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14 Apr 2003 : Column 637W—continued
Benefits
Mr. Howard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the take-up rate has been by (a) caseload and (b) expenditure for (i) income support, (ii) the minimum income guarantee, (iii) housing benefit, (iv) council tax benefit and (v) jobseeker's allowance for the Folkestone and Hythe constituency in each year of their operation. [108463]
Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available at constituency level.
The latest estimates of take-up of income related benefits for Great Britain are in the DWP report "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up 2000/2001". A copy of the report is available in the Library.
National Insurance Numbers
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the authorised uses of the national insurance number are; whether the use of the national insurance number for non-tax or non-benefit related purposes is permitted; if he will bring forward legislation to prevent the use of the number for non-tax or non-benefit related purposes; and if he will make a statement. [104520]
Malcolm Wicks: The National Insurance number is an internal system index number used by Inland Revenue to record and reconcile tax and National Insurance, and by the Department of Work and Pensions to pay social security benefits and pensions. National Insurance number policy is the joint responsibility of DWP and Inland Revenue.
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Any exchange of information is governed by the terms of the 1998 Data Protection Act. Under certain, limited, circumstances, the national insurance number can be used for other cross-government, public interest purposes. A full list of authorised users of the National Insurance Number for non-tax or benefit purposes will be placed in the Library.
We have no plans to change the legislation relating to the use of National Insurance numbers.
Silicosis
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the extent of industrial lung disease, silicosis, among steelworkers; and if he will make a statement. [109229]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: From reports provided by chest and occupational physicians participating in the Health and Safety Executive—funded Health and Occupation Reporting scheme (THOR), it is estimated that iron and steel industry workers accounted for an estimated 12 new cases per year of silicosis between 1996 and 2001.
Over a similar period, the Department for Work and Pensions' Industrial Injuries Scheme assessed an average of seven new claims per year by iron and steel workers seeking compensation for work-related pneumoconiosis, of which silica is the most likely causative agent.
Child Care
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of state for Work Pensions what guidance has been given to Jobcentre Plus staff on the collection and provision of information on childcare provision for parents who are seeking employment. [108726]
Mr. Nicholas Brown: Childcare Partnership Managers are being introduced into every Jobcentre Plus District. They will ensure that advisers have access to the latest information about local childcare provision, and will work with childcare organisations to increase childcare provision to meet the needs of parents who want to work.
Advancement Demonstration Programme
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) pursuant to his written statement of 24 March 2003, Official Report, column 1WS, what the budget is for the Employment Retention and Advancement Demonstration Project; how this will be distributed through the six districts; what the money will be allocated for; how often the evaluation of the project will take place; how many Advancement Support Advisers there will be in each of the six districts; what training will be given to these advisers; and if he will make a statement; [105364]
- (2) pursuant to his written statement of 24 March 2003, Official Report, column 1WS, if he will list the measures to encourage retention that will qualify for a financial incentive; and if he will make a statement. [105369]
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Mr. Nicholas Brown: In October 2003 we will introduce the Employment Retention and Advancement Demonstration Project (ERAD) in six locations. The project will examine ways of helping low paid workers and people moving off benefits to stay and advance in work. ERAD services will be offered to lone parents in receipt of working tax credit working less than 30 hours per week and participants in the New Deal for Lone Parents and New Deal 25 plus.
All participants will receive one to one support from a dedicated adviser. To ensure participants receive the most appropriate support from advisers, we are currently undertaking a training-needs analysis for advisers that will enable us to develop effective training for our staff.
To encourage job retention, participants working 30 hours or more per week can be eligible for payments from the project on top of their earnings. Payments will also be available to help individuals with further training, to assist with both retention and advancement.
We are investing £30 million in ERAD over three years. The distribution of funds between the six districts has not yet been decided but will be based on projected volumes of eligible clients in each ERAD district area. The budget provides funding for the job retention and advancement incentives as well as the staff, equipment and evaluation costs of the project. The project will be comprehensively evaluated and will include research surveys after one and two years. Adviser numbers for the project are yet to be confirmed but will reflect projected client volumes in each ERAD district.
Asylum Seekers
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list (a) the benefits that may be available to asylum seekers, (b) the amounts that may be available and (c) the criteria for eligibility. [108470]
Malcolm Wicks: Since 3 April 2000 the Home Office, through the National Asylum Support Service, has been responsible for supporting and accommodating asylum seekers awaiting a decision on their asylum application.
Those asylum seekers in receipt of Department for Work and Pension benefits prior to 3 April 2000 continue to be eligible to claim income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit as long as they meet the normal conditions of entitlement for those benefits.
Income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance are paid at the urgent case rate of 90 per cent. of the adult personal allowance for the benefit recipient and any partner. The full rate of benefit is payable for any dependent children as well as any relevant premiums.
The amount of any housing benefit or council tax benefit payable is governed by the level of rent or council tax charged.
Benefit Fraud
David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures he is taking to prevent fraudulent claims of benefits. [108681]
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Malcolm Wicks: Our strategy for tackling fraud focuses on prevention by tightening the gateway to benefits, making stringent checks to verify a person's identity and details of their claim at the outset.
The Department has introduced a range of measures to strengthen the evidence of identity procedures as well as improving the security of National Insurance Numbers (NINOs). People claiming benefits, including housing benefits, and anyone they are claiming benefit for, now have a statutory obligation to prove their identity, as provided for in the Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997. This ensures that the NINOs being used belong to the people in question before any benefit is paid.
The Department introduced a Verification Framework in 1998 to help reduce the amount of fraud and error entering local authority benefit administration. The Framework provides local authorities with recommended minimum standards on the checks they must make to verify information provided by customers when assessing claims for housing benefit and council tax benefit. 80 per cent. of local authorities have so far signed up to the Framework.
The Targeting Fraud campaign is part of our long-term strategy to prevent fraud before it happens, underlining our message that benefit fraud will not be tolerated. Evaluation shows that public attitudes are moving in the right direction as a result of the campaign.
Jobcentre Plus is providing a more comprehensive and integrated service for all benefit claimants. One-to-one interviews create a personal environment where the full and accurate details of a claim can be established and customers can be reminded of their responsibility to notify us of changes to their circumstances.
We have made excellent progress in the fight against fraud and error. By March 2002 we had reduced fraud and error in income support and Jobseeker's allowance by 24 per cent. compared to 1998.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to implement the recommendations by the National Audit Office to update his Department's research into the effect of sanctions on benefit fraudsters. [109147]
Malcolm Wicks: Following recommendations in the National Audit Office report, the Department is undertaking a literature survey of the research available into the effects of sanctions. This includes scrutiny of good practices and academic research of sanctions in analogous Government Departments worldwide.
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