Supplementary Memorandum from the Department
of Social Security (MISC 1A)
Q41. The CAO's findings are not available at
this stage. The Disability Benefits Forum meeting planned for
17 December 1998 was cancelled. The sub-group met on that day
(not 15 December as recorded in the transcript); any findings
of the sub-group will need to be ratified by the full Forum.
Q52. Figures are not available on the number
of BIP appeals which have been expedited by ITS on hardship grounds.
Q54. The Independent Tribunal Service (ITS)
is a tribunal non-Departmental Public Body, headed by a President
appointed by the Lord Chancellor. ITS is one of a number of bodies,
collectively known as Independent Statutory Bodies, funded through
the Administration Vote (Class XII Vote 3). Expenditure is monitored
and accounted for through the Department's accounting system and
is reported annually via the Appropriation Account. For 1998-99
the original allocation quoted in the Departmental Report was
£43.965 million. The final allocation is likely to be around
£56 million, which is broadly in line with the 1997-98 outturn
figure. Additional funding, both in this year and previous years,
has been provided in-year on the basis of workload and performance
trends, and to a level of maximum productivity in terms of ITS'
ability to clear appeals.
Q56. The Social Security Act 1998 introduced
new processes for decision making and appeals, which are due to
be implemented during the latter half of 1999. In April 1999 the
work of the ITS will be undertaken by a shadow appeals service
unit, funded on the same basis as ITS. This work will include
the introduction of a unified appeal tribunal jurisdiction which
will replace the current five jurisdictions within ITS. The Appeals
Service agency will be launched from April 2000, and the Business
Plan and Framework document will be published in due course. Funding
will be at a similar level to current expenditure.
Q62. The figures below relate to the number
of decisions made in 1998-99 (up to 30 November 1998) where an
examining medical practitioner's report was obtained as part of
the evidence gathering process:
The Department of Social Security have not been
involved in any specific discussions about GP charges to claimants.
January 1999
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