Select Committee on Public Accounts Fifty-Sixth Report


2  Helping customers to meet their responsibilities

9. Jobcentre Plus has contact with a large number of people. Around 4.6 million people claim a main working-age benefit (Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support or Incapacity Benefits). Every day, around 16,000 new claims are made and 4,000 people are helped into work. Employment rates are above 70% in every region of the country except London (69.4%), but the Government now aims to get another 1 million people off benefit and into work, including 300,000 lone parents, increasing the number and range of customers who advisers will be expected to help. Success would result in an employment rate of 80% which the country has not seen before.[18] In helping people into work, consideration should be given to the childminding costs incurred by single parents returning to work and the impact on children.[19]

10. Personal advisers can only assist customers who attend their interviews. In 2005-06, customers failed to attend around 1.8 million scheduled interviews, at an estimated cost of £16 million in lost adviser time.[20] In some cases people have decided not to take their claim for benefit further, perhaps because they have found a job. In other cases people forget to attend. Analysis of the available data indicates that Incapacity Benefit customers are more likely to miss interviews than others, suggesting that health factors are partly the cause. In addition, the National Audit Office's survey of personal advisers showed that, on average, five customers per adviser per week arrive late for their appointments, also wasting adviser time and introducing delays for other customers throughout the day. Jobcentre Plus does not keep records of customers who are late.[21]

11. To counter the problem of non-attendance, Jobcentre Plus has introduced diary support officers to remind customers, some of whom have chaotic lifestyles, about impending appointments.[22] Jobcentre Plus is also using more modern methods of reminding people about appointments such as text messaging, as well as sending letters about initial appointments. Early indications are that these measures have already had a small but noticeable impact on attendance rates.

12. Jobcentre Plus has nearly completed the roll-out of its network of almost 900 offices. With the closure of some 600 old style and small offices and the relocation of Jobcentre Plus offices into town centres, some people in rural areas face longer journeys to attend mandatory interviews and signing on appointments.[23] When coupled with other difficulties such as problems with childcare or infrequent buses, long journeys may lead to missed appointments, although most jobcentres are within easy access of public transport. Jobcentre Plus does not currently offer reimbursement for travel expenses for mandatory interviews for initial claims for benefits.

13. Unemployed people claiming state benefits have responsibilities as well as rights and benefit payments are conditional upon claimants meeting these responsibilities. Customers who are regularly unable to attend their mandatory interviews may find it difficult to show that they are properly meeting their obligations to look for work. Some of these people may have mental health problems, as do around 40% of Incapacity Benefit claimants. There is some flexibility for advisers to waive interviews or to delay them where they may not be appropriate in terms of a customer's medication cycle or general wellbeing.[24]

14. Personal Advisers have discretion as to whether to accept the reasons given by individuals who do not attend their interviews. Where Advisers do not accept the reason, or none is forthcoming, there is a statutory procedure to follow in order to impose sanctions. The case may be referred to a Sanction Decision Maker to decide on the basis of the evidence, including from the customer. If a customer does not attend a new claims interview for Jobseeker's Allowance or Income Support their claim is disallowed and they will not start to receive benefits. Existing customers receive a formal warning and five days to provide a good reason for missing the interview. If this explanation is not satisfactory, sanctions can be applied as high as a 20% reduction in benefit for each missed interview.[25] Jobcentre Plus reports in 2005-06 there was a total of 154,800 "fail to attend referrals", with sanctions applied in 115,050 cases (74%).[26]


18   C&AG's Report, para 5; Ev 1 Back

19   Qq 80, 81 Back

20   C&AG's Report, para 58; Q 12 Back

21   C&AG's Report, Technical Appendix Two Back

22   Q 12 Back

23   Qq 29-33, 36-39 Back

24   Q 41 Back

25   C&AG's Report, para 54 Back

26   Qq 57-60, Ev 1 Back


 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2007
Prepared 9 October 2007