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9 Jan 2006 : Column 85W—continued
Jobseeker's Allowance
Jenny Willott:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people aged over 50 years claimed jobseeker's allowance (JSA) in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03, (c) 2003–04 and (d) 2004–05, broken down by region; what percentage in each region (i)remained on JSA, (ii) found work, (iii) moved onto income support and (iv) moved onto incapacity benefit in each year; and if he will make a statement; [34741]
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(2) how many people aged over 50 years who claimed jobseeker's allowance (JSA) were eligible for the new deal 50-plus in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03, (c) 2003–04 and (d) 2004–05, broken down by region; what percentage in each region (i) remained on JSA, (ii) found work, (iii) moved onto income support and (iv) moved onto incapacity benefit in each year; and if he will make a statement. [34742]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information has been placed in the Library.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged over 50 years participated in new deal 50 plus in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03, (c) 2003–04 and (d) 2004–05, broken down by region; what percentage in each year (i)remained on jobseeker's allowance, (ii) found work, (iii) moved onto income support and (iv) moved onto incapacity benefit in each year; and if he will make a statement. [34743]
Margaret Hodge: Information is only available on starts to new deal 50 plus from January 2004. Prior to January 2004, new deal 50 plus information is available for those going into work and claiming the new deal 50plus employment credit.
The available information is in the table.
Notes:
1.Information on starts to new deal 50 plus is not available prior to January 2004 and has been amalgamated for the 15 month period January 2004 to March 2005.
2.Information for percentages of people from this group still claiming jobseeker's allowance (JSA) is given to June 2005 as this is the latest benefit information available and gives a more accurate reflection of people still claiming JSA.
3.Information is only for those who were claiming JSA when they started new deal 50 plus. It is possible to join new deal 50 plus and not be claiming JSA.
4.Percentage moving into work consists of people recorded as gaining a job through new deal 50 plus and may include people claiming a benefit other than income support or incapacity benefit.
5.Percentage moving into work and onto income support and /or incapacity benefit consists of people who are recorded as gaining a job through new deal 50 plus who are also recorded as having a new claim for income support or incapacity benefit after starting the programme. The income support/incapacity benefit claim may have occurred before, during, or after their job.
6.People recorded as not going into work or claiming income support or incapacity benefit could still be participating on new deal 50 plus.
7.The percentage claiming JSA at the end of June 2005 may include people who also went into work or claimed income support or incapacity benefit between joining the programme and June 2005.
8.Jobs figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
9.Individual percentages may not sum exactly to 100 per cent. due to rounding.
10.JSA (jobseeker's allowance); IS (income support); IB (incapacity benefit).
Source:
Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study and New Deal Evaluation Database
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Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Workand Pensions what the current average time taken is for jobseeker's allowance claimants (a) to be called in for interview and (b) thereafter to receive their first benefit. [35068]
Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 9 January 2006:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning what the current average time taken is for jobseeker's allowance claimants to be called for interview and thereafter receive their first benefit. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as chief executive of Jobcentre Plus.
To make a claim to jobseeker's allowance, the customer calls a contact centre where they answer a series of questions to assess their potential eligibility. Contact centre staff then arrange to call the customer back to complete a claim form, which is sent to the customer to check and sign. They also arrange a work focused interview at the customer's local Jobcentre Plus office.
Currently Jobcentre Plus measures the average time it takes to complete the whole process and collates statistics on the time it takes for the contact centre to call the customer back after initial contact.
Information about the average number of days a customer waits for a call-back across the entire contact centre network can be found in the table below. This data is only available from August and is recorded as actual days.
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In answer to the second part of your question, the following table contains the actual average clearance times for jobseeker's allowance from May to October this year.
2005 | Actual average clearance times JSA |
|---|---|
| May | 12.9 |
| June | 13.1 |
| July | 13.5 |
| August | 14.1 |
| September | 14.7 |
| October | 15.4 |
| Year to date | 13.7 |
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of those on jobseeker's allowance returned to full-time work within (a) one month, (b) three months and (c) six months, in each month in the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [37168]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. Information is available for those that have been recorded as having found work. However, not all leavers who find work tell Jobcentre Plus and so are not recorded as such. The available information has been placed in the Library.
The Department for Work and Pensions Research Report No 244, Destination of benefit leavers 2004, showed that, nationally, 62 per cent. of claimants leaving income support, incapacity benefit or jobseeker's allowance entered employment of 16 hours or more a week. This compares to 61 per cent. in 2003. Copies of the reports are available in the Library.
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Gravesham constituency are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. [37534]
Mr. Plaskitt:
As at October 2005, the most recent available figure, there were 1,462 people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in the Gravesham parliamentary constituency.
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