| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
26 Feb 2003 : Column 603W—continued
Pensions
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employers have informed him that they are willing to co-operate with his Department in issuing combined pension forecasts to their employees. [98518]
Mr. McCartney: The combined pensions forecasting service is open to employers and pension providers. We do not collect information on employers as a distinct group. Currently, 426 private sector pension schemes have expressed an interest in using the combined pension forecasting service. Plans progress to increase take-up, but this is very much dependant on private sector partners' willingness to participate in this voluntary service. We sought views on how to increase coverage, whether on a voluntary or compulsory
26 Feb 2003 : Column 604W
basis, in our recent Green Paper, "Simplicity, Security and Choice: Working and Saving for Retirement" (Cm5677).
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of minimum income guarantee claimants who would cease to be eligible if the basic state pension was increased by (a) £5 per week for those below 75, (b) £10 per week for those aged 75–79 and (c) £15 per week for those aged 80 and above, with the additions for those aged over 75 and over 80 being paid in full regardless of contribution record. [97379]
Mr. McCartney: We estimate that around 350,000 benefit units could cease to be eligible for the Pension Credit if the maximum rate payable of the basic State Pension was increased by £5 per week and age additions of £5 per week were payable for those aged 75 and over and £10 per week for those aged 80 and over in 2003–04.
- Notes:
- 1. The estimate is based on the Department for Work and Pensions Policy Simulation Model for 2003–04.
- 2. Calculations assume the maximum rate payable of the Basic State Pension is increased by £5 per week and all other payments proportionately and that age additions of £5 per week are paid to all those aged 75–79 and £10 per week to those aged 80 and over.
- 3. For modelling purposes, Pension Credit is assumed to be in place throughout 2003–04. In fact, Pension Credit will begin in October 2003.
- 4. The estimate excludes those individuals living in residential care homes.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the issue of state pension forecasts; in what sequence different groups will be issued with such forecasts and over what timescale; how many such forecasts he expects to issue for each group; and if he will make a statement. [98519]
Mr. McCartney: State pension forecast information is issued to customers either directly, or via their pension scheme provider as part of a combined pension forecast.
The combined pension forecasting service was launched in October 2001 and to date 426 providers have expressed an interest in using the service. Plans progress to increase take-up but this is very much dependant on private sector partners willingness to participate in this voluntary scheme. We sought views on how to increase coverage, whether on a voluntary or compulsory basis, in our recent Green Paper Simplicity, security and choice: Working and saving for retirement.
State Pension forecasts have been issued to individuals by DWP on request for a number of years. The Department expects to issue around 0.75 million such forecasts in this financial year.
The Green Paper also announced that from May 2003, the Department will commence the automatic issue of State Pension forecasts and supporting
26 Feb 2003 : Column 605W
information to the self-employed with a view to extending this service across the rest of the working-age population over the next five years. We will evaluate the self-employed exercise and alongside other research this will inform the sequencing and volumes of other automatic forecasts.
Work-focused Interviews
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many (a) income support, (b) incapacity benefit, (c) invalid care allowance, (d) bereavement benefit and (e) severe disablement allowance claimants have had (i) a new claim refused as a result of work focused interview non-attendance and (ii) benefit reduced as a result of failure to attend a repeat work-focused interview, under the Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2001; [93917]
26 Feb 2003 : Column 606W
- (2) what percentage of (a) income support, (b) incapacity benefit, (c) invalid care allowance, (d) bereavement benefit and (e) severe disablement (i) new claimants in Jobcentre Plus areas have had a claim refused as a result of work focused interview non-attendance and (ii) existing caseload claimants in Jobcentre Plus areas have had their benefit reduced as a result of failure to attend a repeat-work focused interview, under the Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interview) Regulations 2001. [93919]
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit claimants have had their benefit entitlement reduced because they have failed to attend a compulsory Jobcentre Plus work-focused interview. [95238]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available, from the 56 Jobcentre Plus Pathfinder offices, is in the table.
| Benefit type | Number of initial work focused meetings (WFM) booked | Number of claims not pursued(23) (percentage of WFM booked) | Trigger meetings booked(24) | Customers sanctioned (percentage of trigger meetings booked) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income Support | 11,403 | 32 (0.3) | 672 | 53 (7.9) |
| Incapacity Benefit/ Severe Disablement Allowance(25) | 16,877 | 127 (0.8) | 48 | 0 (0) |
| Invalid Care Allowance | 1,900 | 9 (0.5) | 5 | 0 (0) |
| Bereavement Benefit | 82 | 0 (0) | 2 | 0 (0) |
(23) LMS does not distinguish between those claims not pursued because of failure to attend a work-focused interview and those not pursued for other reasons, eg found other work, sickness, withdrew claim.
(24) Trigger meetings occur after either a specific period of time (eg three years for Incapacity Benefit customers) or when a specified event occurs (eg starting part time work). With Jobcentre Plus Pathfinders only opening in October 2001 very few Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Invalid Care Allowance or Bereavement Benefit recipients have been called for a trigger meeting so far.
(25) LMS does not have separate data on Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance claims.
Source:
Labour Market System (LMS)
Youth Unemployment
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what measures are being taken to reduce youth unemployment in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) the UK; [96377]
- (2) what assessment his Department has made of the effect the New Deal has had on youth unemployment in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) the UK. [96378]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Since 1997, youth unemployment has fallen by a third in Jarrow and South Tyneside, by nearly 40 per cent. in Tyne and Wear and by 47 per cent. in the UK. Over the same period, long-term (over six months) youth unemployment has been cut by 86 per cent. in Jarrow and by around 80 per cent. in south Tyneside, Tyne and Wear and the UK.
In 1998 we introduced the New Deal for Young People to tackle the waste of long-term youth unemployment. The programme has played an important part in the massive reductions in long-term unemployment among young people across the country. Almost 400,000 young people have moved into work through the New Deal. Independent research found that the number of young people unemployed for six months or more would be twice as high without the New Deal.
The New Deal has been successful in the north-east of England. By the end of September 2002, in Tyne and Wear, 13,880 young people had moved from welfare into work through the New Deal, 2,390 in south Tyneside, and 1,070 in Jarrow.
We are building on the achievements of the New Deal. Early last year, we started tailored pathway pilots, including one in Wearside, to help young people use the New Deal Options more flexibly and move into sustained jobs. In 2002 we launched StepUp in 20 pilot areas, including Sunderland, to provide transitional jobs for people who have not secured sustained jobs through New Deal. We have introduced progress2work to provide additional support to help unemployed drug misusers into work. The initiative is already up and running in Newcastle, and will be starting in Sunderland very shortly, and will be rolled out across the country later this year. We have also developed ambition initiatives to help unemployed people gain the right skills to meet the needs of employers in key sectors. One such initiative for the retail sector is operating in Gateshead. We are introducing progress2work-LinkUP to help those facing the greatest disadvantages in the
26 Feb 2003 : Column 607W
labour market, including ex-offenders, homeless people and recovering alcohol misusers. One of the pilots will start in south Tyneside later this year. These initiatives are ensuring that all young people, even those who face great disadvantages in the labour market or who live in the most deprived areas, are given the help and support they need to gain independence through moving from welfare to work.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |