Benefits Payment

Mr. Heald
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the future take-up of direct payment of benefits in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06. [113581]

Malcolm Wicks
[holding answer 15 May 2003]: The huge numbers of customers involved in the conversion process mean the changes will be phased over a two-year period which started earlier in 2003.We have a published target in our public service agreement to pay 85 per cent, of customers by Direct Payment by 2005.