House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 20 Mar 2006 (pt 37)

20 Mar 2006 : Column 129W—continued

Household Income

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what statistics his Government have produced on the persistence of poverty at levels belowthe 50 per cent. and 40 per cent. median income lines. [56034]

Margaret Hodge: No official statistics have been produced on these measures.

The seventh annual 'Opportunity for all' report (Cm6673) sets out the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion and reports progress against a range of indicators including the persistence of low income using low-income thresholds of 60 per cent. of median household income, and 70 per cent. of median household income.

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what statistics the Government collects that are broken down by £10 bands of equivalised weekly household income. [56035]

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is published in 'Households Below Average Income 1994–95 to 2004–05' copies of which are available in the Library.

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Workand Pensions (1) what statistics the Government collects on sources of income broken down by level of income; [56036]

(2) what statistics the Government collates on income sources as a proportion of net income. [56039]

Margaret Hodge: The Family Resources Survey, a national survey of households, collects information on levels and all sources of income and is recognised as the best source of information on income. The General Household Survey, and the Expenditure and Food Survey also collect information on the source and level of income but in less detail.

The Family Resources Survey; The General Household Survey; and The Expenditure and Food Survey are in the Library.

20 Mar 2006 : Column 130W

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of people had an income below 40 per cent. of median income in each year since 1997 (a) before and (b) after housing costs. [56041]

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is not available.

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress he has made with his plans to reform incapacity benefit; and if he will make a statement. [57329]

Margaret Hodge [holding answer 13 March 2006]: We believe that the opportunity to work is a right and that it is as important as the right to equal treatment or access to services. For too long, people on incapacity benefit have been written off as incapable of work and consigned to a life on benefit. We know that a large proportion want to work and so we want to ensure that they are given the opportunity to do so. We do not believe in writing anyone off.

On the 24 of January 2006 we published our Green Paper: A new deal for welfare: Empowering people to work" which sets out our proposals for the reform of incapacity benefit. It is crucial that we get the details of these reforms right and the opinions of the public are very important. The publication of the welfare reform Green Paper began the official consultation phase, which will run until 21 April, and we invite feedback and suggestions from all interested parties as we look for the best way to move forward.

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of new incapacity benefit claimants aged (a) over 50 years and (b) under 50 years ended their claim within six months (i) in the Pathways to Work pilot areas and (ii) in other areas in each year since the pilots began. [58688]

Margaret Hodge: The available information is in the table.
Proportion of incapacity benefit claimants ending their claim within six months Percentage

Aged under 50
Aged 50 and over

Quarter Pathways to Work pilot areas Other areas Pathways to Work pilot areas Other areas

October to December 2003⁽³⁵⁾ 49 35 40 31

January to March 2004 46 33 36 29

April to June 2004 44 34 33 28

July to September 2004 43 34 31 28

October to December 2004 45 36 35 31

January to March 2005 44 36 33 30

April to May 2005⁽³⁶⁾ 44 36 33 29

⁽³⁵⁾Figures are from 27 October 2003 when the first phase of the pilots started.
⁽³⁶⁾Current benefits data does not allow six month off-flow analysis after May 2005.
Note:
1.Six month off-flows by quarter have been provided because data is only available for one full year.
2.Figures do not include a proportion of short-term incapacity benefit claims, which flow on and off between scan dates; the off-flows presented will be lower than actual rates, but trends over time will be consistent.
Source:
DWP—National Benefits Database

20 Mar 2006 : Column 131W

	Aged under 50	Aged 50 and over
Quarter	Pathways to Work pilot areas	Other areas	Pathways to Work pilot areas	Other areas
October to December 2003⁽³⁵⁾	49	35	40	31
January to March 2004	46	33	36	29
April to June 2004	44	34	33	28
July to September 2004	43	34	31	28
October to December 2004	45	36	35	31
January to March 2005	44	36	33	30
April to May 2005⁽³⁶⁾	44	36	33	29

Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's targets are for reducing incapacity benefit claimants for (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010 and (e) 2011. [59686]

Mrs. McGuire: In January we published our Green Paper: A New Deal for Welfare: Empowering people to work", which set out our proposal to significantly reduce the number of people claiming incapacity benefits. These include proposals to improve workplace health, reform of the gateway onto benefits, increased support for claimants and removing the perverse incentives in the system.

