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30 Jun 2008 : Column 698W—continued


30 Jun 2008 : Column 699W

Number and proportion of children in households below 60 per cent. of median income by age group (after housing costs)
Number of children (million)
Age of child
Coverage

0 to 4 5 to 10 11 to 15 16+ All

GB

1997-98

1.3

1.5

0.3

4.2

1998-99

1.3

1.5

0.3

4.3

1999-2000

1.3

1.4

0.3

4.2

2000-01

1.2

1.4

0.3

3.9

2001-02

1.1

1.3

0.3

3.9

UK

2002-03

1.1

1.3

0.3

3.9

2003-04

1.1

1.2

0.3

3.7

2004-05

1.1

1.1

0.3

3.6

2005-06

1.1

1.2

0.4

3.8

2006-07

1.2

1.2

0.4

3.9


Proportion of children (percentage)
Age of child
Coverage

0 to 4 5 to 10 11 to 15 16+ All

GB

1997-98

35

35

32

26

33

1998-99

37

35

32

26

34

1999-2000

37

32

32

25

33

2000-01

34

31

31

26

31

2001-02

33

31

30

27

31

UK

2002-03

32

29

29

27

30

2003-04

31

28

28

24

29

2004-05

31

27

29

26

28

2005-06

32

29

30

28

30

2006-07

34

31

28

27

30

Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income data. 2. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures is single financial years. 3. Up to 2005-06, a child was defined as anyone aged under 16 or anyone aged 16 to 18 who is not married, in a civil partnership nor living with a partner, who is living with parents and who is in full-time non-advanced education or unwaged Government training. From 2006-07, this definition was extended to include 19-year-olds fulfilling these conditions to be in line with child benefit eligibility. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 6. The Government's preferred measure of relative low income poverty is defined as being in a household with a household income of less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median income. 7. Figures have been presented on both a Before Housing Cost and After Housing Cost basis. For Before Housing Cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Cost they are. This means that After Housing Cost incomes ill generally be lower than Before Housing Cost. 8. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 children, while proportions of children have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. Ages have been split into four bands because of sample sizes. Total numbers of children are in line with National Statistics mid-year estimates. 9. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.

30 Jun 2008 : Column 700W

Remploy: York

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what provision his Department made to support those working at Remploy in York at the time of its closure. [210231]

Mrs. McGuire: Local Jobcentre Plus staff have been working with Remploy to provide help and advice to their York employees since December 2007. Employees were initially given job seeking and benefits advice, which included personal interviews for all disabled employees with a Disability Employment Adviser.

Remploy have provided a comprehensive package to all affected Remploy employees, including those at York. This included the provision of a permanent Remploy Employment adviser dedicated to ensuring that disabled employees are placed successfully into new jobs. In addition, Remploy has contracted with a specialist York based provider, Future Prospects to work proactively with key stakeholders to help Remploy's disabled employees, including the allocation of specialist learning and work advisers.

Jobcentre Plus has liaised with Remploy Advisers to provide vacancy information and have given all affected Remploy York employees day one eligibility to access Jobcentre Plus programmes and provision immediately.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many former employees at Remploy in York have found new employment, broken down by (a) employer and (b) location. [210232]

Mrs. McGuire: Of the 21 former Remploy York employees who requested a work placement through Remploy Employment Services, four are on pre-placement activities, for example job search and preparation, and a total of 15 have been placed in permanent work, mainstream work trials or placements in a more supportive environment. Information on the employer and location for each of the 15 is in the following table.

Employer Location Number employed

Age Concern

Acomb, York

1

Sodexo

Fulford Road, York

1

St Mikes Church

Minster Yard, York

1

Age Concern

Walmgate, York

1

Halfords

Foss Island, York

2

British Heart Foundation

Strensall, York

1

Asda

Monks Cross, York

2

Tesco

Tadcaster Road, York

3

British Heart Foundation

Acomb, York

1

York Minster

Minster Yard, York

1

Future Prospects

York

1

Source:
Remploy

Eight former Remploy York employees who opted for voluntary redundancy or early retirement are receiving help from Remploy to find work. A further two former employees have found work in York City Centre, working for Kindom.


30 Jun 2008 : Column 701W

Skilled Workers

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the establishment of the Integrated Employment and Skills Service cost. [211134]

Mr. Timms: The Integrated Employment and Skills Service will commence in 2010-11 and will be delivered primarily by Jobcentre Plus and the new adult advancement and careers service. Design and development work is under way to test the new service from autumn 2008.

In order to take forward our plans for an Integrated Employment and Skills Service through the creation of the advancement and careers service and skills accounts, we have set aside new funding rising to at least £50 million a year by 2010-11.

Further investment of £2.0 million in 2008-09 and a further £2.0 million in 2009-10 has been made available to support the development of advancement prototypes to test the most effective ways of providing access to wider sources of advice.

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people the Integrated Employment and Skills Service employs. [211142]

Mr. Timms: The Integrated Employment and Skills Service is not a new organisation but the title for a new
30 Jun 2008 : Column 702W
offer for customers, which will be delivered primarily by Jobcentre Plus and the new adult advancement and careers service. It does not involve the creation of a new organisation and will be delivered by existing staff from the key delivery organisations although capacity will be kept under review as the new offer is implemented.

Social Security Benefits

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the levels of welfare dependency in each of the last 10 years; [208863]

(2) what assessment he has made of levels of welfare dependency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [213564]

Mr. Timms: There is no simple definition of the term welfare dependency. The Department’s policies aim to reduce the numbers claiming out-of-work benefits by helping individuals, particularly long-term claimants and others at a particular disadvantage in the labour market, to move into and progress in work. The number on out of work benefits has fallen by over a million—or around 20 per cent.—in the past ten years. The figures in the following table show the number of working age people claiming an out-of-work benefit in November each year since 1998.

Numbers of working age claiming out-of-work benefits
Date (As at November each year) Jobseeker's allowance (claimant count)( 1) Incapacity benefits( 2) Lone parents on income support (IS)( 2) Carer( 4) Other (IS others and pension credit)( 3, 5)

1998

1,325,300

2,643,730

938,950

229,380

1999

1,184,100

2,674,710

930,240

316,500

218,370

2000

1,035,600

2,722,570

905,760

311,560

196,690

2001

959,700

2,746,020

878,590

328,620

179,080

2002

936,400

2,776,560

856,230

343,720

161,360

2003

913,000

2,780,490

831,750

353,250

154,200

2004

829,500

2,772,180

796,530

361,420

157,940

2005

900,900

2,710,500

778,560

363,340

155,740

2006

947,700

2,672,960

775,620

371,710

161,100

2007

814,400

2,641,700

741,830

379,350

167,290

(1) UK figures (seasonally adjusted) published by ONS. This 100 per cent. series is the most reliable and up-to-date source for claimant unemployment.
(2) GB figures (not seasonally adjusted). Published by DWP back to August 1999 as part of the 100 per cent. working age client group analysis. Earlier consistent figures have been created by combining information from the previously published five per cent. sample data with the WPLS data. A consistent series for the UK as a whole is not readily available.
(3) GB figures (not seasonally adjusted). Published by DWP back to August 1999 as part of the 100 per cent. working age client group analysis. Before this point a five per cent. sample series is used, scaled to be consistent with the 100 per cent. data.
(4) Figures on carers are only available from November 1999 onwards.
(5) Other income related benefit: includes claimants on income support who are sick and cannot claim incapacity benefit.

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