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12 Sept 2005 : Column 2527W—continued
Northern Way Agenda
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State forWork and Pensions what mechanisms are in place toco-ordinate Welfare to Work policies with the Northern Way agenda of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. [13437]
Mr. Plaskitt: This is an important area for partnership between DWP and the three Departments—the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, HM Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry—with responsibility for the regional economic performance PSA target. DWP has given its support to the objectives of the REP PSA and is represented on the steering group that co-ordinates government activity aimed at meeting the target.
Over 90 per cent. of local authorities in Great Britain have an employment rate above the EU average. Low employment is concentrated in a relatively small number of areas across the country, particularly in our major cities, some former industrial areas and some coastal towns, including Hartlepool.
DWP's PSA targets support the Government's wider agenda by aiming to raise employment rates, especially for groups and areas of the country that currently lag behind the national average. Central to achieving this is the work of Jobcentre Plus and programmes such as new deal, which concentrate resources on areas with concentrations of long-term unemployment and economic inactivity. In addition there are locally focused programmes such as action teams that provide additional support in particularly disadvantaged areas.
Initiatives such as the Northern Way complement this approach by providing further help and support on top of existing welfare to work policies. The Northern Way has recognised the importance of tackling the number of people on incapacity benefits. The last year has seen the numbers on these benefits nationally fall for the first time in several decades, partly through the success of Jobcentre Plus, the new deal and pathways to work. Although the improvement has been concentrated in the areas with the highest rates of benefit receipt, parts of the north-east and other regions continue to have disproportionate numbers claiming incapacity benefits.
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Part-time Study Rules
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to complete the review of the part-time study rules for jobseeker's allowance and housing benefit recipients. [12223]
Mr. Plaskitt: The review of the part-time study rules is complete. As a result of that review we will be trialling an Adult Learning Option from autumn 2006 in two or three Jobcentre Plus districts in England. The pilot will test the effectiveness of providing financial support for adult Jobcentre Plus customers whose current qualification is below Level 2 to enable them to take up a first full Level 2 qualification through Learning and Skills Council funded provision. Study will be full-time for those taking up the option. At the same time, for those on Jobseekers Allowance who do not take up the learning option, the benefit rules will be strengthened to ensure that any learning is genuinely part-time and does not interfere with job search activity.
Pathways to Work
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has been made of the effect on people of being subject to Pathways to Work related sanctions in the pilot area. [14330]
Mr. Timms: People claiming incapacity benefit in Pathways to Work areas may be sanctioned for failing to attend or take part in a work focused interview (WFI) with a Jobcentre Plus personal adviser.
As part of the evaluation of the pathways pilots the Department has commissioned studies to examine the experiences of incapacity benefit customers and personal advisers; this will include sanctions.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people on incapacity benefit in each of the Pathways to Work areas have had a work focussed interview (a) waived or (b) deferred. [14339]
Margaret Hodge: The information is in the following table:
Source:
DWP statistics
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people on incapacity benefit who are (a) mandatory and (b) voluntary participants of the Pathways to Work pilots have taken up (i) condition management programmes, (ii) new deal for disabled people, (iii) Access to Work and (iv) return to work credit. [14340]
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Mr. Plaskitt: Information on the take up of Access to Work among participants of the Pathways to Work pilots is not available. The available information is in the table.
Note:
All figures to March 2005.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total expenditure per job obtained under (a) the new deal for disabled people and (b) the incapacity benefit Pathways to Work pilots has been. [14394]
Mr. Plaskitt: The average cost of helping an individual into work through new deal for disabled people is £3,948 1 .
As the Pathways pilots are still at an early stage, information on cost per individual moving into work is not yet available.
Sir Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish his Department's latest assessment of the Pathways to Work pilots. [14397]
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the Pathways to Work pilot schemes are being evaluated; and when the findings will be published. [14332]
Mr. Plaskitt: The Department has commissioned a consortium of organisations led by the Policy Studies Institute to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Pathways to Work pilots. This involves research with incapacity benefit customers, jobcentre plus staff and service providers and includes qualitative and quantitative assessments of process and outcomes.
The Department has published the following reports as part of the evaluation of the Pathways to Work pilots.
Incapacity Benefit Reforms—Early findings from qualitative research", the National Centre for Social Research, DWP report no 202 (published September 2004).
Incapacity Benefit Reforms—The Personal Adviser Role & Practices", the National Centre for Social Research, DWP report no 212 (published November 2004).
IB Reforms Pilot: Findings from a longitudinal panel of clients", Social Policy Research Unit, DWP report no. 259 (published 7 July 2005).
These reports are available in the Library.
The programme of evaluation continues through until 2008. Further reports will be published in the DWP research series.
Pension Credit
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients there are of pension credit in the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency. [14544]
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Mr. Timms: The information is not currently available. Information on numbers of households and individuals in receipt of pension credit and average awards in each constituency at 31 March 2005 is contained in the most recent quarterly pension credit progress report, which was published on 20 June. A copy of the report is in the Library. The next progress report, with information as at the end of June, will include the new constituencies which came into being at the general election. We expect to be in a position to publish these figures later this year.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average entitlement to pension credit is in Scotland. [14545]
Mr. Timms: At 31 March 2005 the average pension credit award in Scotland was £40.19. Information on numbers of households and individuals in receipt of pension credit in each Government Office region and constituency at 31 March 2005, with average awards, is contained in the most recent quarterly pension credit progress report published on 20 June 2005. A copy of the report is in the Library.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the uptake of pensions credit as a percentage of overall eligibility. [14546]
Mr. Timms: There are now over 2.7 million households in Great Britain receiving pension credit. Estimates based on the Family Resources Survey suggest that there are 3.85 million households entitled to pension credit in Great Britain in 2005–06. These two figures come from different sources, are calculated differently and are not directly comparable. We plan to publish definitive national statistics on take-up and entitlement for the first six months of pension credit by the end of 2005.
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