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16 Apr 2007 : Column 255W—continued
Social Security Benefits: Postal Services
Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the bodies responsible for awarding (a) pension credit, (b) housing benefit, (c) income support, (d) jobseeker’s allowance, (e) incapacity benefit, (f) council tax benefit and (g) state pension have spent on sending mail items in each of the last five years. [130596]
Mr. Plaskitt: Spend on sending mail items in the last five years is detailed in the following table. The Pension Service is responsible for awarding pension credit and state pension. Jobcentre Plus is responsible for awarding income support, jobseekers allowance and incapacity benefit. Housing and council tax benefit is awarded by the claimant’s local authority. No spend data is available and is not included therefore in the table.
| £ | ||||||
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | Total | |
Social Security Benefits: Sanctions
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the effect of benefit sanctions. [124085]
Mr. Plaskitt: There is strong evidence to suggest that sanctions do drive behaviour. Of those claiming jobseekers allowance (JSA) the vast majority comply with the JSA conditions; only 14 per cent. Are actually referred for a decision and only 4 per cent. Actually have a sanction applied. Research of those that have and have not been sanctioned on JSA found that nearly half of those sanctioned think their own sanction was fair.
80 per cent. Of lone parents attend work focused interviews (WFI). Of the 20 per cent. Who fail to attend the majority, two thirds, go on to attend their subsequent WFI following a sanction or threat of a sanction.
In the pathways pilots only around 1 per cent. Of customers have been sanctioned.
These figures suggest that the overwhelming majority of claimants meet the conditions and understand the need for sanctions when those conditions are not met.
While there is a financial penalty to sanctions the threat of sanctioning is usually enough to deter non-compliance with the rules. But where there is non-compliance and a sanction is applied, it has to be sufficient to drive home the message that benefit is only paid to those who meet the conditions.
Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls were made to the 08456 088564 Jobcentre Plus number of the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last six months; what average time was taken to answer calls in each month; and how many missed calls there were in each month. [124967]
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 hon. Member with the information requested.
Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 3 April 2007:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many calls were made to the 08456 088564 Jobcentre Plus number of the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last six months; what was the average time it took to answer calls; and how many missed calls there were in each month. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The telephone number 08456 088564 relates to Exeter, which we are currently converting into a Benefits Delivery Centre. When this process is complete the new telephony system will be able to provide the requested information.
As part of this transition, the 0845 number was introduced from 05 December 2006 and available data shows an increase in calls answered each month from 6,426 calls in December 2006 to 7,385 in January 2007 and 7,770 in February 2007.
We are working hard to ensure the number of calls answered continues to increase. The average length of each call is approximately 4 minutes.
I hope this is helpful.
Social Security Benefits: Terrorism
Mr. Francois:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals related to suspected terrorists have had their welfare payments
(a) suspended and (b) terminated in each of the last nine months; and what value of payments was suspended or terminated in each case. [131365]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available.
State Retirement Pensions
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who will be entitled to a state pension in 2012. [126392]
James Purnell [holding answer 13 March 2007 ]: The information is not available in the format requested. For the year 2012-13 the number of people in receipt of state pension is estimated to be 13.3 million.
Note:
Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000 as they are estimates and therefore subject to variation.
Source:
DWP Forecasting Division.
State Retirement Pensions: Carers
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward amendments to legislation to ensure that carers who claim state pension are also able to claim carer’s allowance. [130463]
Mrs. McGuire: Depending on their circumstances, all pensioners may be entitled to extra help from social security benefits on top of their state pension.
We have already changed the rules so that carers aged 65 or over can claim carer’s allowance. State pension and carer’s allowance are both income maintenance benefits, and they are not payable in full at the same time because this would involve duplicate provision from public funds. However, where state pension is payable at less than the rate of carer’s allowance, an amount of carer’s allowance can be paid to make up the difference.
There are no current plans to introduce any additional allowance in respect of pensioners who are also carers, or to change the policy on overlapping benefits in respect of carer’s allowance and state pension.
Voluntary Organisations: Religion
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what methodology his Department uses to assess the contribution of faith-based groups to the delivery of welfare and the preparation for work in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [123170]
Mr. Jim Murphy:
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has many valuable links with faith-based organisations, as with other parts of the voluntary and community sector. Faith-based organisations work with the Department in policy development, as members of consultative groups; as partners with local communities, particularly where they are disadvantaged in the labour market; and
suppliers delivering welfare and employment services under contract to the Department.
Where faith-based organisations tender for welfare contracts, their proposition is assessed in exactly the same terms as other voluntary or private sector bidders.
Welfare to Work: Reform
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with (i) the Department of Health, (ii) the Department for Education and Skills, (iii) the Department for Communities and Local Government, (iv) the Department for Trade and Industry, (v) the Home Office and (vi) HM Treasury to discuss the recommendations of the David Freud Review of the Welfare to Work Strategy. [127737]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Ministers and officials have had, and will continue to have, regular meetings with other Departments on areas of common interest. This has included discussions on the recent review by David Freud.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the changes to legislation necessary to implement the recommendations of the Freud Review on Welfare to Work; and if he will make a statement. [127741]
Mr. Jim Murphy: David Freud’s independent review “Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work” was published on 5 March 2007. The Government are considering its recommendations, including any changes to legislation that may be necessary and will respond in due course.
Winter Fuel Payments
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in winter fuel payments to pensioners living outside the UK in 2006-07, broken down by country of recipients’ residence. [129821]
James Purnell: The final figures for 2006-07 on Pensioners living outside the UK are not available at present.
The most recent figures available are for 2005-06 and were given in the reply on 28 February 2007, Official Report, column 1415W.
Young Persons
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of young people between 16 and 25 years were not in work, training or education in each local authority area in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [110530]
Mr. Jim Murphy: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Communities and Local Government
Community Development: Religion
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what investigations take place into applicants for grants from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund (FCCBF) on (a) the extent of their representativeness amongst that religion’s followers and (b) the ability of groups to finance schemes without FCCBF grants; and if she will make a statement. [131278]
Mr. Woolas: Applications for funding from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund (FCCBF) are administered by the Community Development Foundation on behalf of Communities and Local Government and are considered against a range of criteria, based on assessment of supporting information provided.
The consideration process does not consider the extent of applicants’ representativeness among a religion’s followers, but where relevant the Community Development Foundation will take care to ensure an organisation does reach the communities they claim to.
Council Housing: Property Transfer
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the results of each local authority housing stock transfer ballot that has taken place in the last two years. [130297]
Yvette Cooper: Large scale voluntary transfer ballots results from 1 April 2005 to date are listed in the following table:
| Date of tenant ballot | LA/Scheme | Valid votes cast | Percentage in favour |
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