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15 July 2008 : Column 321W—continued
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what his latest estimates are of the number of lone parent families in each region that will be affected by the changes to the eligibility criteria for income support taking effect in (a) October 2009 and (b) October 2010; and if he will make a statement; [214954]
(2) what his latest estimates are of the number of lone parent families in each region that will be affected by the changes to the eligibility criteria for income support taking effect in October 2008; and if he will make a statement. [214955]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available.
Information is available on the number of lone parents receiving income support at November 2007 who had a youngest child aged seven, 10 or 12 or over at that date by region.
That information is in the following table:
| Number of income support lone parents at November 2007, by age of youngest child | |||
| Government Office Region | 12 or over | 10 and over | 7 and over |
| Note: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS. | |||
Jobcentre Plus: Breast Feeding
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Government's policy is on breastfeeding by clients in Jobcentre Plus offices; and if he will make a statement. [218630]
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.
The Secretary of State has asked me to respond to your question asking about the policy on breastfeeding by clients in Jobcentre Plus offices. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
Jobcentre Plus has no specific policy on mothers breastfeeding in our offices. Our managers adopt a flexible approach, which will often depend on the particular circumstances of the office. In some offices, this can include, for example, the provision of a suitable area.
I hope this is helpful.
National Insurance: Immigrants
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 9 May 2008, Official Report, column 1289W, on national insurance: immigrants, how many individuals were on the list of those whose licences had been revoked supplied by the Security Industry Authority to his Department; and when his Department began checking the national insurance numbers and national insurance status of the illegal workers. [206320]
Mr. Timms: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) provided the Department for Work and Pensions with a list of 7,266 individuals on 7 March 2008, and a further 920 individuals on 16 April 2008. This total of 8,186 names included cases where licences had already been revoked and all cases where appeals were pending at the time and where revocation remained a possibility. Work on checking the cases commenced on the 10 March 2008 and has only recently been completed.
Analysis of the details provided by the SIA shows that a total of 294 national insurance numbers were issued following the introduction of the right to work test in July 2006. Detailed checks have confirmed that 269 of these did have the right to work at the time the NINO was issued. The right to work had subsequently expired which is why they were found to be working illegally by the SIA. A balance of 25 cases were found not to have had the right to work and to have been issued with a NINO incorrectly. However, this was due to a temporary misunderstanding by staff about students having an automatic right to work which was quickly rectified.
The remaining 7,892 cases were either issued before the right to work test was introduced (4,617 or about 58.5 per cent. of the 7,892) or are cases where the names or NINOs given to the SIA appear to be false (3,275 or about 41.5 per cent.). Further examination into cases where false names or NINOs appear to have been provided has been initiated where appropriate.
Pensioners: Social Security Benefits
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate his Department has made of the average amount unclaimed by 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; [214957]
(2) what estimate his Department has made of the average amount unclaimed by pensioner couples where one or both were aged 85 years or over, 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; [215758]
(3) what estimates his Department has made of the average amount unclaimed by single pensioners aged 60 to 75 years or over 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; [215888]
(4) what estimates the Department has made of the average amount unclaimed by 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; [215985]
(5) what recent estimates the Department has made of the average amount unclaimed by 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. [215993]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Estimates of the average unclaimed weekly amounts 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 following table presents average unclaimed weekly amounts of guarantee credit and council tax benefit among pensioners who are entitled to but not receiving both benefits. The amounts are presented for the different family types identified in the question and for each complete financial year since the introduction of pension credit. The amounts for each year are presented in the prices for that year and are rounded to the nearest 10 pence. These estimates are based on survey data and so will be subject to some sampling variation.
Sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results for the groups identified in the other parts of the question. We are therefore unable to provide estimates for those entitled to but not claiming guarantee credit and housing benefit as identified in part (b) of each question. Similarly we cannot provide estimates for those entitled to but not claiming guarantee credit and housing benefit and council tax benefit as identified in part (c) each time.
Social Security Benefits
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of employment and support allowance claimants who will receive (a) pensioner premium, (b) severe disability premium, (c) enhanced disability premium and (d) carer premium in each of the next five years. [209939]
Mr. Timms: We expect there will be similar proportions in receipt of the severe disability premium, carer’s premium and pensioner premiums under employment and support allowance, as there are for the current incapacity benefits stock. The number of people eligible for the enhanced disability premium will increase under employment and support allowance, due to the automatic passport to the premium for those in the support group. This ensures that everyone in the group receiving income-related employment and support allowance will receive the enhanced disability premium.
The following table provides estimates for those receiving the premiums under incapacity benefits without the introduction of employment and support allowance and this is broadly similar to the combined incapacity benefits and employment and support allowance totals. However, the exception is the number of people in receipt of the enhanced disability premium, which is expected to rise by over 100,000 in the long-run, over and above the figures presented as follows.
| Incapacity benefits—additional premiums paid through income support: Estimated benefit case loads | ||||
| 2007-08 estimated outturn | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| ‘—’ Indicates figures are negligible. Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5,000. 2. Figures are based on information underlying benefit expenditure tables published on the DWP website. The tables are accessible via the following link: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp | ||||
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