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Working Age

Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made in setting up the new agency for working age people. [156802]

Mr. Darling: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment and I are establishing the new agency for working age people later this year. We announced on 14 March the locations of around 50 pathfinder offices bringing together labour market and benefit services for people of working age. These offices will be the first stage in the launch of this new Agency.

We can further announce today that the new Agency and its local offices will be called "Jobcentre Plus". We shall be introducing the name "Jobcentre Plus" in local offices as they roll out the integrated benefit and employment service, starting with the first pathfinder offices in October. But, more widely, the new Agency will be referred to as "Jobcentre Plus" from today.

State Pension

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what checks are made to ensure that pensioners living abroad in receipt of the basic state pension are alive. [156474]

Mr. Rooker: All pensioners are contacted over a five year period. The certificate requires the person to confirm their circumstances have not altered and should be attested by someone of professional standing.

Benefits (Leyton and Wanstead)

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the change in the number of people dependent on social security benefits in Leyton and Wanstead since May 1997. [155390]

Mr. Rooker [holding answer 27 March 2001]: The Department's policies and initiatives have made a significant contribution to the Government's overall objectives of:

Eradicating child poverty in 20 years, and halving it within 10;

Promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age while protecting the position of those in greatest need; and,

Combating poverty and promoting security and independence in retirement for today's and tomorrow's pensioners.

These goals are being pursued nationwide and our achievements are set out in our annual "Opportunity for all" reports. Our second report, "Opportunity for all--One year on: making a difference" (CM4865, September 2000) sets out what progress has been made in the past year, as well as highlighting what more needs to be done. Nationwide statistical information is necessarily more

2 Apr 2001 : Column: 94W

complete than constituency level data, but the following provides a comparative guide to the effect of the Department's policies and actions in Leyton and Wanstead since May 1997.

Measures in our five Budgets so far will lift over 1.2 million children out of poverty. These include record increases to Child Benefit, the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit, increases in the income- related benefits, the minimum wage and tax changes.

Child Benefit will be worth £15.50 a week for the eldest child and £10.35 a week for other children from April 2001: nationally about 7 million families receive Child Benefit, and in Leyton and Wanstead 10,957 families benefit.

We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 25 years. The New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, the over 50s and partners of the unemployed to move from benefit into work. In the period since May 1997 the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance nationally has reduced from 1,562,400 to 960,600; in Leyton and Wanstead the number has reduced from 4,900 to 2,400. Since May 1997 the number of lone parents who claim Income Support has decreased from 1,013,500 to 894,100 nationally and in Leyton and Wanstead from 2,800 to 2,200.

Older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. So we have introduced Winter Fuel Payments to help with their heaviest fuel bill. This winter, the payment is £200 for households who qualify. Around 12,000 older people in Leyton and Wanstead have received a Winter Fuel Payment for this winter.

To demonstrate our commitment to combating pensioner poverty, this year we will spend £4.5 billion extra in real terms on pensioners. Some 11,300 pensioners in Leyton and Wanstead will benefit from the substantial increases in the basic State pension this April and next; this year's increase is £5 a week for single pensioners and £8 for couples. In addition we have introduced free TV licences for the over 75s of whom we estimate there are about 4,600 in Leyton and Wanstead. 2,600 pensioner families in Leyton and Wanstead are receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee, which we introduced in April 1999 to help our poorest pensioners. From April they will be at least £15 a week, or £800 a year, better off in real terms as a result of Government measures since 1997.

Other reforms in the pipeline include: the new Pension Credit in 2003 designed to ensure that pensioners benefit from their savings; the launch of Stakeholder Pensions in April this year; and the introduction of the State Second Pension in April 2002 both of which will help provide greater security for tomorrow's pensioners.

Pensions

Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 26 March 2001, Official Report, column 481W, on the state second pension, if he will express the table in terms of future pension entitlement in today's prices. [156253]

Mr. Rooker: The information is in the table.

2 Apr 2001 : Column: 95W

Second tier pension entitlement in 2001 price terms

				£
		For comparison:
Annual earnings	State second pension entitlement on 40-year working life	SERPS entitlement on 40-year working life	State second pension entitlement on 49-year working life	SERPS entitlement on 49-year working life
£4,000	105	11	125	12
£5,000	105	18	125	20
£6,000	105	24	125	28
£7,000	105	31	125	36
£8,000	105	37	125	44
£9,000	105	44	125	52
£9,500	105	47	125	56
£10,000	105	50	125	60
£11,000	107	57	128	68
£12,000	110	63	132	76
£13,000	113	70	136	84
£14,000	116	76	140	92
£15,000	120	83	144	100

Departmental Policies (Southwark)

Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the London borough of Southwark, the effects on the London borough of Southwark of his Department's policies and actions since May 2 1997. [155977]

Mr. Rooker: The Department's policies and initiatives have made a significant contribution to the Government's overall objectives of:

Eradicating child poverty in 20 years, and halving it within 10;

Promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age while protecting the position of those in greatest need; and,

Combating poverty and promoting security and independence in retirement for today's and tomorrow's pensioners.

These goals are being pursued nationwide and our achievements are set out in our annual "Opportunity for all" reports. Our second report, "Opportunity for all--One year on: making a difference" (CM4865, September 2000) sets out what progress has been made in the past year, as well as highlighting what more needs to be done. Nationwide statistical information is necessarily more complete than data at a local authority level, but the following provides a comparative guide to the effect of the Department's policies and actions in the London borough of Southwark since May 1997.

Measures in our five Budgets so far will lift over 1.2 million children nationally out of poverty. These include record increases to Child Benefit, the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit, increases in the income-related benefits, the minimum wage and tax changes.

Child Benefit will be worth £15.50 a week for the eldest child and £10.35 a week for other children from April 2001: nationally about seven million families receive Child Benefit, and in the London borough of Southwark 30,443 families benefit.

We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 25 years. The New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, the over 50s and partners of the unemployed to move from benefit

2 Apr 2001 : Column: 96W

into work. In the period since May 1997 the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance nationally has reduced from 1,562,400 to 960,600; in the London borough of Southwark the number has reduced from 13,700 to 8,900. Since May 1997 the number of lone parents who claim Income Support has decreased from 1,013,500 to 894,100 nationally and in the London borough of Southwark from 10,600 to 9,500.

To demonstrate our commitment to combating pensioner poverty, this year we will spend £4.5 billion extra in real terms on pensioners. Some 26,400 pensioners in the London borough of Southwark will benefit from the substantial increases in the basic state pension this April and next; this year's increase is £5 a week for single pensioners and £8 for couples. In addition we have introduced free TV licences for the over 75s of whom we estimate there are about 11,600 in the London borough of Southwark. 7,300 pensioner families in the London borough of Southwark are receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee, which we introduced in April 1999 to help our poorest pensioners. From April they will be at least £15 a week, or £800 a year, better off in real terms as a result of Government measures since 1997.

Other reforms in the pipeline include: the new Pension Credit in 2003 designed to ensure that pensioners benefit from their savings; the launch of Stakeholder Pensions in April this year; and the introduction of the State Second Pension in April 2002 both of which will help provide greater security for tomorrow's pensioners.

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