Previous Section Index Home Page

30 Oct 2006 : Column 6W—continued


Carer's allowance (CA), state pension (SP), and bereavement benefit (BB) claimants in the City of York parliamentary constituency, as at date shown each year
CA SP BB

March 2000

18,400

March 2001

18,000

March 2002

500

17,800

100

February 2003

500

18,200

70

February 2004

470

18,150

70

February 2005

490

18,150

60

February 2006

510

18,070

80

Notes:
1. CA figures are rounded to the nearest 100 from 2002-03 and to the nearest 10 from 2004 onwards.
2. SP figures are rounded to the nearest 100 from 2000 to 2002 and to the nearest 10 from 2003 onwards.
3. BB figures are rounded to the nearest 100 for 2002 and to the nearest 10 from 2003 onwards.
4. CA figures exclude underlying entitlement cases.
5. CA and SP figures are not available broken down by parliamentary constituency prior to 2000.
6. BB replaced widow's benefit, for new claims, on 9 April 2001.
Sources:
100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS); DWP information Directorate 5 per cent. samples.

Industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB) claimants in the City of York parliamentary constituency, as at date shown each year
Number

March 2000

200

March 2001

200

March 2002

200

March 2003

205

March 2004

200

March 2005

205

December 2005

205

Notes:

1. IIDB figures to March 2002 are based on a 10 per cent sample from clerical forms and are subject to sampling error; they are rounded to the nearest hundred.

2. IIDB figures from March 2003 are from a 100 per cent sample from the Industrial Injuries Computer System; they are rounded to the nearest five.

3. IIDB figures are not available broken down by parliamentary constituency prior to March 2000.

4. The latest available data is for December 2005.


Winter fuel payments claimants in the City of York parliamentary constituency, as at date shown each year
Winter Number

1999-2000

18,600

2000-01

20,140

2001-02

20,090

2002-03

19,980

2003-04

19,850

2004-05

19,440

2005-06

19,340

Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Figures are not available broken down by parliamentary constituency prior to winter 1999-2000.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate, 100 per cent. data.


30 Oct 2006 : Column 7W
Payments made for each benefit in the City of York parliamentary constituency in 2005-06
£ million

Income support

13.3

Jobseeker's allowance

6.1

Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance

9.4

Widow's benefit/bereavement benefit

1.2

Pension credit

9.0

Disability living allowance

10.2

Attendance allowance

5.7

Carer's allowance

1.3

State pension

87.3

Industrial injuries disablement benefit

0.5

Winter fuel payments

5.5

Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred thousand.
2. Figures are based on four-quarterly averages for the quarters May 2005 to February 2006.
3. The latest available industrial injuries disablement benefit data relate to December 2005.
4. Bereavement benefit replaced widow's benefit, for new claims, on 9 April 2001.
Source:
100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS); DWP information Directorate 5 per cent. samples.

Carers

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who have had to leave the workforce because of their caring responsibilities in each of the last five years. [95700]

Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 20 October 2006]: The information requested is not available.

Departmental Vacancies

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of vacancies in his Department in the last 12 months required candidates to have at least a grade C in (a) English and (b) mathematics GCSE. [96733]

Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions uses competencies and selection tests in its processes for both internal and external selection including appropriate literacy and numeracy tests in external selection, rather than formal educational qualifications in mathematics and English.

Events (Risk Assessments)

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance the Health and Safety Executive has produced on the need for risk assessments of public events organised by the voluntary sector. [95818]

Mrs. McGuire: Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently re-published “Charity and voluntary workers: A guide to health and safety at work” (HSG192). This is mainly concerned with the health and safety of workers employed by the voluntary sector, but does touch upon public events. It was developed in partnership with the Charities Safety Group, which has over 100 member charities, and the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

The guidance makes clear that employers are required to carry out an assessment of risks that result from their undertaking and, if they employ five or more people, that they must record the findings of the assessment. Therefore, where the body organising an event is an employer, as many charities are, the law requires that a risk assessment is carried out.


30 Oct 2006 : Column 8W

The guidance also includes advice and case studies to help charities and volunteering organisations decide on the practical steps they need to take.

HSE also supported Volunteering England in the development and recent launch of their risk assessment toolkit which is available free online at www.volunteering.org.uk. It gives detailed guidance on all aspects of risk assessment in volunteering, including health and safety aspects of organising events.

