||||
| Financial year | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 |
| Value of new recoverable overpayments | 327 | 387 | 313 | 357 | 310 |
| Value of recoveries | 122 | 169 | 184 | 177 | 188 |
Notes:
Data is based on recoveries shown on the Overpayments Recovery System and the Overpayment Recovery Computer System.
Recoveries do not necessarily relate to overpayments identified in the same year.
Source:
Programme Accounting Computer System and Financial and Management Information System.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d)Wales claimed (i) child benefit, (ii) unemployment benefit and (iii) incapacity benefit in each year since 1997. [102779]
The available information is in the tables. Figures for Northern Ireland are not included, as social security matters in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
| People claiming incapacity benefit at the dates shown | |||
| England | Scotland | Wales | |
| 31 March 1997 | 1,837,100 | 298,500 | 206,200 |
| 31 March 1998 | 1,805,200 | 2.89,700 | 197,400 |
| 31 March 1999 | 1,778,700 | 280,600 | 190,900 |
| 31 March 2000 | 1,762,100 | 279,600 | 186,800 |
to people in Scotland who are receiving free personal care for the elderly; and how many people in Scotland are receiving attendance allowance. [76325]
Free personal care was introduced in Scotland from 1 July 2002. Attendance allowance continues to be payable to care home residents in Scotland who meet the costs of their accommodation without help from public funds. Those who do receive help from public funds are not eligible to receive attendance allowance.The latest available information is that 129,800 people in Scotland were receiving attendance allowance at 31 May 2002. This figure is based on a 5 per cent. sample of cases, rounded to the nearest hundred.