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17 Mar 2006 : Column 2525W—continued
Incapacity Benefit
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of disregarding for all benefits earned income up to the value of £80.80 from therapeutic work activity undertaken by claimants of incapacity benefit. [56281]
Mrs. McGuire: The information necessary to make such an estimate is not available.
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Mid Sussex parliamentary constituency were claiming incapacity benefit in the latest period for which figures are available. [58167]
Mrs. McGuire: As at August 2005, there were 2,100people in claiming incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance in the Mid Sussex parliamentary constituency.
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit claimants in Putney constituency have been in receipt of the benefit for (a) less than six months, (b) between six months and one year, (c) one to three years, (d) three to five years and (e) five years or more; and if he will make a statement. [57182]
Mrs. McGuire: The available information on the number of people claiming incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance is in the table.
Notes:
1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
2.'Claimant' figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance claimants, including IB credits only cases.
Source:
Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the most common medical conditions for which incapacity benefit claimants in Stroud constituency receive the benefit. [57227]
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Mrs. McGuire: The available information on the primary diagnosis for incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants is in the table.
Notes:
1.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
2.—" denotes nil or negligible.
3.'Claimant' figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance cases, including IB credits only cases.
4.All diagnoses are coded using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition, published by the World Health Organisation.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.
Jobcentre Plus
Mr. Malik: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of job losses in Jobcentre Plus offices in Dewsbury constituency which may result from his Department's modernisation and efficiency programme. [51935]
Margaret Hodge: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to my hon. Friend.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your question asking what estimate he has made of the number of job losses in Jobcentre Plus offices in Dewsbury constituency which may result from his Department's modernisation and efficiency programme. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
As announced in the 2004 Spending Review, the Department has plans to reduce overall staff numbers by 30,000 by 31 March 2008. Our staffing plans for Dewsbury take account of the challenging headcount targets Jobcentre Plus has to meet annually up to 2008 as part of the wider DWP Efficiency Challenge.
The number of Jobcentre Plus full-time equivalent staff in Dewsbury reduced from 120.5 at the end of April 2005 to 105.8 on 31 January 2006, an overall reduction of 12 percent.
The budget allocation 2006/07 for the West Yorkshire District, which includes Dewsbury, has yet to be finalised. At the moment planning assumptions are that staffing in West Yorkshire will reduce further by approximately 5 per cent. by the end of 2006/07.
Pathways to Work
Mr. Philip Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) claimants and
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(b) volunteers participated in each phase of each Pathways to Work pilot in the most recent year for which figures are available. [51975]
Margaret Hodge: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
State Pension
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice he received from the Government Actuary on the reduction of national insurance contributions for those contracted out of the state second pension; what rebate the Treasury allows; and if he will make a statement. [59047]
Mr. Timms: A report by the Government Actuary setting out his recommendations on the reduced rates of national insurance contributions, rebates and minimum contributions that should apply from April 2007 was laid before Parliament on 1 March 2006. Decisions on those reduced rates, rebates and minimum contributions are for the Secretary of State and his report together with a draft Order setting out his proposals was also laid before Parliament on 1 March. There will be an opportunity for both Houses to debate the details set out in the draft Order before it is made.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether UK citizens who have paid the necessary national insurance and taxes in the UK and are resident in Spain are entitled to receive a full state pension; what other benefits and services they are entitled to; and if he will make a statement. [59421]
Mr. Timms: Under EC law on the co-ordination of social security, UK citizens residing in Spain:
(b) are eligible for winter fuel payments if aged 60 or over provided they became entitled before leaving the UK;
(c) if entitled to bereavement benefits, receive them at the same rate as if they were living in the UK;
(d) can receive incapacity benefit (payable to people under pension age who are incapable of work) if they became entitled before leaving the UK or, in certain circumstances, if the incapacity began after they have moved to Spain
(e) can receive industrial injuries disablement benefit for an industrial accident or disease contracted in the UK;
(f) are entitled to Spain's health care on the same basis as Spanish nationals, at the UK's expense, if they receive a state pension, bereavement benefit, incapacity benefit or industrial injuries disablement benefit only from the UK;
(g) can receive child benefit and, depending on their income, child tax credit if they are receiving UK State pension, bereavement benefit, or incapacity benefit;
(h) can, if under state pension age, receive contributory jobseeker's allowance on the basis of recent national insurance contributions for up to three months if they are looking for work in Spain;
Depending on what provision Spain makes for its residents, UK citizens living there may receive some benefits or services from Spain.
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