Evidence of Identity

Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 19 April 2006, Official Report, column 719W, on national insurance, what proportion of those who attended a Jobcentre Plus Evidence of Identity interview were referred to the Immigration and Nationality Department; and what proof of identity is normally required at a Jobcentre Plus Evidence of Identity interview. [68908]

Mr. Plaskitt: In the year from 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006, fewer than 1 per cent. of those who attended a Jobcentre Plus Evidence of Identity interview were referred to the Immigration and Nationality Department as potential immigration offenders.

Adults who require a NINO are asked to bring a number of documents to the Evidence of Identity interview to help prove their identity. These documents are set out in form ISSPA5JP, which is available from Jobcentre Plus and social security offices. Copies have been placed in the Library. It is also available at www.dwp.gov.uk

Government Social Research Service

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of the Government Social Research Service in his Department in each of the last five years; how many projects have been completed by the service in that period; and how many people are employed in the service in his Department. [95857]

Mrs. McGuire: The Department's expenditure on social research for the last five financial years is given in the following table:

£ million
Financial year Expenditure

2001-02

11.8

2002-03

10.2

2003-04

12.5

2004-05

14.2

2005-06

16.92


The number of projects completed during the last five years, based on the number of social research reports published, is 430 (all social research undertaken by the Department is published).

The latest available staffing figures (for the year 2004-05) indicate there are 84 social researchers employed within this Department at a cost of around £4.4 million.


30 Oct 2006 : Column 9W

Housing Benefit

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance and information has been provided to raise awareness of the change that allows housing benefit to continue to be paid for a young person who has started a full-time course before turning 19 until they complete the course or turn 20. [90380]

Mr. Plaskitt: Local authorities, who administer housing benefit, have been issued with guidance advising them of the amendments that have been made to the housing benefit regulations as a result of the changes of the entitlement conditions for child benefit. This guidance was contained in housing benefit and council tax benefit circular A6/2006. A copy has been placed in the Library.

Income Support

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which individuals are able to eat healthily when in receipt of income support personal allowance for a single person aged (a) 16 to 17, (b) 18 to 24 and (c) 25 years and over. [95051]

Mr. Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions has not made any assessment of the extent to which individuals are able to eat healthily when in receipt of income support. The rates of income support are intended to cover all normal day to day living expenses.

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of increasing by £1 per week income support levels for single people aged (a) 16 to 17 and (b) 18 to 24 years. [95060]

Mr. Plaskitt: The annual cost of increasing by £1 per week income support levels for single people is estimated to be £1,000,000 for people aged 16 to 17 and £14,000,000 for people aged 18 to 24.

International GCSE

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department recognises the International GCSE as an acceptable substitute for a GCSE for the purposes of recruitment. [96864]

Mrs. McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions uses a combination of competencies and selection tests for recruitment purposes and does not use specific educational qualifications as a criterion.

Investment Allowances

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the capital limits are for those benefits for which he is responsible in (a) cash terms, (b) real terms with 1997 as the base and (c) terms of years of present maximum annual investment savings account allowances. [92783]


30 Oct 2006 : Column 10W

Mr. Plaskitt: Capital limits apply to all income related benefits: income support; jobseeker's allowance; pension credit; housing benefit and council tax benefit.

Capital at or below the lower limit does not affect benefit. For capital between the lower and the upper limit, an amount of ‘tariff income’ is assumed. Claimants with capital above the upper limit are excluded from benefit. Pension credit has no upper limit, nor do housing benefit and council tax benefit when paid with pension credit.

Benefit rates are set for the financial year, not the calendar year, and with 1997-98 as the base year, the real terms capital limit amounts are set out together with the present upper and lower capital limits, which were increased for working age claimants in April 2006, in the table.

Capital limits in income related benefits in cash and real terms.
£
Cash terms Real terms( 1)

Council tax benefit, housing benefit, income support and jobseeker's allowance

Lower limit

6,000

4,750

Upper limit

16,000

12,750

Child's limit

3,000

2,500

Lower limit (RC/NH)(2)

10,000

8,000

Pension credit

Lower limit

6,000

4,750

Upper limit

(3)

(3)

Lower limit (RC/NH)W

10,000

8,000

(1 )Deflated by RPI base year 1997-98
(2 )RC = residential care home; NH = nursing home
(3 )No limit
Note:
Forecast RPI for 2006-07, from Budget 2006

Next Section Index Home Page