House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 24 Oct 2002 (pt 20)

WORK AND PENSIONS

Bereavement Benefits

Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to change the rules for claiming bereavement benefits. [77652]

Malcolm Wicks: I have laid Regulations today to amend the Social Security Claims and Payments Regulations, 1987. Subject to Parliament's approval they simplify the rules for claiming bereavement benefits.

Bereavement benefits were introduced in April 2001. We have been looking at the way the three elements fit together and whether there might be improvements made by simplifying the rules. Depending on when someone claims a bereavement benefit there can be two separate social security decisions to be made—one for the weekly benefit of either Widowed Parent's Allowance or Bereavement Allowance and another for the lump-sum Bereavement Payments when there is no real difference in the qualification rules. This is both time-consuming and can be confusing for bereaved people themselves.

We want bereaved people to claim and receive the help that they and their families are entitled to when they need it—immediately after the bereavement. Most people do; more than four fifths claim within four or five weeks of their loss. The claim is easy to make; using only one form, a widow or widower can claim whichever of these three benefits they may be entitled to without further form-filling. However, we acknowledge that not all bereaved people find it possible to claim as promptly as the current rules for the lump-sum Bereavement Payment require. To simplify matters further, we are extending the time limit for claiming Bereavement Payment and aligning it with the period over which a person can receive Bereavement Allowance—namely 12 months. We see this as a sensible alteration that will simplify the scheme for everyone while remaining compatible with underlying benefit entitlement rules.

We intend to make this change effective for claims in respect of deaths that occur on or after 1 April 2003.

Social Fund

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes he is making to the discretionary social fund. [77805]

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend will be making a number of minor changes to the discretionary social fund, with effect from 28 October 2002. The changes to the fund are minor clarifications of guidance and directions, and, in the main, are consequential to legislative changes being made in respect of other social security benefits.

Details of the changes have been placed in the Library.

Child Support Agency

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many deductions from earnings

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orders have been made in Portsmouth, South by the CSA since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [73876]

Malcolm Wicks: 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 to Mr. Mike Hancock from Mr. Mike Isaac dated October 2002:

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply by the Agency's Chief Executive. I am replying on his behalf.

You ask two questions:

how many cases the Child Support Agency has handled in Portsmouth South since 1997

how many deductions from earnings orders have been made in Portsmouth South by the Child Support Agency since 1997

Since 1997 approximately 4,300 Child Support Agency cases have been handled for the Portsmouth South area and 700 deduction from earnings orders have been made.

Mrs. Irene Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many cases the CSA has handled in Paisley, North since 1997; [73668]

(3) how many deductions from earnings orders have been made in Paisley, North by the CSA since 1997. [73670]

Malcolm Wicks: 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 to Mrs. Irene Adams from Mike Isaac dated October 2002:

You ask three questions:

how many cases the Child Support Agency has handled in Paisley North since 1997

how many absent parents have refused to co-operate with the Child Support Agency since 1997

how many deductions from earnings orders have been made in Paisley North by the Child Support Agency since 1997

Since 1997 approximately 2,100 Child Support Agency cases have been handled for the Paisley North area and 400 deduction from earnings orders have been made.

I'm sorry that the information you request on non-resident parents who refuse to co-operate is not available.

''Opportunity for All''

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and if he will provide a breakdown of the estimates in ''Opportunity for All'' of the proportion of men and women who contributed to a non-state pension in recent groups of years by income band. [74841]

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Mr. McCartney: The information is in the table.

Percentage of Working-age Individuals Contributing to a Non-state Pension in at Least Three Out of Four Years by Equivalised Income Quintiles (20 per cent. band) (Great Britain)

Percentage of working-age individuals Source: BHPS

Bottom Quintile Second Quintile Third Quintile Fourth Quintile Top Quintile All

All

1992–95 15 8 16 24 36 100

1993–96 14 9 17 24 37 100

1994–97 13 9 17 26 35 100

1995–98 11 11 17 26 35 100

1996–99 9 10 19 27 35 100

1997–2000 7 10 19 27 38 100

Males

1992–95 16 9 17 25 34 100

1993–96 15 10 18 23 34 100

1994–97 13 10 18 25 33 100

1995–98 11 11 18 26 34 100

1996–99 9 11 20 27 34 100

1997–2000 7 10 20 27 35 100

Females

1992–95 15 6 16 24 40 100

1993–96 13 7 14 26 40 100

1994–97 12 8 15 28 37 100

1995–98 10 10 16 27 37 100

1996–99 8 9 18 27 37 100

1997–2000 6 9 18 27 41 100

Percentage of working-age individuals Source: BHPS
	Bottom Quintile	Second Quintile	Third Quintile	Fourth Quintile	Top Quintile	All
All
1992–95	15	8	16	24	36	100
1993–96	14	9	17	24	37	100
1994–97	13	9	17	26	35	100
1995–98	11	11	17	26	35	100
1996–99	9	10	19	27	35	100
1997–2000	7	10	19	27	38	100
Males
1992–95	16	9	17	25	34	100
1993–96	15	10	18	23	34	100
1994–97	13	10	18	25	33	100
1995–98	11	11	18	26	34	100
1996–99	9	11	20	27	34	100
1997–2000	7	10	20	27	35	100
Females
1992–95	15	6	16	24	40	100
1993–96	13	7	14	26	40	100
1994–97	12	8	15	28	37	100
1995–98	10	10	16	27	37	100
1996–99	8	9	18	27	37	100
1997–2000	6	9	18	27	41	100

Notes:

1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) data set. The BHPS is a longitudinal data set developed at the University of Essex, Institute for Social and Economic Research The latest data available is for the period 1997 to 2000.

2. The estimates are sample counts, which have been adjusted for non-response using multipurpose grossing factors. Estimates are subject to both sampling error and to variability in non-response. The income measure used is total equivalised household income (that is to say income that is adjusted to reflect the composition of the household).

Employment Rights (EU)

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what restrictions exist on the rights of citizens from an EU country to work in any other EU country. [75627]

Mr. Nicholas Brown: Free movement of people is one of the four freedoms within the internal market of the European Union. Within the Free Movement Title of the EC Treaty, Article 39 states that free movement of workers ''shall be secured within the Community''. This means that workers of the Member States are free to accept offers of employment actually made in another Member State, and to remain in another Member State for the purposes of carrying out employment. However, Article 39 does not apply to employment in the public service.

The main EU Regulation giving effect to free movement rights for workers of EU Member States is EEC Regulation 1612/68. This guarantees migrant workers equality of treatment with nationals of the host country in respect of:

The right to take up an activity as an employed person

The right to negotiate and conclude an employment contract

Full and free access to the host country labour market

Assistance from public employment offices

Engagement and recruitment conditions

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Conditions of employment and conditions governing re-employment, social and tax advantages, vocational training, retraining, and clauses contained in collective or individual contracts of employment

Membership of trade unions and the exercise of rights attaching thereto

Housing; and

Access of children to education and vocational training.

The Regulation guarantees, subject to certain conditions, the right of the migrant worker's family to live in the host country.

Nevertheless, provided they fulfil their obligations under EU legislation, Member States can and do place restrictions on the free movement rights of EU citizens, in particular:

Article 39(3) of the EC Treaty allows Member States in some circumstances to restrict the movement and residence of workers on the grounds of ''public policy, public security or public health'';

in relation to requirements to hold professional qualifications.

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