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Jobcentre Plus

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his plans are for Jobcentre Plus for over 50s; and how much his Department has committed to the programme. [163016]

Mr. Browne: Our Pensions Green Paper 'Simplicity, Security and Choice: Working and Saving for Retirement' reinforced our commitment to extend employment opportunities for older people, with a range of proposals including providing extra back to work help for the over 50s and a number of changes to tax and pension rules which will give individuals more choice and the opportunity to stay in work longer. We have also pledged to tackle age discrimination in the workplace and will be introducing age legislation and guidance covering employment and vocational training by October 2006.

Through Jobcentre Plus we have enhanced the New Deal 50plus programme to offer customers a package of help tailored to individual needs. This includes personal job-search advice, pre-work training, work trials, volunteering opportunities and an in-work training grant. This help is available to all people aged 50 and over (and their dependent partners aged 50 and over) who have been on specified benefits such as Jobseekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit and Pension Credit for six months or more.

The projected expenditure for New Deal 50plus in 2003–04 is £56 million. Back to work help is also available to people aged 50 or over through other programmes, for example New Deal 25plus and Work Based Learning for Adults. The cost of this help is not available separately of wider programme budgets. Additionally, we have allocated £7.9 million in 2004–05 and £7.2 million in 2005–06 to fund new measures to assist people aged 50 and over back to work (as announced in the pre-Budget report) and a campaign to encourage employers to recruit and retain older workers (as announced in the 2004 Budget).

From April 2004 we will be piloting two of the back to work help proposals outlined in the Green Paper. The Over 50s Outreach pilot involves external organisations acting as an intermediary between Jobcentre Plus and the customer. Research has indicated that contact from Jobcentre Plus can concern people aged over 50, particularly those on inactive benefits such as Incapacity Benefit, Income Support and Severe Disablement Allowance. This project is aimed at identifying best practice to help Jobcentre Plus better engage with these customers.

We are also running a pilot study giving customers aged 50 to 59, who have been claiming JSA for 18 months, mandatory Intensive Activity Periods as part of their ND25plus programme. Customers aged 25 to 49 are already required to participate in this element of the ND25plus programme because it offers them extensive help back into work. Eligible customers aged 50 to 59 currently have voluntary access to this provision but only 12 per cent. take up the opportunity. Research suggests that this lack of take up may be due to

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individuals losing confidence and becoming demoralised about their chances of returning to work. We believe that participation in the Intensive Activity Periods is a key element in re-motivating people aged 50 to 59 years old and giving them the relevant support and employment opportunities they need.

In addition to this, the IB Reform pilots are looking at how we can best provide the support needed to help new incapacity benefit customers return to work. Given the positive start to the pilots, and the fact that many of those existing customers volunteering to take part have been successfully helped back into jobs, a tailored regime will be introduced early in 2005 for all existing IB customers who started their claim in the two years prior to the beginning of the IB Reform Pilots.

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether Jobcentre Plus advisers receive additional payments for keeping clients with disabilities in work; and if he will make a statement. [163697]

Mr. Browne: Jobcentre Plus advisers, in common with other DWP staff, receive a basic salary and have the opportunity to earn a performance-related bonus on top. In the 2003 pay award those bonuses were up to £220 for Band C staff in Jobcentre Plus, which included personal advisers. The amount of bonus was determined by the "box marking" an individual received in their annual appraisal, which depended on achievement of their objectives. These objectives would have covered the full range of their duties.

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will list the functions (a) of job centres and (b) of Jobcentre Plus centres; [162212]

(2) if he will list the functions (a) of job centres and (b) of Jobcentre Plus centres in (i) Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and (ii) Ayrshire and Bute, showing for each at the last date for which information is available (A) the number of jobseeker's allowance customers registered at each, (B) the number of income support and incapacity benefit customers registered at each, (C) the number of customers at each in the specialist disability adviser's caseload and (D) the number of customers expected to be seen for incapacity benefit once the new regulations take effect. [162215]

Mr. Browne [holding answer 18 March 2004]:The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from David Anderson to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 1 April 2004:

As Jobcentre Plus is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply direct to your question about the functions of Jobcentres and Jobcentre Plus centres generally and in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Ayrshire and Bute in particular. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

Jobcentre Plus came into existence as a national organisation at the beginning of April 2002 and the roll-out of its new services will be completed by 2006. The Benefits Agency and Employment Service ceased to exist at the same time. Some 400 Jobcentre Plus offices are now delivering the new integrated service across the country.

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In broad terms, Jobcentres, formerly operated by the Employment Service, have traditionally provided the following services:

1. taking new claims to Jobseeker's Allowance;

2. providing support for jobseekers through New Deal;

3. providing access to job vacancies through touch-screen Jobpoints

4. Fortnightly Jobsearch Reviews and adviser interventions, supporting jobsearch and checking entitlement to benefit;

5. providing advice and guidance services in the community through outreach and building local partnerships; and

6. signposting to other Government services.

Social security offices, formerly operated by the Benefits Agency, have traditionally provided the following services:

1. receiving and processing claims for a wide range of benefits;

2. managing applications to the Social Fund;

3. providing advice and information on benefits and allowances;

4. investigating cases of suspected fraud, taking action where appropriate; and

5. signposting to other Government services.

The new Jobcentre Plus offices deliver an integrated service incorporating those functions previously delivered through Jobcentres and social security offices. New technology and a growing contact centre network, support the delivery of this new service. As Jobcentre Plus offices are introduced across the country people of working age will have one local contact point for benefits and job vacancies.

With Jobcentre Plus roll-out spread over four years, local managers have had some flexibility to begin the integration of local services ahead of the full implementation. In some locations this might take the form of social security experts providing benefit advice in Jobcentres and, conversely, provision of some access to job vacancies in social security offices. Where we have done this it has improved access to local services, but at the same time it has blurred the distinction between Jobcentres and social security offices.

The new Jobcentre Plus service is currently being rolled out in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Ayrshire is currently scheduled to roll-out the new service in 2005–06 and Bute has been delivering the new service since 17 March 2003.

You asked for specific information on; (a) the number of Jobseeker's Allowance customers registered at each; (b) the number of Income Support and Incapacity Benefit customers registered at each; (c) the number of customers at each in the specialist Disability Adviser's caseload; and (d) the number of customers expected to be seen for Incapacity Benefit once the new regulations take effect. Current information up to the end of February can be found in the following tables.

Ayrshire and Bute

Office	Number of JSA Customers Registered	Number of IS and IB Customers Registered	Number of Disability Employment Advisors Caseload Customers	Number of IB Customers to be seen when the IB Reform Pilot takes effect (20)
Rothesay Jobcentre Plus (JCP)	202	825	4	6
Ayr Jobcentre (JC)	2,200	0	80	0
Ayr Social Security Office (SSO)	0	16,782	0	0
Cumnock JC	798	0	6	0
Cumnock SSO	0	688	0	0
Girvan JC	270	0	17	0
Irvine JC	1,396	0	68	0
Irvine SSO	0	17,471	0	0
Kilbirnie JC	550	0	15	0
Kilmamock JC	2,204	0	77	0
Kilmarnock SSO	0	10,478	0	0
Kilwinning JC	750	0	15	0
Largs JC	260	0	6	0
Saltcoats JC	1420	0	38	0
Troon JC	244	0	6	0
Total	10,294	46,244	332	6

⁽²⁰⁾ Rothesay Jobcentre Plus covers the Isle of Bute and is part of the IB Reform Pilot. Weekly figure provided.

Source:

Jobcentre Plus Management Information System Programme.

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I hope this is helpful.

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