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6 Feb 2006 : Column 870W—continued
Internal Fraud
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of internal fraud has been to (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in each year from 2000–01. [41330]
Mr. Plaskitt: Details of estimated cost of internal fraud to the Department are presented in table 1.
(19) Year to date figures for 2005–06 are based on investigations completed since 31 March 2005.
(20) Jobcentre Plus—a new agency created in 2002 merging parts of the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service. Figures up to 2001–02 relate to losses within the Benefits Agency.
(21) War Pensions Agency transferred to the Ministry of Defence in 2002.
(22) Employment Service—figures to 2001–2002 include contractor fraud.
Source:
This information has been compiled from annual returns detailing fraud losses.
The Department has a robust approach to the detection, prevention and deterrence of internal and contractor fraud. This approach is consistent with Treasury guidance.
The Department has a Fraud Response Plan and an Anti-Fraud Policy in place. Investigations into suspected internal or contractor-related frauds are conducted by a professional and dedicated team.
In addition to investigations staff, there is a network of security advisers in place across the Department. Their role includes promoting internal security throughout businesses, reporting and initial investigation potential security incidents, and providing security awareness training to staff.
The Department has a Whistleblowers Hotline to enable staff to report suspicions of internal fraud outside of management structures.
The Department also has in place a comprehensive set of management checks and procedures to ensure that financial transactions are protected from the risk of internal fraud and abuse.
Jobcentre Plus
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which parts of the Jobcentre Plus (a) network and (b) contact centres the Customer Management System has been implemented; and what the implementation dates are for the rest of the (i) network and (ii) contact centres. [44594]
Margaret Hodge
[holding answer 24 January 2006]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
6 Feb 2006 : Column 871W
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your question asking in which parts of the Jobcentre Plus (a) network and (b) contact centres the Customer Management System has been implemented; and what the implementation dates are for the rest of the (i) network and (ii) contact centres. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
We are implementing the Customer Management System (CMS) in all Jobcentre Plus customer facing offices, benefit processing offices and contact centres.
Currently CMS has been deployed evenly throughout Jobcentre Plus in over 75 per cent. of the total network. We expect the introduction of CMS across the network to be completed by July 2006.
Annex 1 indicates those districts where CMS deployment is fully complete and those sites where CMS is still to be deployed. Annex 2 lists all 22 Contact Centres where CMS has been deployed.
6 Feb 2006 : Column 872W
Jobseekers
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps are taken by the staff of Jobcentre Plus to support working age claimants with special needs, with particular reference to people with (a) English language difficulties, (b) learning disabilities and (c) chronic physical and mental health problems. [45237]
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.
6 Feb 2006 : Column 873W
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 6 February 2006:
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your questions asking what steps are taken by the staff of Jobcentre Plus to support working age claimants with special needs, with particular reference to people with (a) English language difficulties, (b) learning disabilities and (c) chronic physical and mental health problems. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus provides additional help for those people who face particular disadvantage in the labour market. This is provided primarily through personal advisers who provide information, advice and guidance to help people identify and overcome barriers to employment. Alongside this, there is a range of employment and training related opportunities to help overcome specific issues such language and learning difficulties, and physical and mental health problems.
By way of context it is worth mentioning that the Government published a Green Paper on Welfare Reform—A New Deal for Welfare : Empowering people to work" on 24 January 2006. In that Green Paper the Government re-emphasised its commitment to provide opportunity for all saying :
Ensuring that all our citizens have both the right and the opportunity to join the world of work is a fundamental responsibility of any modern government. The Government will help people achieve success for themselves and their families."
The Green Paper sets our proposals for reforms which build on recent successes which Jobcentre Plus have been a part of and we are continue to take a leading in role in delivering better services to the people we serve.
On the specific issue of language difficulties, our policy is to ensure interpreters are provided when conducting business with customers who do not speak English or Welsh, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Interpreters can be provided in a number of ways, e.g. through:
the Department of Work and Pensions telephone-interpreter service, which is currently provided by Language Line.
In some instances customers may also use their own interpreters, e.g. a family member or friend, though for formal interviews, e.g. benefit appeals and tribunals, only independent and qualified interpreters may be used.
