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22 Feb 2005 : Column 612W—continued
Jobseekers (Nairn)
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals in the Nairn Jobcentre area are (a) in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and (b) required to sign on in person. [216580]
Jane Kennedy: As at December 2004 there were 174 jobseekers allowance claims in Nairn Jobcentre Plus Office including clerically held cases. There is one postal case, all others are required to attend in person.
However, it should be noted that in the period from 29 November 2004 to 8 April 2005, Nairn is piloting alternative methods to the current Fortnightly Jobsearch Review. Customers' participation in the pilot is voluntary and, for the 20 or so involved at any one time, less frequent attendance in person is allowed.
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider the Nairn and District area for a future telephone pilot project for jobseeker's allowance. [216581]
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. David Stewart, dated 22 February 2005:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question on whether Nairn and District Area can be considered for a future telephone pilot for Jobseeker's Allowance. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
I should explain that our Highland, Islands & Clyde Coast District, which includes Nairn, has 3 current pilots testing variations, including use of telephony, to the existing Fortnightly Jobsearch Review. Nairn is among the selected pilot locations along with Inverness, Buckie and Clydebank. Customer participation is voluntary and the position in Nairn is that about 20 customers are involved at any one time with 6 or 7 joining or leaving in a typical week.
The pilots aim to assess the impact alternatives to the current Fortnightly Jobsearch Review, such as maintaining contact by telephone and less frequent attendance in person, have on our core activity of helping people back into work. The pilots began in Inverness, Buckie and Clydebank on 11 October 2004 and in Nairn on 29 November 2004. A full evaluation of the outcomes, including whether the arrangements are suitable for wider implementation, will be carried out after the pilots end on 8 April 2005. At this stage I cannot confirm whether Nairn and District Area will continue with the pilot after 8 April 2005. I have asked the Manager for the Highland, Islands and Clyde Coast District to keep you informed.
Ministerial Stationery
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on official ministerial (a) business cards, (b) headed paper and (c) compliment slips in each year since 1997. [214945]
Maria Eagle:
The Department's accounting systems cannot differentiate the cost of official ministerial business cards, headed paper and compliment slips from other printing and stationery costs.
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All expenditure incurred in the purchase of ministerial stationery is made in accordance with the departmental guidance on financial procedures and proprietary based on the principles set out in Government Accounting.
Mobile Phones
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of staff mobile phone bills was in each year since 1997. [214892]
Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 13 January 2005, Official Report, column 624W.
National Insurance Numbers
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Workand Pensions (1) how many national insurancenumbers have been issued to (a) non-British EU citizens and (b) non-EU citizens in each month since January 2004; [214005]
(2) how many national insurance numbers have beenissued to British citizens in each month since January 2004. [214006]
Mr. Pond: Annually, DWP receive from Inland Revenue's National Insurance Recording System a breakdown of overseas nationals entering the UKallocated a National Insurance Number. The latest information we have is up to and including May 2004 and is in the table.
Notes:
1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2.Allocations to Accession Country nationals are included as non-EU between January-April, then EU from May.
3.Not all National Insurance Numbers allocated by DWP are registered on NIRS2 e.g those allocated to pensioners.
4.Details from June 2004 to May 2005 are not yet available.
Source:
Supplied to DWP by Inland Revenue from the National Insurance Recording System (NIRS2)
Most citizens born in the United Kingdom receive their National Insurance Number (NINO) automatically at age 15-years and nine months through a link with the Inland Revenue Child Benefit system. Approximately 700,000 NINOs are allocated each year through this process.
Pensions
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of pension credit receive the severe disability amount; and what proportion they represent of all pension credit recipients. [216761]
Maria Eagle: At 31 August 2004, the most recent date for which this figure is available, approximately 584,600 households in receipt of pension credit in Great Britain, comprising 625,800 individuals, were in receipt of the extra amount payable to those with severe disability. These figures represent 22.4 per cent. of the total number of households in receipt of pension credit at that date and 19.8 per cent. of the corresponding number of individuals.
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners are (a) in receipt of carer's allowance and (b) have an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance; and what proportion each represents of all pensioners. [216762]
Maria Eagle:
The requested information is in the table.
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Notes:
1.State pension age is currently 60 for females and 65 for males.
2.CA is paid in full to people of state pension age who do not have a state pension or at a reduced top up" rate where state pension is paid at a lower weekly rate than CA. CA is not paid where the weekly rate of state pension equals or exceeds the weekly rate of CA. Such cases are known as underlying entitlement" cases.
3.The percentages of pensioner population have been calculated using ONS mid 2003 population estimates for males aged 65 and over and females aged 60 and over in GB.
Source:
IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and percentages to one decimal place.
22 Feb 2005 : Column 616W
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of pension credit are (a) in receipt of carer's allowance and (b) have an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance; how many receive the carer's allowance; and what proportion they represents of all recipients in each case. [216763]
Maria Eagle: The information is given in the table. At 31 August 2004 there were a total of 429,600 recipients of carer's allowance.
Notes:
1.Data has been taken as at August 2004, the latest date for which the relevant carer's allowance figures are available.
2.Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
3.Figures for households in receipt of pension credit also in receipt of or with underlying entitlement to carer's allowance (i.e. the figures in the second column) exclude cases where the person to whom the pension credit award has been made is not the same as the person to whom the award of carers allowance has been made (i.e. where the partner of the pension credit recipient is in receipt of or with underlying entitlement to carer's allowance).
4.Individual recipients may include a small number of partners under the age of 60.
5.Carer's allowance is paid to people of state pension age where there is no entitlement to state pension or where state pension is paid at a lower rate than carer's allowance. If a low state pension is paid, a reduced rate of carer's allowance will be paid as a top-up.
6.Carer's allowance is not paid where the weekly rate of state pension equals or exceeds the weekly rate of carer's allowance. Such cases are known as underlying entitlement" cases.
Source :
IAD Information Directorate, 100 per cent. sample.
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