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14 Mar 2006 : Column 2181W—continued
New Deal
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average age of new deal for young people leavers who left the programme to commence (a) employment, (b) a combination of employment and claiming benefits and (c) claiming benefits only has been in each year since the scheme began. [56974]
Margaret Hodge: The information is in the table.
Notes:
1. The 'Benefits Only' destination includes those leaving to jobseeker's allowance, income support, incapacity benefit, incapacity benefit with income support, and other/unknown benefits.
2. Age is calculated at the point of leaving the programme.
3. Data for 2005 are from January to August.
Source:
Information Directorate, DWP
Pay Disregard
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will increase the lower limit pay disregard. [55734]
Mr. Plaskitt: There are no plans to change the £5 lower limit earnings disregard.
The disregards are designed to achieve a balance between providing an encouragement to undertake part-time work and remain in touch with the labour market, without creating disincentives to full-time work. Too high a level of disregards can increase income from benefits plus part-time work to a point where full-time work becomes less attractive.
Personal Capability Assessments
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the centres at which Personal Capability Assessments were conducted; and how many such assessments were carried out at each centre in each of the last six years. [54225]
Margaret Hodge:
The Personal Capability Assessment was introduced in April 2000 to replace the All Work Test for Incapacity Benefit. Details of the number of incapacity benefit medical examinations and Personal Capability Assessments completed at each
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examination centre, including casual hire premises used on an ad hoc basis, from 1999 to 2005 have been placed in the Library.
Post Office Card Account
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what reports he has received of Post Office counter staff committing fraud in paying pensions and winter fuel payments using the Post Office card account. [42328]
Mr. Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions has received no reports of Post Office counter staff committing fraud in paying pensions and winter fuel payments using the Post Office card account.
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each London borough collected their (a) pensions and (b) benefit payments through the use of a Post Office Card Account in the latest period for which figures are available. [52283]
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Birmingham collect their (a) pensions and (b) benefit payments through the Post Office card account. [51481]
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Kettering constituency have a Post Office Card Account; and how many are registered at each Post Office in Kettering constituency. [53834]
Mr. Plaskitt [holding answer 27 February 2006]: The information is not available in the format requested.
Information showing the number of DWP benefit and pension payment accounts paid by direct payment into a Post Office card account for each parliamentary constituency has been placed in the Library.
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Post Office card accounts have been opened since they were established; and if he will make a statement. [54846]
Mr. Plaskitt: Since April 2003 4,741,295 Post Office card accounts have been opened, of which 4,261,132 were in use at 15 January 2006.
In addition to accounts used by my Department this figure includes Post Office card accounts used by the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency, the Veterans Agency (Ministry of Defence) and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received regarding the future of Post Office card accounts; and if he will make a statement. [54848]
Mr. Plaskitt:
We have received a number of letters on the future of the Post Office card account. We have also answered questions in the House and responded to points raised during debates. We have already set out our policy on the Post Office card account at some
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length, including in the reply to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 31 January 2006, Official Report, columns 443–44W.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Stroud constituency used a Post Office card account to access (a) state pensions or pension credits, (b) child benefit and (c) other benefits in the latest period for which figures are available. [55425]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested.
Information showing the number of DWP benefit and pension payment accounts paid by direct payment into a Post Office card account for each parliamentary constituency has been placed in the Library.
Child benefit and war pensions information is not included as these are the responsibility of HM Revenue and Customs and Ministry of Defence, respectively.
Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 15 February 2006, Official Report, columns 2187–88W, on Post Office card accounts, what was the outcome of the pilot schemes; and if he will make a statement. [56386]
Mr. Plaskitt: The pilots began on 13 February 2006 and will be concluded by mid-March. We will then evaluate the results and discuss the findings with the Post Office and other key stakeholders. Our pilots will help ensure that our future payments strategy up to 2010 reflects the needs of our customers.
State Pensions
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the state earnings-related pension scheme/state second pension entitlement would be at current prices for someone working until 2010 after (a) one, (b) 15 and (c) 25 years of national insurance contributions, assuming full-time median earnings. [58593]
Mr. Timms: The information is in the table.
| Additional pension (£) | |
|---|---|
| Entitlement based on 1 years contributions: | 2 |
| Entitlement based on 15 years contributions: | 34 |
| Entitlement based on 25 years contributions: | 56 |
Notes:
1. All figures have been expressed in 2005–06 earnings terms based on constant median full-time adult earnings.
2. We have assumed standard rate class 1 national insurance contributions have been paid, or treated as paid, during the last 1, 15 and 25 years of the individual's working life.
Unemployment Benefits
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the change in the number of people claiming unemployment benefits has been since May 2004. [56907]
Mr. Plaskitt:
The information is in the table.
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Notes:
1. Figures are seasonally adjusted.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
Source:
Seasonally adjusted count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems
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