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13 Mar 2006 : Column 1847W—continued
Lone Parents (Work-focused Interviews)
Danny Alexander:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to use the
13 Mar 2006 : Column 1848W
private and voluntary sectors to deliver work-focused interviews to lone parents; and if he will make a statement. [51738]
Margaret Hodge: The private and voluntary sectors already deliver a significant proportion of our services to the public and we intend continuing our partnerships with not-for-profit and private sector organisations to encourage innovation and support delivery of our objectives, particularly in helping customers to address barriers to work.
In our recently published Green Paper A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work", we have proposed increased contact with lone parents through more frequent work focused interviews, as well as the intention to pilot a work-related activity premium to encourage lone parents with older children to take serious steps to return to work.
Pathways to Work Pilots
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department have made of the likely period of time it will take to reach the break even point when the Pathways to Work pilots are extended nationwide. [52344]
Margaret Hodge: The cost savings from measures outlined in the Green Paper depend to a large extent on the final proposals following the consultation. We know however that the existing Pathways to Work pilots are already generating savings, and we expect further savings from further roll-out. We announced in the Green Paper that we are looking to the private and voluntary sector to deliver many of the Pathways to Work schemes, and breakeven points will be affected by the final contracts agreed.
Pensioners (West Chelmsford)
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners live in the West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency; how many are in receipt of council tax benefit; and what percentage this is of the total number of pensioners living in the constituency. [56625]
Mr. Plaskitt: Information about council tax benefit is not available broken down by parliamentary constituency. The available information for the Chelmsford borough council area is in the following table:
Source:
Housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in August 2005.
Notes:
1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
3. Council tax benefit figures exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases.
4. Population figures are mid-2004 estimates as provided by ONS, Population Estimates Unit.
5. CTB recipients aged 60 or over applies where either the claimant or the partner are aged 60 or over.
13 Mar 2006 : Column 1849W
Post Office Card Account
Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Parliament was first informed that (a) the Government's contract with the Post Office to pay pensions and benefits into Post Office card accounts lasted until 2010 and (b) the Government did not intend to renew this contract with the Post Office when it expired in 2010. [51304]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 13 February 2006]:We have always made clear that the Post Office card account was an interim measure designed to help some people move off order books if they were not yet ready to be paid into a bank account. For example, in a written answer on 4 February 2005 Official Report, column 1196W my predecessor said that The contract between Post Office Limited and DWP commenced on the 22 March 2002 and ends on 31 March 2010'.
Schools Adventure Activities
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what role the Health and Safety Executive plays in the assessment of arrangements for adventure activities undertaken by schools. [57331]
Mrs. McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for enforcing health and safety legislation in schools and this includes requirements for assessing risks associated with adventure activities. HSE also gives advice to the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority which is responsible for licensing the provision of the more hazardous adventure activities undertaken by schools.
HSE's approach is to encourage well-planned adventure activities, not to try and eliminate risk altogether.
Social Fund/Jobseeker's Allowance
Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the Department's target is for the time taken to process (a) a social fund application and (b) a jobseeker's allowance claim; and how many days on average were taken to process applications in the latest month for which figures are available; [48236]
(2) what the Department's target is for the time taken to process (a) a Crisis Loan application and (b) a benefit application; and how many days on average were taken to process applications in the latest month for which figures are available. [48238]
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 questions asking: what the Department's target is for the time taken to process (a) a social fund application and (b) a job seeker's allowance claim; and how many days on average were taken to process applications in the latest month for which figures are available; and, what the Department's target is for the time taken
- to process (a) a crisis loan application and (b) a benefit application; and how many days on average were taken to process applications in the latest month for which figures are available.
This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus defines its speed of processing benchmarks by reference to clearance times. By this we mean how many working days it takes, on average, to process benefit claims. This is referred to as the Actual Average Clearance Time (AACT) and each benefit is set its own AACT benchmark.
For 2005–06 the Department has set as acceptable standards of delivery the following AACTs for all five elements of the Social Fund.
For 2005–06 the Department has set the acceptable standard of delivery for Jobseekers Allowance at 12 days AACT.
Source:
DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System and Jobcentre Plus Ml Portal.
A JSA taskforce has been created to address fluctuating JSA clearance times and set in place immediate recovery measures, whilst longer term and more fundamental issues are also being taken forward. More immediate measures include the more effective distribution of workloads amongst the Contact Centre network to improve performance.
Building on the taskforce work, the Jobcentre Plus Chief Operating Officer will shortly launch a National Action Plan. The Action Plan is built around a mandatory series of health checks", taking local managers through the whole end to end process, identifying key risk elements and, where a part of the process fails the health check, directing managers to appropriate good practice products and tool-kits. This will be strengthened by regular senior management attention particularly in this area. Where performance is below expectation, Districts and Contact Centres will be required to draw up their own individual recovery plans.
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