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5 Jun 2006 : Column 6W—continued
Housing Benefit
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of housing benefit claimants who are (a) private tenants, (b) housing association tenants and (c) local authority tenants receive housing benefit payments which equate to less than 100 per cent. of their rent. [73460]
Mr. Plaskitt: The most recent available information is in the table.
| Percentage of housing benefit claimants whose benefit entitlement is less than their eligible rent, by tenure: Great Britain, May 2004 | |
| Percentage | |
| Notes: 1. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place. 2. Figures exclude any housing benefit extended-payment cases. 3. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 4. Registered social landlords include housing associations (Housing Act 1996, section 2(1)). 5. A claimant’s eligible rent may be less than their contractual rent. Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2004. | |
Income Support
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information he collates on the accuracy of income support calculations. [69276]
Mr. Plaskitt: 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 information he collates on the accuracy of Income Support calculations. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus carries out accuracy checks on Income Support calculations at national and at local site level.
Data is collected nationally to measure progress towards our benefit delivery target. This target supports Jobcentre Plus in delivering our key business processes efficiently, accurately and to agreed standards. Performance is measured in five key Jobcentre Plus processes, including the accurate processing of Income Support claims. We currently have a target of 90 per cent accuracy. The latest performance figure for Income Support accuracy to the end of March 2006 is 89.39 per cent. Full claims checks of a sample of cases are made by a specialist external team 3 times a year.
Data is also collected internally at a local level. The data collected includes random accuracy checks of staff work, with 100 per cent accuracy checks of the work of new staff after they have been trained. An accuracy database has been designed for the simple and accurate recording of the checks detailing any errors found.
I hope this is helpful.
Job Vacancies
Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average number of job vacancies recorded at job centres in each ward in Doncaster North was in (a) 1984, (b) 1994, (c) 2004 and (d) the most recent period for which figures are available. [68295]
Mrs. McGuire: Information on Jobcentre Plus vacancy data at ward level is only available from April 2004 and is set out in the following table.
| Doncaster North Parliamentary Constituency | ||
| Average number of 'live' unfilled vacancies on the register on any given day | ||
| Ward | 2004 | 2006 |
| Source: Jobcentre Plus Labour Market System. | ||
Labour Statistics
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job vacancies were on the register on average at job centres in Tamworth constituency in each year between 2001 and 2005; and if he will make a statement. [71229]
Mrs. McGuire: Jobcentre Plus vacancy data by parliamentary constituency is only available from April 2004 and is set out in the table.
| Tamworth Parliamentary Constituency | |
| Average number of 'live' unfilled vacancies on the register on any given day | |
| Source: Jobcentre Plus Labour Market System | |
Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action his Department is taking to increase the numbers of people in work aged 50 years and over in Hartlepool constituency. [72614]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Like all other customers, people aged 50 and over can benefit from the range of services provided by Jobcentre Plus, including access to jobs and help and support to find work.
Additional help is provided to older people who do not find work quickly. New Deal 50 plus is a voluntary programme that provides people with advice and guidance from personal advisers, and access to in-work financial help through the 50 plus element of the working tax credit. Since April 2000, the programme has been successful in helping more than 150,000 older workers into employment, including 320 people in Hartlepool. Once in work, New Deal 50 plus customers can claim a training grant of up to £1,500 for training of which up to £300 can be used for life-long learning.
People aged 50 and over, including those in Hartlepool, are also eligible for help from New Deal 25 plus. People who have been claiming jobseeker's allowance (JSA) for 18 months and who have not previously participated in New Deal 25 plus are already required to attend the Gateway stage of the New Deal 25 plus programme. This is a period of up to four months of intensive job search and specialist help and
support to improve job prospects. This is followed by the intensive activity period (IAP) which is currently voluntary for people aged 50 and over. The IAP provides further support and pre-work training to help people return to work.
Since April 2004, we have been piloting mandatory participation in the New Deal 25 plus IAP for people aged 50 to 59 who have been claiming JSA for 18 months. The pilot has offered people in this age group more extensive help back to work. Hartlepool was not part of the pilot. However, interim pilot data has yielded positive results and, as announced in our Welfare Reform Green Paper, we will be commencing a phased national rollout.
New Deal 50 plus is a voluntary programme for those who have been claiming benefits, including those claiming the pension credit, for six months. However, our Green Paper also announced our intention to pilot mandatory participation in New Deal 50 plus activities for people aged 50 to 59 who have been claiming JSA for six months. This will involve attendance at work-focused interviews and the development of action plans to help participants move into employment. Pilot locations have not yet been confirmed.
In spring 2005 there were 3 million people claiming incapacity benefits in Great Britain, of whom 1.3 million were aged 50 or over. As nearly half of all benefit claimants aged 50 or over are on IB, they will be able to benefit from the rollout of the successful Pathways to Work service across the whole country which will be completed by 2008. Pathways offers new IB customers early support from skilled personal advisers and direct access to a “Choices Package” of employment programmes and clear financial incentives to make work pay. Any IB customer will be able to access the support and help available on a voluntary basis. Pathways has already begun helping people in the Hartlepool area, having rolled out there last year.
Our Age Positive campaign works with employers and others to promote the business benefits of an age diverse workforce and best practice on age in recruitment, training and promotion. In May 2005 we launched the 'Be Ready' national information campaign to raise employer awareness of, and ability to adopt, flexible employment and retirement opportunities to support the recruitment and retention of older workers in advance of age legislation due in October 2006.
