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22 Apr 2008 : Column 2006W—continued
Incapacity Benefit: Inverness
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed incapacity benefit in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency in each year since 1997, broken down by reason for claim. [200083]
Mrs. McGuire: Information is not available prior to 2005. The available information is in the following table.
Incapacity Benefit: Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit claimants cited (a) myofascial pain syndrome and (b) fibromyalgia as a main cause of their medical problem in each of the last three years; how many of each category were awarded benefit; and if he will make a statement. [198852]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is not available.
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many jobseeker’s allowance claimants were sanctioned or disallowed in each month in 2006-07; what the main reasons for these decisions were; and if he will make a statement; [192920]
(2) how many jobseeker’s allowance claimants were sanctioned or disallowed in (a) April 2007, (b) May 2007, (c) June 2007 and (d) July 2007. [192921]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information has been placed in the Library.
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2008, Official Report, column 576W, on jobseeker’s allowance, how many jobseeker’s allowance claimants went on holiday for (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) over four weeks in each year since 1997, broken down by region. [195777]
Mr. Timms: The information requested is not available. A jobseeker can be treated as actively seeking work while away from home, for example on holiday, for up to two weeks in any 12-month period. As they do not need to look for work during this period no proof of job search is required, but they must remain in Great Britain and be available for work during this period in order to continue receiving jobseeker’s allowance. However, jobseeker’s allowance is terminated when someone goes outside the country for more than a day, unless it is for an interview. There is nothing on the jobseeker’s allowance payment system datasets to identify customers on holiday in Great Britain who remain eligible for jobseeker’s allowance.
New Deal Schemes
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those participants leaving the (a) New Deal for Young People, (b) New Deal 25 Plus, (c) New Deal 50 Plus, (d) New Deal for Lone Parents, (e) New Deal for Disabled People and (f) New Deal for Partners immediately entered (i) employment and (ii) sustainable employment in each month of the existence of each programme. [190580]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 29 February 2008]: A measure of sustainability is only available for new deal for young people, new deal 25-plus, new deal for lone parents and new deal for disabled people.
The available information for all new deals has been placed in the Library.
Social Security Benefits: Forms
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what forms individuals seeking (a) jobseekers allowance, (b) incapacity benefit, (c) housing benefit and (d) council tax benefit are required to complete. [198994]
Mr. Plaskitt: Claims for DWP administered working-age benefits, including incapacity benefit, jobseeker’s allowance and income support are generally made via a freephone telephone call to a Jobcentre Plus Contact Centre. Clerical claim forms are also available for those customers who may have difficulty using a telephone or do not want to claim via telephone. Where a customer is also claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit, the Department forward the details to the relevant local authority.
Pensioners making a claim for housing benefit and council tax benefit alongside pension credit are issued with a pre-populated three page claim form to check and return direct to the local authority.
Where an individual makes their claim for housing benefit and council tax benefit direct to the local authority, the type of form they use and the process they undertake varies between each local authority area.
For all these benefits, other forms may need to be completed depending on individual circumstances.
Social Security Benefits: Payments
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the error rate in the Accuracy of Payments System database is. [198995]
Mr. Plaskitt: The Department's estimates of fraud and error are published in a series of reports called ‘Fraud and Error in the Benefit System’. The most recent report, ‘Fraud and Error in the Benefit System October 2005 to September 2006’, was published in December 2007. Copies are available in the Library. The report can also be viewed on the Department's website at:
State Retirement Pensions
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of (a) men and (b) women who drew their state retirement pension when they reached state pension age in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [195639]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 20 March 2008]: By the end of March 2007 approximately 230,000 men and 320,000 women in Great Britain that had reached state pension age in 2006 were in receipt of a state pension; this is approximately 94 per cent and 87 per cent respectively of the population estimated to have reached SPA in 2006 with entitlement to a state pension and alive at the end of March 2007.
The remaining pensioners not in receipt of a state pension will be in the process of deferring their state pension. Following a period of state pension deferral a claimant can either:
(1) Take a lump sum that will have accrued at a rate of two percentage points above the Bank of England base rate or;
(2) Receive extra state pension whereby an additional one per cent is added to the value of the state pension for every five weeks of deferral.
Tribunals: Employment
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance is issued to employment tribunals on procedures to follow in cases where a claimant has a learning disability; and if he will make a statement. [197285]
Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
The Tribunals Service does not provide specific guidance on the provision of reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities attending a tribunal hearing. The Tribunals Service considers any request for a reasonable adjustment on a case by case basis as the specific requirements for each person will be different.
However, I agree this is an important issue especially to ensure access to justice for all and so I shall ask the Head of the Tribunals Service to consider issuing guidance.
Justice
Departmental Manpower
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) permanent Civil Service posts, (b) permanent non-Civil Service posts and (c) temporary or agency workers in employment in his Department there were in each month since May 2005. [199534]
Bridget Prentice: The information is as follows:
The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007, bringing together the Department for Constitutional Affairs, Her Majesty’s Court Service and Associated Offices, the National Offender Management Service, the Prison and Probation Services, and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
As this is a round robin question tabled to all Departments, prior to this Machinery of Government change on 9 May 2007 the National Offender Management Service, the Prison and Probation Services, and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform are included as part of the response from the Home Office.
From May 2005 up to 9 May 2007 a response for the Former DCA part of the MoJ only is included. This includes Her Majesty's Court Service, Public Guardianship Office, Tribunals Service and Associated Offices.
Therefore figures for this response are provided in two parts.
(a) Permanent Civil Service Posts & b) Permanent Non-Civil Service Posts (how many there were in each month since May 2005)
Information on the number of posts for the whole of the MoJ is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. The only Department that holds this information is the Public Sector Prison Service. This is recorded quarterly and is included in the following table. All these posts relate to Civil Servants. Decisions as to whether the identified posts are filled by permanent or temporary staff are made locally and not recorded centrally.
| Public Sector Prison Service | |
| Date | Planned posts permanent/non-permanent split not defined ( FTE ) |
Figures for Permanent Civil Service Posts (Staff in Post - FTE) are available from the Former DCA, NOMS and OCJR. Figures on permanent non-civil staff are not held centrally by these departments and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
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