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Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what considerations and costs are taken into account when determining the level of jobseeker's allowance. [10575]
Malcolm Wicks: Jobseeker's allowance consists of both a contribution-based and an income-based element. The rates of jobseeker's allowance are intended to cover normal day-to-day living expenses and are reviewed annually using the Rossi index.
Entitlement to contribution-based jobseeker's allowance is not affected by the amount of capital a person has although part-time earnings and occupational or personal pensions are taken into account. When determining income-based jobseeker's allowance most forms of income a person or their partner have are taken into account. The amount of capital held can also affect the amount of benefit.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to increase the staff of the Child Support Agency while the new assessment procedures are implemented. [10417]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 26 October 2001]: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mr. Doug Smith to Mr. David Willetts, dated 6 November 2001:
- I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the Child Support Agency.
- You asked what plans the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has to increase the staff of the Child Support Agency whilst the new assessment procedures are implemented.
7 Nov 2001 : Column: 311W
- The amount of staff in the Child Support Agency will grow by around 1,000 during the period in which the new procedures will be implemented.
- I hope this is helpful.
Attendance Allowance
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time was between receipt of requests to re-examine claims for attendance allowance and their examination, in each of the last four years. [11386]
Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated November 2001:
- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average time was between receipt of requests to re-examine claims for Attendance Allowance and their examination in each of the last four years.
- The actual average clearance times for Attendance Allowance (AA) reviews between April 1997 and September 2001 are shown in the attached table. Please note that under the Decision Making and Appeals (DMA) procedures introduced in October 99, the review process changed in some respects and was henceforth termed reconsiderations. Reconsiderations occur when a claimant asks for a claim to be looked at again within one month of the previous decision.
- The DMA procedures introduced in 1999 led to temporary backlogs of work, and taken with a growing caseload for disability benefits, the average time taken to reconsider claims increased very significantly. These backlogs were tackled as a priority and the average clearance time for reconsiderations is now significantly lower.
- I hope this is helpful.
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Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what factors determine the length of time for a decision to be given in response to those who request that their claims for attendance allowance are re-examined; and if he will make a statement. [11388]
Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 6 November 2001:
- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what factors determine the length of time for a decision to be given in response to those who request that their claims for Attendance Allowance are re-examined; and if he will make a statement.
- A number of factors can affect the length of time it takes to re-examine claims for Attendance Allowance. In particular, before a final decision can be taken on their case, a decision maker (DM) may need additional evidence from claimants or further medical evidence or reports about the effects of their disabilities on their care needs.
- I hope this is helpful.
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Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against decisions on attendance allowance have been made in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many (a) have been allowed, (b) have been dismissed and (c) are awaiting a decision in each of the last four years. [11385]
Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 6 November 2001:
- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many appeals against decisions on attendance allowance have been made in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many have been (a) allowed (b) dismissed and (c) are awaiting a decision.
- The information is in the attached table.
- I hope this is helpful.
| Month | AA appeals registered | Allowed appeals (a) | Dismissed appeals (b) | Outstanding appeals (c) | Total number of cleared cases (d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2000 | 1,434 | 386 | 3 | 3,116 | 1,271 |
| November 2000 | 1,545 | 502 | 6 | 2,284 | 1,539 |
| December 2000 | 1,023 | 425 | 6 | 1,958 | 1,246 |
| January 2001 | 1,311 | 613 | 8 | 1,698 | 2,008 |
| February 2001 | 1,330 | 636 | 4 | 1,672 | 1,770 |
| March 2001 | 1,442 | 642 | 5 | 1,649 | 1,688 |
| April 2001 | 1,317 | 431 | 1 | 1,799 | 1,227 |
| May 2001 | 1,212 | 448 | 3 | 1,646 | 1,237 |
| June 2001 | 1,263 | 430 | 3 | 1,475 | 1,210 |
| July 2001 | 1,331 | 431 | 3 | 1,447 | 1,266 |
| August 2001 | 1,261 | 397 | 3 | 1,516 | 1,142 |
| September 2001 | 1,129 | 338 | 5 | 1,676 | 1,078 |
(a) Allowed appeals include allowed or increased appeals.
(d) Dismissed appeals include cases where entitlement is reduced or disallowed on appeal.
(c) Outstanding appeals include all cases sent to the Tribunal awaiting a decision.
(d) The total number of cleared cases column includes allowed, dismissed, maintained and various other outcomes that are not appropriate to the stated categories.
It is not possible, from overall statistics to track individual claims through the subsequent stages.
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time is for dealing with requests by those seeking an explanation for decisions relating to claims for attendance allowance. [11384]
Maria Eagle: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated November 2001:
- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average time is for dealing with requests by those seeking an explanation for decisions relating to claims for attendance allowance.
- There are two types of explanation available to claimants, a verbal explanation and a written explanation. A customer is entitled to ask for an explanation in one or both forms to help them understand the reasons for the decision on their entitlement to Attendance Allowance. The actual average clearance times for requests for explanations of decisions relating to Attendance Allowance is three days.
- I hope this is helpful.
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