Pension Credit
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received back payments of pension credit of (a) £1,000 to £1,999 and (b) £2,000 or more in each year since 2001. [70767]
James Purnell: The information requested is not available.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the pension credit caseload handled by the Pensions Service was during (a) January, (b) February, (c) March and (d) April 2006. [71723]
James Purnell: The information requested is not available; caseload figures are published on a quarterly basis each year.
The most recent early caseload estimates available are for February 2006. As at February 2006, there were 2,706,200 pension credit claimants in Great Britain.
Notes:
1. These figures are early estimates. Caseload figures are taken from the CMS scan at 17 February 2006, rated up to give end-month estimates. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure.
2. Caseload figures are a count of the number of pension credit claims in payment at a given time.
3. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest hundred.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate: 100 per cent. data from the Generalised Matching Service (QMS).
Women Pensioners
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women who are eligible to claim state retirement pension at 60 have not done so. [71846]
James Purnell: The information is not available in the format requested. However, it is estimated that approximately 15,000 women each year are eligible to but do not claim their state pension at age 60, but do so subsequently.
Note:
Estimates pre-date the introduction of more general deferral arrangement from April 2005 which may encourage more women to defer claiming their state pension.
Source:
GAD estimates based on DWP five per cent. administrative data.
Work (Over-50s)
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action his Department is taking to increase the number of people in work aged 50 years and over in Denton and Reddish constituency. [73132]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Like all other customers, people aged 50 and over can benefit from the range of services provided by Jobcentre Plus, including access to jobs and help and support to find work.
Additional help is provided to older people who do not find work quickly. New Deal 50 plus is a voluntary programme that provides people with advice and guidance from personal advisers, and access to in-work financial help through the 50 plus element of the working tax credit. Since April 2000, the programme has been successful in helping more than 150,000 older workers into employment, including 240 people in Denton and Reddish. Once in work, New Deal 50 plus customers can claim a training grant of up to £1,500 for training of which up to £300 can be used for life-long learning.
People aged 50 and over, including those in Denton and Reddish, are also eligible for help from New Deal 25 plus. People who have been claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) for 18 months and who have not previously participated on New Deal 25 plus are already required to attend the Gateway stage of the New Deal 25 plus programme. This is a period of up to four months of intensive job search and specialist help and support to improve job prospects. This is followed by the intensive activity period (IAP) which is currently voluntary for people aged 50 and over. The IAP provides further support and pre-work training to help people return to work.
Since April 2004, we have been piloting mandatory participation in the New Deal 25 plus IAP for people aged 50-59 who have been claiming JSA for 18 months. The pilot has offered people in this age group more extensive help back to work. Denton and Reddish was not part of the pilot; however, interim pilot data has yielded positive results and, as announced in our Welfare Reform Green Paper, we will be commencing a phased national rollout.
New Deal 50 plus is a voluntary programme for those who have been claiming benefits, including those claiming the pension credit, for six months. However, our Green Paper also announced our intention to pilot mandatory participation in New Deal 50 plus activities for people aged 50-59 who have been claiming JSA for six months. This will involve attendance at work-focused interviews and the development of action plans to help participants move into employment. Pilot locations have not yet been confirmed.
In spring 2005 there were 3 million people claiming incapacity benefits in Great Britain, of whom 1.3 million were aged 50 or over. As nearly half of all benefit claimants aged 50 or over are on IB, they will be able to benefit from the rollout of the successful Pathways to Work service across the whole country which will be completed by 2008. Pathways offers new IB customers early support from skilled personal advisers and direct access to a ‘Choices Package’ of employment programmes and clear financial incentives to make work pay. Any IB customer will be able to access the support and help available on a voluntary basis. Pathways is due to roll out in the Denton and Reddish area in the future.
Our Age Positive Campaign works with employers and others to promote the business benefits of an age diverse workforce and best practice on age in recruitment, training and promotion. In May 2005 we launched the ‘Be Ready’ national information campaign to raise employer awareness of, and ability to adopt, flexible employment and retirement opportunities to support the recruitment and retention of older workers in advance of age legislation due in October 2006.
Work Incentives
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review the structure of (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit in order to improve work incentives; and if he will make a statement. [64015]
Mr. Plaskitt: We continue to keep work incentives in both benefits under review. For example, since April 2004 a move into work has no longer required a fresh claim for either housing benefit or council tax benefit for the vast majority of people. Also, from April 2004 the extended payment scheme in housing benefit and council tax benefit has been widened to include people moving off incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance because they are starting work.
As outlined in the Green Paper “A New Deal for Welfare: Empowering People to Work” published in February, we propose to roll out the new local housing allowance to tenants in the private rented sector. The local housing allowance would be a major simplification of the housing benefit system which would make it easier for people to understand what in-work support they could receive. Our proposal to pay the local housing allowance directly to tenants, rather than to landlords, is also designed to promote financial inclusion and, where appropriate, help tenants develop financial and budgeting skills as they move towards work.
Treasury
Birds
Shona McIsaac: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many birds were imported into the (a) UK and (b) EU in each year between 2000 and 2005; and how many were of (i) wild-caught, (ii) captive-bred, (iii) ranched and (iv) farmed origin in each year. [67041]
Mr. Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply.
I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
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