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Fuel Poverty
22. Mr. Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures are being taken to combat fuel poverty among pensioners. [19163]
Mr. McCartney: We have just published our Fuel Poverty Strategy. Measures which will help pensioners in particular include maintaining the winter fuel payment at £200 for the rest of this Parliament, improvements to the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme, and the introduction of pension credit from 2003.
The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme provides grants of up to £2,000 for comprehensive packages of insulation and heating improvements, including central heating systems for the over-60s.
Pensioners (Benefits)
24. Kali Mountford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to ensure pensioners who have savings for their retirement do not lose entitlement to benefits. [19165]
Mr. McCartney: I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's oral statement on 28 November.
We have already raised the capital limits for pensioners in the Minimum Income Guarantee. When Pension Credit is introduced we will abolish the rule which excludes pensioners with £12,000 or more in savings from any help and halve the current assumed rate of income. In addition,
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for the first time, we will reward—not penalise—savings, ensuring those who have worked hard to save modest amounts gain from having done so.
27. Mr. McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to help pensioners claim the benefits to which they are entitled. [19168]
Mr. McCartney: We are always concerned to ensure that those eligible for the receipt of benefits can achieve their legal entitlements and we are particularly concerned to ensure that the poorest among our pensioners have their entitlement increased to reach the Minimum Income Guarantee.
That is why we launched a national take up campaign in May 2000 writing to 2 million pensioners informing them about MIG. We are following this up and from 15 October 2001 callers to the Retirement Pension telecentre who are not already receiving MIG are asked a series of questions to identify if they may be entitled and encouraged to claim if they wish to do so. Those pensioners who claim Retirement Pension by post are sent a MIG leaflet.
We are looking at a number of options to extend this service so that a claim to MIG will be invited automatically following certain key life events, for example when the pensioner reaches age 75 or 80 or when another benefit such as Attendance Allowance is awarded.
We are also working in partnership with organisations for older people to improve access to benefits and take up of the MIG. This includes projects on a national good practice guide and a survey of local take up initiatives.
New Deal
28. Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the impact that the new deal 50-plus has had on getting older people back into work. [19169]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: We are committed to the principle of extending opportunity for all to everyone regardless of age, and tackling age discrimination in the workplace. A key element of this is the New Deal 50 plus which has already helped over 50,000 people move into work since its national launch in April 2000.
We are developing 3rd Age Apprenticeships to increase take up of the New Deal 50 plus training provision, and employer involvement in the programme. These will offer work-based training organised on a sectoral basis, making using of existing New Deal 50 plus funding arrangements, particularly the Training Grant.
The ongoing AgePositive campaign is challenging workplace attitudes towards age, ensuring employers realise the benefits of employing an age diverse workforce. On 3 December the campaign launched both a new AgePositive website and research studies, including the Evaluation of the Impact of the Code of Practice and Good Practice in the Recruitment and Retention of Older Workers.
36. Mr. Plaskitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with employers on the new deal. [19177]
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Mr. Nicholas Brown: Since June of this year we have met with key employer organisations and many individual employers. Their input is central to the development of our employment policies and to ensuring that our employment programmes meet local labour market needs and employers' recruitment needs.
We have also created the National Employment Panel to ensure that employers, and other key customers, have a strong and permanent voice within the Department. The Panel is an employer-led body that will provide independent advice on the design, delivery and performance of our welfare to work initiatives.
Employers have a central role to play in achieving our goal of creating and sustaining employment opportunities for all.
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training is given to New Deal personal advisers in respect of the new deal 50 plus. [15842]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: All personal advisers receive training in interviewing, influencing and motivational skills; effective communication and interpersonal skills; awareness of the diversity of clients and their particular needs. They are also trained in practical skills such as how to conduct In Work benefit calculations, knowledge of the local labour market and ES programmes and services. In addition to this generic training detailed guidance is available on the new deal 50 plus process through the ESCOM computer system which is accessible to advisers in Jobcentres. An Open Learning handbook has also been produced for use by advisers to support the Age Diversity initiative. This contains a section addressing specific new deal 50 plus issues.
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on (a) the number of participants in the new deal for over-50 from Tynemouth constituency in the last 12 months, (b) the destination of people leaving the scheme and (c) the cost involved. [17991]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The new deal 50-plus blend of personal advice, jobsearch help and in-work financial support has proved very successful at helping people over 50 move off benefits and back into work.
The only measurement of participation in the programme is the number of those who move into work and claim the programme's in-work financial support, the Employment Credit. 92 people went into work with the help of the Employment Credit from Whitley Bay and North Shields Jobcentres, between October 2000 and September 2001. Others will have benefited from the advice and help available from personal advisers.
The Employment Credit wage top up is paid at £60 per week for full-time work (maximum £3,120) and £40 for part-time work (maximum £2,080), for up to 12 months. In addition, each individual in receipt of the Employment Credit is eligible for a £750 in-work Training Grant.