While it is difficult to model the precise impact of these measures, the Green Paper set out our aspiration to reduce the number of claimants of incapacity benefits by one million over the course of the decade through the combined efforts of the Government, employers, local authorities and health professionals.

The information requested is not available, as we have not set formal targets for reducing the IB caseload in the years 2007 to 2011.

New Deal

Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of job entrants from the new deal in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005 was back on benefit within 13 weeks. [54970]

Margaret Hodge: 14 per cent. of new deal job entrants between January 2004 and December 2004 and 13 per cent. of new deal job entrants between January 2005 and August 2005 had started a new benefit claim within 13 weeks of the job start.

Note:

Latest benefit data are to November 2005 and, therefore, to allow for a 13 week gap, only new deal job entrants between January 2004 and August 2005 have been included.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of new deal for young people leavers took up (a) unsubsidised and (b) subsidised employment in (i) the private sector, (ii)the public sector and (iii) the voluntary and social enterprise sector in each year since the programme began. [56969]

Margaret Hodge: Information on the sector in which either a subsidised or unsubsidised job is gained through new deal for young people is not available.

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what percentage of participants in the (a) new deal 25 plus and (b) new deal for young people programmes who started the programmes (i) once, (ii) twice, (iii) three times, (iv) four times and (v) more than four times were educated to (A)GCSE, (B) NVQ, (C) A level and (D) degree level in each year since the programmes began; [56971]

20 Mar 2006 : Column 132W

(2) what percentage of (a) new deal 25 plus and (b) new deal for young people leavers who left the programme and commenced (i) employment, (ii) a combination of employment and benefits and (iii) claiming benefits had been educated to (A) GCSE, (B) NVQ, (C) A level and (D) degree level in each year since the scheme began. [56975]

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is not available.

Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) people and (b) over 25s in Beverley and Holderness who left the New Deal have found a sustained job in each year since its inception. [52339]

Margaret Hodge: The measure of sustainability for jobs gained when leaving the New Deal programme differs across the New Deals. In the case of New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 plus, employment is regarded as sustained if a person gaining a job through these New Deals does not claim Jobseeker's Allowance for at least 13 weeks after gaining employment and leaving the programme.

Employment sustainability for those participating on New Deal for Lone Parents is measured by employment records held by H.M Revenue and this measure has been used since October 2005. If a person leaves New Deal for Lone Parents to a job, and they are recorded through Revenue records as still being in that job 13 weeks later, their employment is recorded as sustained.

A measure of job sustainability for New Deal 50 plus and New Deal for Partners is not available. Information on New Deal for Disabled People is not available at constituency level.

The available information is in the table.
New Deal in Beverley and Holderness—leavers to sustained employment

People leaving New Deal to sustained employment⁽³⁷⁾ of which, left New Deal 25 plus to sustained employment⁽³⁸⁾

April to December 1998 60 —

January to December 1999 220 —

January to December 2000 170 —

January to December 2001 210 20

January to December 2002 180 40

January to December 2003 200 50

January to December 2004 210 40

January to August 2005 100 20

Notes:
1.Includes people who have left New Deal for Young People since January 1998 and New Deal for Lone Parents since October 2005 to sustained employment. Also includes people who have left New Deal 25 plus since April 2001 to sustained employment.
2.The immediate destination of people leaving New Deal 25 plus is only available from April 2001.
3.Latest available data is to August 2005.
4.All figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Information Directorate, DWP

20 Mar 2006 : Column 133W

	People leaving New Deal to sustained employment⁽³⁷⁾	of which, left New Deal 25 plus to sustained employment⁽³⁸⁾
April to December 1998	60	—
January to December 1999	220	—
January to December 2000	170	—
January to December 2001	210	20
January to December 2002	180	40
January to December 2003	200	50
January to December 2004	210	40
January to August 2005	100	20

Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people in Chester have participated in the New Deal. [58702]

Margaret Hodge: The information is in the table.
New Deal for Young People in the City of Chester

