Previous Section Index Home Page

20 Jul 2004 : Column 150W—continued

Jobseeker's Allowance (Havering)

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in Havering in each year since 2000. [184249]

Mr. Pond: The information is in the table.
People claiming Job Seekers Allowance in Havering local authority area

Number of people claiming
May 20002,934
May 20012,241
May 20022,346
May 20032,593
May 20042,444




Notes:
1. Information related to all Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants, and will include both those receiving contribution-based JSA, income-based JSA, and claimants not receiving JSA but signing for national insurance credits only.
2. Information is based on a 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits.
Source:
Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems.



Employment Tribunals

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases against his Department, the agencies for which it is responsible and its predecessor organisations have been brought to employment tribunals in each year since 1997 in relation to (a) equal pay, (b) sex discrimination, (c) race discrimination, (d) disability discrimination and (e) unfair dismissal; how many cost awards were made against (i) respondents and (ii) applicants; and how much has been spent (A) settling and (B) contesting claims. [181469]

Maria Eagle: The available information is in the tables.
Table A—legal services provided to the former Employment Service and Jobcentre Plus by private sector law firm

19971998199920002001200220032004
Number of cases
Equal pay10001110
Sex discrimination612986441
Race discrimination528105230
Disability discrimination91414272022187
Unfair dismissal00610713118
Number of cost awards
Against respondent241114
Against applicant
Costs
Settling121,500.0043,580.0094,291.0096,277.95
Contesting114,728.26219,312.39190,883.69284,339.38460,693.75290,394.51334,085.94131,064.09

 
20 Jul 2004 : Column 151W
 

Table B—legal services provided to DWP by Government Solicitors

2000–012001–022002–032003–04
Number of cases
Disability discrimination42
Race discrimination26
Sex discrimination32
Unfair dismissal63
Other33
Total number of cases10981104196
Counsel fees162,315104,493267,303247,603

Two sets of figures are provided above due to the merger in 2002 of the Employment Service with the Benefits Agency to form Jobcentre Plus, a business unit of the Department for Work and Pensions. Prior to the merger, legal services on employment law matters were provided to the Employment Service by a private firm of solicitors—who remain the legal service provider for Jobcentre Plus. These figures are provided in Table A.

Table B represents the employment law statistics for cases conducted by departmental solicitors, who dealt with all employment litigation cases on behalf of the former BA, CSA, Pensions Service and DCS and other DWP agencies. Where the table is incomplete, information is not readily available and it would involve disproportionate cost to the Department to collate these figures. In particular, information on the costs of settling cases was not collected by the Department, nor was information collated, prior to 2003, on the specific types of case against the Department.

Hospital Downrating Rules

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value in cash terms was of reducing each benefit affected by the hospital downrating rules in each of the last seven years. [184672]

Mr. Pond: The information requested is not available.

Jobcentre Plus

Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the running costs, including staffing costs, of Jobcentre Plus centres were in each year since 1997; and how many people were employed in centres in each year. [182164]

Jane Kennedy: 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. Simmonds, dated 20 July 2004:


Year ended
31 March
(for financial
figures)
Total staff at 30 April (WTE)Staff costs (£000)Other administration costs (£000)Total gross administration costs (£000)
199731,550
199830,796
199932,675
200032,620
200134,110
2002(3)85,020
200380,1701,712,1111,254,1312,996,242
200479,2341,669,7661,384,0153,023,303


(3) Staff numbers increase from 2001 to 2002 due to the merger of the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service
Source:
Cabinet Office Statistics website for Headcount.
Latest draft of the 31 March 2004 accounts for financial figures.




 
20 Jul 2004 : Column 152W
 


£ million
Areas of expenditure impacted by Jobcentre Plus Implementation Project+71
Increased accommodation costs+22
Increased use of corporate IT services+22
Reduced income from other agencies as less project/ non-project work carried out on their behalf+59
Expenditure relating to a contract for provision of IT services has been absorbed by DWP-40
Total+134

Attendance Allowance

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 16 June 2004, Official Report, column 1018W, on attendance allowance, how many attendance allowance claims in Scotland have been subject to appeal since February 2002, broken down by (a) disability benefit centre and (b) month. [183264]

Maria Eagle: The information required is set out in the following tables. Total numbers of attendance allowance cases in payment in Scotland, at February 2004 and February 2004 are included in a subsequent table.
 
20 Jul 2004 : Column 153W
 

Attendance allowance appeals in Scotland, for Glasgow Disability Benefit Centre and the period February 2002 to May 2004 by month

MonthLodged 1Received 2Cleared at hearingCleared in favourCleared againstCleared upheldCleared othersAdjournedPostponed
2002
February130135105504553520
March100100130606553520
April1208512575502015
May12090120704553025
June1109580453552515
July1151008545352020
August11011090553052525
September8512585503052030
October1101407545303020
November130858550352515
December801157040302010
2003
January12095140756053525
February959595504552015
March95907540352010
April806590454053010
May10012080354052010
June100100100405553010
July100959545502015
August115807035302510
September8011585454052515
October12512090503552510
November1158580354051510
December80755520305205
2004
January851158040355255
February80115753540255
March11512595504552510
April45110652540255
May556520540355
Total2,7402,8302,4901,26551,13590710390

Attendance allowance appeals in Scotland, for Edinburgh Disability Benefit Centre and the period February 2002 to May 2004 by month

MonthLodged 1Received 2Cleared at hearingCleared in favourCleared againstCleared upheldCleared othersAdjournedPostponed
2002
February404050203055
March6045552030555
April405535152055
May553555253010
June405025101555
July4555251510510
August354530151555
September404030102055
October455535151555
November453030151055
December25253015155
2003
January303030102055
February454520101055
March3035301515510
April403020515
May65253010205
June556035151555
July50402010105
August5555301515
September5040402020105
October40603015155
November5555351025155
December45452515105
2004
January354545202555
February35353010205
March3020402020510
April251530151510
May7520515105
Total1,1501,17590539049520140120




'—' denotes data equal to nil or negligible.
(4) An appeal is lodged with the first tier agency. This may bring about a reconsideration by the decision maker. When the first tier agency receives this application, this is called the lodgement date.
(5) When an appeal is sent to the Appeals Service for them to action, this is the received date.
Appeals data notes:
1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data becomes available.
2. The whole of Scotland is covered by Glasgow and Edinburgh Disability Benefits Centres figures for the latest months may rise significantly as information feeds through to the Appeals Service.
3. Figures are rounded to the nearest five and may not sum.




 
20 Jul 2004 : Column 155W
 

Attendance allowance in payment within Scotland, February 2002 and 2004

Attendance allowance in payment
February 2002129,200
February 2004134,600




Attendance allowance data notes:
1. Cases where payment of benefit has been suspended are excluded.
2. February 2002 figure taken from a 5 per cent. sample at 28 February 2004.
February 2004 figure taken from a 5 per cent. sample at 29 February 2004.
3. From November 2002, the methodology for producing these figures was changed to allow statistics to be published much sooner. This has resulted in a small increase in the reported case load. This is because some cases which have actually terminated but have not yet been updated on the computer system are now included.
4. May 2004 are unavailable, as yet unreleased.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.




Next Section Index Home Page