Vol. 532 No. 3
132 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the way in which savings of £37 million were made in dealing with illness-based schemes as recently announced to the media; and the qualifications the social welfare inspectors have in making the above decisions. [7339/01]
Control savings of £35.7 million were achieved in the year 2000 on various illness schemes as follows: disability benefit, £19 million; disability allowance, £13.6 million; invalidity pension, £2.9 million; and others, £0.2 million. Control savings are determined following reviews which are carried out on illness claims in payment to verify continued compliance with the conditions for receipt of payment and-or continued entitlement to all payment components, including qualified adult and-or child dependant allowances. These reviews also established whether there were any unreported change in means or family circumstances.
The Department employs doctors as medical assessors to provide guidance to deciding officers on a person's capacity for work. The medical assessors carry out reviews and medical examinations for this purpose. If, following the examination, the person is considered capable of work, their claim is terminated. In other cases a person may submit a final certificate when they are called for examination. The bulk of the total savings on illness payments, £20 million, arises as a result of these activities.
Other savings arise from reviews as to whether the customer continues to satisfy the rules of eligibility and rules of behaviour and from means reviews and reviews regarding circumstances carried out by scheme sections or social welfare inspectors.
Where a claim is terminated following a review, savings are calculated taking account of future payments which will not be made as a result of the control activity. Multipliers vary from 24 for short-term schemes like disability benefit to 136 for invalidity pension. In addition, where an overpayment is assessed, either separately, or as part of this review activity, it is treated as a control saving.