People for whom English is a second language (ESOL) also have access to work focused provision through our Work Based Learning for Adults programme and the New Deal. These ESOL programmes provide full-time help for up to 26 weeks, 780 learning hours (26 weeks at 30 hours a week). Participants follow a varied and innovative approach to learning and are encouraged to take part in project work and work placements to consolidate their learning, which is designed to improve skills by at least one level.
Jobcentre Plus also has a range of support and labour market advice for those customers receiving Incapacity benefits. This is available to a range of customers with health conditions and disabilities including those with learning difficulties and chronic physical and mental health conditions.
A key, new, element of our service are the Pathways to Work Pilots, which are currently operating in 11 Jobcentre Plus Districts. Specialist advisers are given enhanced interviewing skills to enable them to deal specifically with this customer group. Pathways to Work have also introduced a more intensive mandatory regime of work-focused interviews for all new Incapacity benefit customers, with access to a wider range of support. IB customers with the most severe conditions are not expected to take part in the full Pathways regime but can volunteer to participate. The support includes a Choices Package, which includes the Condition Management Programme (CMP) delivered through a partnership between Jobcentre Plus and the NHS. The CMP is delivered by health professionals and has been
- designed to help people better understand and cope with their health condition. Through these pilots we are engaging significantly greater numbers of customers and substantially improving their prospects for work.
Incapacity Benefit Personal Advisers (IBPAs) have been introduced into all Jobcentre Plus offices. The aim of the IBPA is to provide support to customers in receipt of Incapacity Benefit move closer to the labour market and into sustainable employment.
Additionally, more specialist support is available via the Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) who works closely with employers, employees and customers with a health condition or disability, offering advice and practical support to enable the person find and sustain employment. DEAs are also a route for obtaining support through the specialist programmes provided by Jobcentre Plus.
There are a number of programmes that are specifically designed to help people with a disability or health condition return to work:
Access to Work is a specialist disability programme, which provides practical advice and support to help disabled people enter or stay in paid employment;
Work Preparation is an individually tailored, work-focused programme that enables disabled people to address barriers associated with their disability and prepare for working with the confidence necessary to achieve and sustain their job goal;
WORKSTEP provides support in jobs for disabled people who have more complex barriers to finding and keeping work but who, with the right support, can work effectively and develop in their job. Longer-term support continues to be available for those who need it and is a major element of the programme;
people with a disability or health condition may also receive help through the New Deal for Disabled People programme. NDDP is a voluntary programme which gives customers on qualifying disability or health-related benefits in England, Scotland and Wales access to a network of Job Brokers. Job Brokers work with customers to help them compete in the labour market and support them in finding and keeping a job;
the Job Introduction Scheme (JIS) aims to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities by offering a weekly grant to employers during the first six weeks of their employment;
Residential Training provides a unique service to unemployed disabled adults whose needs are not met through any other government funded programmes. Although other programmes can fund training aimed at helping disabled people into work, the Residential Training courses are unique in that they deliver specific training and programmes for disabled people with complex needs who cannot enter into employment or a work-based environment without the appropriate preparation; and
other New Deal programmes such as New Deal for Young People, New Deal 25 plus, New Deal 50 plus and New Deal for Lone Parents are also available to this customer group.
I do apologise for the length of this response, but I hope it has helped in detailing the wide range of services available.
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average (a) time taken, (b) cost of and (c) number of public officials involved was in handling a fresh claim for jobseeker's allowance in the last period for which figures are available. [45234]
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.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the average (a) time taken, (b) cost of and (c) number of public officials involved was in handling a fresh claim for Jobseeker's Allowance in the last period for which
- figures are available. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus measures how long it takes to clear a claim to benefit to the date of decision. This is expressed as the Actual Average Clearance Time (AACT).
In the operational year 2004/2005, the AACT for Jobseeker's Allowance was 12.1 days and, for the same period, an estimate of the average direct cost (excluding overheads) of processing a new claim for Jobseeker's Allowance was £21.97.
We do not keep information on the number of officials involved in handling individual new claims for Jobseeker's Allowance.
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