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14 July 2008 : Column 131W—continued
Incapacity Benefit
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the number of people receiving incapacity benefit (IB) in each parliamentary constituency; how many people made successful applications for IB in each constituency in 2007; and how many children are living in households dependent on IB in each London constituency. [215587]
Mr. Timms: The available information for incapacity benefits claimants and on-flows has been placed in the Library.
For the available information about children, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave her on 8 July 2008, Official Report, column 1562W.
Jobcentres: Closures
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many closures of Jobcentre or Jobcentre Plus offices are planned; and in which locations; [211141]
(2) which Jobcentre and Jobcentre Plus offices closed in each year since 1997. [211143]
Mr. Timms: 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 14 July 2008:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions seeking details of planned closures of Jobcentre Plus offices by location, and how many Jobcentre Plus offices were closed in each year since 1997. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
I attach a list of Jobcentre Plus offices which are currently open to the public and which we plan to close. In each case the planned closure has been approved by the Minister of State following consultation. Our approach to closure of a customer-facing Jobcentre takes into account a range of issues, for example, the impact closure may have on customer service and whether the work and staff can be relocated. When we are looking to withdraw our services from a location we are committed to full consultation with our customers, partner organisations, Trade Unions, staff, and local Members of Parliament.
I am only able to provide information on the number of Jobcentre Plus offices closed since April 2002, when Jobcentre Plus was created by the merger of the former Employment Service and Benefits Agency. A list of the Jobcentre Plus offices closed in each year since April 2002 is attached and a copy will be placed in the Library.
| Customer facing Jobcentre Plus offices planned for closure | |||
| Government office region | District | Site name | Site address |
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were receiving jobseekers allowance in each month since 2005, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement. [215895]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information has been placed in the Library.
Medical Certificates
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of sick notes issued by doctors in each of the last five years, broken down by region. [216577]
Mr. Timms: The information is not available.
Pathways to Work: Contracts
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he considered a departmental in-house bid following the entry into administration of the Pathways to Work contractor Instant Muscle. [214589]
Mr. Timms: No. We have always been clear that in order to benefit from the experience of the private and voluntary sectors in providing help to incapacity benefit claimants, delivery of Pathways to Work in phases two and three of the national roll out was to be provider led. Operational arrangements had been made on this basis both by providers and by Jobcentre Plus. The entry into administration of the chosen contractor did not affect these decisions or our ability to deliver Pathways to Work to customers in the relevant geographical areas.
Pensioners: Social Security Benefits
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of pensioner couples one or both of whom are aged 85 years or over entitled to but not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit, (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit or local housing allowance and (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit or local housing allowance and council tax benefit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [214956]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of single pensioners of each sex aged 85 years or over entitled to but not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit, (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit or local housing allowance and (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit or local housing allowance and council tax benefit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [214959]
(3) what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of pensioner couples, where one or both were aged 85 years or over and living in poverty who were entitled to but not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit, (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit/local housing allowance and (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit/local housing allowance and council tax benefit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [215757]
(4) how many and what proportion of single pensioners aged 60 to 75 years or over were entitled to but not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit, (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit/local housing allowance, (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit/local housing allowance and council tax benefit, broken down by sex, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [215885]
(5) what estimates his Department has made of the number and proportion of single pensioners aged 60 to 75 years or over were living on incomes below 60 per cent. of the median income level and who were entitled to but not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit, (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit/local housing allowance and (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit/local housing allowance and council tax benefit, broken down by sex, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [215891]
(6) how many and what proportion of pensioner couples, where one or both are aged 60 to 75 years old, who are entitled to, but not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit, (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit/local housing allowance and (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit/local housing allowance and council tax benefit, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [215986]
(7) what estimates the Department has made of the number and proportion of single pensioners aged 75 to 85 years old, who are living in poverty and who are entitled to, but are not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit, (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit/local housing allowance and (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit/local housing allowance and council tax benefit, broken down by sex, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [215987]
(8) how many and what proportion of single pensioners aged 75 to 85 years old who are entitled to, but not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit, (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit/local housing allowance and (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit/local housing allowance and council tax benefit, broken down by sex in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [215989]
(9) what estimate the Department has made of the number and proportion of pensioner couples, where one or both are aged 75 to 85 years old, who are living in poverty and who are entitled to but not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit, (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit/local housing allowance and (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit/local housing allowance and council tax benefit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [215991]
(10) how many and what proportion of pensioner couples, where one or both are aged 75 to 85 years old, who are entitled to but not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit, (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit/local housing allowance and (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit/local housing allowance and council tax benefit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [215994]
(11) what estimate his Department has made of the number and proportion of pensioner couples, where one or both are aged 60 to 75 years old, who are living in poverty and who are entitled to but not claiming (a) guarantee credit and council tax benefit , (b) guarantee credit and housing benefit/local housing allowance and (c) guarantee credit, housing benefit/local housing allowance and council tax benefit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [215995]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Estimates of the numbers of entitled non-recipients of means-tested benefits in Great Britain, covering income support, pension credit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and jobseeker’s allowance (income based) are published in the report “Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2006-07”.
The published estimates consider each benefit in isolation. I regret that no estimates are available for the numbers of people who are entitled to but not receiving combinations of income-related benefits.
Social Fund: Finance
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the administrative costs of paying (a) crisis loans, (b) budgeting loans and (c) community care grants were in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement. [216050]
Mr. Plaskitt: 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 14 July 2008:
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your question on what the administrative costs of paying (a) crisis loans, (b) budgeting loans and (c) community care grants were in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Specific information regarding the administrative costs of paying Community Care Grants is not available prior to 2006/07. The available information for the administrative costs for paying Crisis Loans, Budgeting Loans and Community Care Grants is in the following table. The increase in the administrative costs for paying Crisis loans in 2007/08, was due to a rise in applications for Crisis Loans that year.
| Administrative costs of paying Crisis Loans, Budgeting Loans and Community Care Grants | |||
| £ million | |||
| Crisis Loans | Budgeting Loans | Community Care Grants | |
Social Security Benefits
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the value of (a) income support and (b) jobseekers allowance as a percentage of forecast (i) mean and (ii) median earnings in each year until 2012; [200640]
(2) what (a) income support, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) child benefit was as a percentage of (i) mean and (ii) median earnings in each year since 1997. [200648]
Mr. Plaskitt: The available information is in the following tables. The percentage levels of benefits for future years will depend upon future movements in earning levels, uprating of benefits, changes in the composition of claimants' characteristics, and policy changes.
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