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Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have entered the new deal gateway (a) once, (b) twice and (c) three times or more in the Buckingham constituency in respect of the (i) new deal for young people, (ii) new deal for 25-plus, (iii) new deal for 50-plus and (iv) new deal for lone parents. [17851]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: For new deal for young people, there had been 101 starts on the programme in Buckingham constituency to the end of September 2001. Of these, three young people had entered twice and none had entered three or more times.
For new deal for 25-plus, there had been 149 starts on the programme in Buckingham constituency to the end of September 2001. Of these, 16 people had entered twice and four had entered three or more times.
The new deal for lone parents and new deal 50-plus do not have gateways.
- Source:
- New Deal Evaluation Database
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have entered the new deal gateway (a) once, (b) twice and (c) three times or more in Arundel and South Downs in respect of the (i) new deal for young people, (ii) new deal for 25-plus, (iii) new deal for 50-plus and (iv) new deal for lone parents. [18316]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: For new deal for young people, there were 129 starts on the programme in Arundel and South Downs constituency to the end of September 2001. Of these, 10 young people had entered twice and none had entered three or more times.
For new deal for 25-plus, there were 89 starts on the programme in Arundel and South Downs constituency to the end of September 2001. Of these, nine people had entered twice and three had entered three or more times.
The new deal for lone parents and new deal 50-plus do not have gateways.
- Source:
- New Deal Evaluation Database
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) long-term unemployed and (b) lone parents have gained (i) subsidised and (ii) unsubsidised employment under the New Deal scheme in Wiltshire. [18409]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Up to the end of September 2001, the New Deal 25 plus had helped 58 long-term unemployed people move into subsidised employment and 412 into unsubsidised employment in Wiltshire Employment Service District.
Up to the end of August 2001, the New Deal for Lone Parents had helped 798 lone parents move into work in Wiltshire Employment Service District. Subsidised employment is not a feature of the New Deal for Lone Parents programme.
- Source:
- New Deal Evaluation Database
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Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people on the New Deal for Young People in Arundel and South Downs have joined (a) the subsidised employment option, (b) the environmental task force option, (c) the voluntary sector option and (d) the full-time education or training option in each year since its inception. [18315]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The information is in the table.
| Number of young people starting NDYP options in Arundel and South Downs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subsidised employment | Environment task force | Voluntary sector | Full-time education and training | |
| 1998 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 1999 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 2001(18) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 11 | 2 | 6 | 17 |
(18) To end September
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) long-term unemployed and (b) lone parents have undertaken training under the New Deal scheme in Wiltshire. [18408]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Up to the end of September 2001, 17 people had started education and training opportunities under the New Deal 25 plus in the Wiltshire Employment Service District.
Up to the end of August 2001, 102 lone parents had taken up education and training opportunities under the New Deal for Lone Parents in the Wiltshire Employment Service District.
- Source:
- New Deal Evaluation Database
Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to monitor the effectiveness of the New Deal for Lone Parents. [19147]
Malcolm Wicks: The results of the New Deal for Lone Parents programme are published every month. These show that we have helped lone parents into over 127,000 jobs through this New Deal.
Extensive evaluation of the programme is being conducted and new items of research are published as they are completed. We expect to publish a report, bringing together findings from all strands of the evaluation, in 2003.
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on (a) the number of participants in the new deal for young people from Tynemouth constituency in the last 12 months, (b) the destination of people leaving the scheme and (c) the cost involved. [17992]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The available information is in the tables.
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| Month | Number of new deal for young people participants |
|---|---|
| October 2000 | 240 |
| November 2000 | 236 |
| December 2000 | 231 |
| January 2001 | 246 |
| February 2001 | 245 |
| March 2001 | 255 |
| April 2001 | 259 |
| May 2001 | 255 |
| June 2001 | 245 |
| July 2001 | 239 |
| August 2001 | 237 |
| September 2001 | 220 |
Note:
Figures are the number of participants at the end of each month and are the latest available. The figures are not cumulative.
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database
| Destination on leaving the new deal for young people | Number of clients |
|---|---|
| Unsubsidised employment | 471 |
| Other benefits | 107 |
| Other known destinations | 214 |
| Not known | 285 |
| Total leavers | 1,077 |
Note:
Figures are cumulative to the end of September 2001.
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database
Estimates of the cost of the programme are not available at constituency level.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people on the new deal for young people in the Buckingham constituency have joined (a) for subsidised employment, (b) the Environmental task force, (c) the voluntary sector and (d) the full-time education or training option in each year since its operation. [17850]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The information is in the table.
| Year | Subsidised employment | Environment task force | Voluntary sector | Full time education and training |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 1999 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 2000 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 2001(19) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 5 | 6 | 13 | 5 |
(19) To end September
Source:
New Deal Evaluation Database
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