Previous Section Index Home Page

5 Jun 2006 : Column 190W—continued


5 Jun 2006 : Column 191W

Voluntary Arrangements Service

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance HM Revenue and Customs gives to the Voluntary Arrangements Service with regard to rules for the acceptance of Independent Voluntary Arrangements; and what changes have been made to these rules in the last two years. [74080]

Dawn Primarolo: The criteria for acceptance of a voluntary arrangement are contained in leaflet CWL5 entitled “The Voluntary Arrangements Service - Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise — Working together for you” first published in 2001.

The Voluntary Arrangements Service applies these criteria to proposals for all voluntary arrangements and will support a Voluntary Arrangement where:

A revised version of the leaflet is being produced to reflect the creation of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs which will be issued to Insolvency Practitioners in the summer. The acceptance criteria remain the same but a requirement has been added that all creditors who participate in the arrangement do so receiving equal treatment within their creditor groups.

Work and Pensions

Benefit Claim Processing

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken to rate a claim for (a) jobseekers' allowance and (b) income support was in Ribble Valley in each of the last 10 years. [73201]

Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 23 May 2006]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the information requested.

Letter from Lesley Strathie:


5 Jun 2006 : Column 192W
Days
Income support Jobseeker's allowance
Standard Achievement Standard Achievement

2002/03

12

11.1

12

11.4

2003/04

12

12.4

12

12.6

2004/05

12

12.5

12

11.3

2005/06

12

14.6

12

13.2

Notes:
1. The figures quoted include claims to Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support made by customers in Accrington, Blackburn, Clitheroe and Darwen. Figures for individual offices/areas are not obtainable.
2. Information is only available from 2002 as clearance times were not measured in this way before then.

Departmental Programmes

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of his Department's building programme in the 2005-06 financial year included (a) energy self-generation and (b) water recycling measures. [71463]

Mr. Plaskitt: None of the Department’s building programme in the 2005-06 financial year included (a) energy self-generation or (b) water recycling measures. However, all buildings newly built or acquired for DWP must meet the BREEAM “excellent” standard, which will ensure that opportunities continue to be considered in future programmes. DWP is working under a PFI partnership deal with Land Securities Trillium to deliver energy and water saving projects across its existing estate of approximately 1,500 buildings.

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action is being taken through departmental programmes to encourage into work (a) those aged over 50 years and (b) those above state pension age. [72237]

Mr. Jim Murphy: Like all other customers, people aged 50 and over, including those above state pension age, 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, which is a voluntary programme, 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. 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 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 4 months of intensive job search and specialist help
5 Jun 2006 : Column 193W
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. 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.

Since October 2004, pension credit has been a qualifying benefit for the majority of Jobcentre Plus programmes. This enables people aged 60 and over who are claiming pension credit to take advantage of the wide range of back to work help available.

In spring 2005 there were three million people claiming incapacity benefits in Great Britain, of which 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.

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.

The number of people working past State Pension Age has been increasing and now stands at over one million. We have introduced more attractive state pension deferral options with a higher rate of increment (10.4 per cent.) and the option of taking a lump sum instead of a weekly increase if individuals defer taking their pension for 12 months or longer.

Framework for Vocational Rehabilitation

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made in
5 Jun 2006 : Column 194W
implementing the Framework for Vocational Rehabilitation. [67424]

Mrs. McGuire: Following the publication of the Framework for Vocational Rehabilitation, the strategy ‘Health, Work and Well-being; Caring for our future’ launched in October 2005 set out how the Government is working in new ways to rehabilitate people back to employment. A National Director for Health and Work has now been appointed holding specific responsibility for vocational rehabilitation and on 3 May 2006 the Government held a summit for stakeholders.

The Government are also working with stakeholders to find ways to provide earlier and better rehabilitation as part of its wider programme of work on tackling perceptions of a compensation culture and improving the system for valid claims.

Jobcentre Plus

Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ensure that all Jobcentre Plus staff, including those based in Plymouth, are aware of the provisions of SI 2002 No 2905 which affect hon. Members' ability to make representations on behalf of their constituents. [72023]

Mr. Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the information requested.

Letter from Lesley Strathie:

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on providing Jobcentre Plus services in each London Jobcentre Plus district in each of the last five financial years, broken down by (a) head count related expenditure, (b) non-head count related expenditure and (c) capital expenditure; and if he will make a statement. [72747]

Mr. Jim Murphy [holding answer 22 May 2006]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the
5 Jun 2006 : Column 195W
Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the information requested.

Letter from Leslie Strathie:


5 Jun 2006 : Column 196W
£000
District (costs include irrecoverable VAT) 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06( 1)

Brent, Harrow and Hillingdon

(a) Headcount related costs

14,884

18,390

17,211

14,753

(b) Non-headcount related costs

8,351

4,816

7,812

7,601

(c) Capital

25

351

0

0

Central London

(a) Headcount related costs

32,538

21,445

22,033

19,084

(b) Non-headcount related costs

17,489

14,337

18,606

15,094

(c) Capital

0

30

1

0

City and East London

(a) Headcount related costs

31,323

31,980

33,252

22,645

(b) Non-headcount related costs

18,891

18,593

24,436

19,380

(c) Capital

0

0

0

0

Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth

(a) Headcount related costs

28,327

32,412

29,681

26,317

(b) Non-headcount related costs

13,268

12,168

14,985

11,734

(c) Capital

38

878

40

0

North London

(a) Headcount related costs

21,067

22,820

22,822

20,601

(b) Non-headcount related costs

8,136

9,816

14,481

11,012

(c) Capital

0

14

0

0

North East London

(a) Headcount related costs

21,246

23,935

23,201

16,288

(b) Non-headcount related costs

9,352

8,169

11,197

8,386

(c) Capital

0

0

0

0

South London

(a) Headcount related costs

22,345

21,241

21,934

20,522

(b) Non-headcount related costs

6,999

8,772

9,821

9,471

(c) Capital

0

23

0

0

South East London

(a) Headcount related costs

17,576

19,172

19,203

17,940

(b) Non-headcount related costs

8,920

9,803

11,296

10,821

(c) Capital

0

13

0

0

West London

(a) Headcount related costs

17,403

17,034

16,813

16,097

(b) Non-headcount related costs

8,675

11,754

14,476

13,341

(c) Capital

64

1

0

0


Next Section Index Home Page