Number

Individuals starting New Deal for Young People⁽³⁷⁾ 950

Individuals into work through New Deal for Young People⁽³⁸⁾ 590

⁽³⁷⁾Latest data to the end of November 2005.
⁽³⁸⁾Latest data to the end of August 2005.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate

	Number
Individuals starting New Deal for Young People⁽³⁷⁾	950
Individuals into work through New Deal for Young People⁽³⁸⁾	590

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work-focused interviews have been carried out by his Department under the new deal for lone parents (a) in each year since the inception of the programme and (b) in each of the last 12 calendar months, broken down by the respective qualifying period for interviews under the scheme. [57287]

Margaret Hodge: New deal for lone parents started in October 1998. All lone parents claiming income support are invited to attend a voluntary meeting with a personal adviser. This meeting is known as a new deal for lone parents initial interview and so far 1,158,000 have been held.

In April 2001 mandatory meetings for lone parents were introduced, known as work focused interviews. Work focused interviews are conducted at the outset of the benefit claim and at set points during the claim, usually six months, 12 months and then annually. The frequency can also depend on the age of the youngest child, and the lone parent's duration on benefit. For example, quarterly work focused interviews are currently being introduced nationally for lone parents who have been claiming income support for more than 12 months, and who have a youngest child aged 14 or 15.

There have been 2,217,900 lone parent work focused interviews, the figures for each year and for the last 12 months are in the tables.
Lone Parent Work Focused Interviews

Initial interviews 6 month review meetings Annual review meetings

April 2001-March 2002 124,200 — —

April 2002-March 2003 244,300 18,400 24,300

April 2003-March 2004 388,100 56,200 82,800

April 2004-March 2005 382,000 98,900 212,100

April 2005-December 2005 303,500 83,600 199,500

Total 1,442,200 257,100 518,700

Lone parent work focused interviews January to December 2005

As at 2005: Initial interviews 6 month review meetings Annual review meetings

January 34,700 10,000 20,200

February 34,900 9,500 22,100

March 35,200 10,300 23,500

April 31,900 9,800 19,300

May 31,000 9,200 19,600

June 33,200 9,300 23,600

July 31,300 8,800 22,100

August 37,300 9,600 20,600

September 41,500 9,600 22,200

October 35,700 9,500 24,000

November 34,200 10,600 28,500

December 27,400 7,200 19,500

Total 408,300 113,400 265,200

Notes:
1.Figures refer to total number of work focused interviews attended.
2.Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred; therefore the totals may not be a sum of the elements.
Source:
National Lone Parent Evaluation database (0512).

20 Mar 2006 : Column 134W

	Initial interviews	6 month review meetings	Annual review meetings
April 2001-March 2002	124,200	—	—
April 2002-March 2003	244,300	18,400	24,300
April 2003-March 2004	388,100	56,200	82,800
April 2004-March 2005	382,000	98,900	212,100
April 2005-December 2005	303,500	83,600	199,500
Total	1,442,200	257,100	518,700

As at 2005:	Initial interviews	6 month review meetings	Annual review meetings
January	34,700	10,000	20,200
February	34,900	9,500	22,100
March	35,200	10,300	23,500
April	31,900	9,800	19,300
May	31,000	9,200	19,600
June	33,200	9,300	23,600
July	31,300	8,800	22,100
August	37,300	9,600	20,600
September	41,500	9,600	22,200
October	35,700	9,500	24,000
November	34,200	10,600	28,500
December	27,400	7,200	19,500
Total	408,300	113,400	265,200

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average waiting time was for a work-focused interview under the new deal for lone parents in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many benefit recipients who should have received such an interview have not received one. [57288]

Margaret Hodge: Information on the average waiting time for a lone parent work focused interview is not available. As we do not collect details on cases where an appointment is rearranged. However, 50 per cent. of lone parents attend their interview within seven days.

A work focused interview is arranged for all new and repeat lone parent customers within days of making a new claim to benefit, as attendance at the interview forms part of their conditions for entitlement. Those lone parents who were already claiming benefit before the work focused interview regime was introduced (April 2001), and who are still claiming, are being brought into the regime over time with all lone parents being brought into the new regime by March 2006. At the end of February 2006, 22,500 lone parents in receipt of benefit in this category had not yet been brought into the new regime.

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