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16 July 2008 : Column 469W—continued
(2) what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of persons residing in (a) Southend and (b) Essex who will receive (i) an increase, (ii) a decrease and (iii) no change in benefit paid following the introduction of local housing allowance; what steps he has (A) taken and (B) plans to take to assist those who receive a decrease; what recent representations he has received on this issue; what reply he gave in each case; and if he will make a statement. [218374]
Mr. Plaskitt: From 7 April 2008, the local housing allowance is being rolled out to customers making new claims for benefit and customers who change address. The local housing allowance provides a clear and transparent set of allowance rates that helps tenants know how much financial help is available. A claimant can obtain details of the relevant rate of local housing allowance in advance, allowing them to make informed choice about the affordability of specific accommodation.
A claimant who is receiving the local housing allowance and who moves address within their existing broad rental market area, and who has no other changes to their family composition, will normally see no change in the amount of local housing allowance that they receive.
Information on all local housing allowance rates and details of broad rental market areas are available from The Rent Service website at
The Department carried out a full public consultation before introducing the local housing allowance. We have received a wide range of representations about all aspects of local housing allowance. Details of individual representations, and our response to them, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
We will be carrying out a two year review of local housing allowance.
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much he estimates will be spent on each type of incapacity benefit in each of the next five years. [209317]
Mrs. McGuire [holding answer 6 June 2008]: Latest estimates of expenditure on incapacity and incapacity-related benefits are presented in the following table. The figures assume the introduction of employment and support allowance in October 2008 and announced policies at the time the forecasts were produced—they do not include future proposals yet to be agreed. The figures cover the period of the Government's spending plans 2010-11.
| Incapacity related benefits: estimated benefit expenditure, £ millions —nominal terms | ||||
| 2007-08 estimated outturn | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
| Notes: 1. Figures presented are also available on the DWP website through the following link: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp 2. Incapacity benefit is payable at short-term lower, short-term higher, long-term rates plus an earnings related rate for ex-invalidity benefit claimants. 3. Incapacity benefit is replaced for new claimants by employment and support allowance in October 2008. 4. Severe disablement allowance closed in April 2001 to new claimants. 5. Income support for the sick and disabled covers incapacity-related income support payments to those who experience short-term sickness, for a period up to one year, and for those who qualify as long-term sick or disabled. 6. Return to work credit is financial support to those experiencing incapacity, (subject to qualifying benefits), for the first year in which the individual returns to work. 7. Figures for statutory sick pay relate to estimated employer recoveries from the Government, based on information held by HM Revenue and Customs. 8. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million. Components may not sum to totals due to rounding. 9. All figures relate to individuals of working age. | ||||
Incapacity Benefit: Armed Forces
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in incapacity benefit to (a) current and (b) former armed services personnel in 2007-08. [218431]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is not available.
Income Support: Lone Parents
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many and what proportion of lone parents that will be affected by the changes to the eligibility criteria for income support taking effect in October 2008 have a child for whom they are receiving disability living allowance; and if he will make a statement; [214949]
(2) how many and what proportion of lone parents who will be affected by the changes to the eligibility criteria for income support taking effect in October 2008 are in (a) part-time employment, (b) unemployed and (c) in education or training; and if he will make a statement. [214950]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.
Information is available on the number of lone parents receiving income support at August 2007 who at that date had a youngest child aged 12 or over and who had a child for whom they were receiving disability living allowance.
Information is available on the number of lone parents receiving income support at November 2007 who at that date had a youngest child aged 12 or over and who were either receiving earnings from part time employment or no part time earnings from employment.
That information is in the tables.
No information is available on the numbers of lone parents with a youngest child aged 12 or over who were in education or training.
Some lone parents are exempt from these changes and will still be able to receive IS. These include lone parents who:
Are in receipt of carer’s allowance
Have a child who they are receiving the middle or higher rate care component of disability living allowance for;
Are fostering
| L one parents receiving income support at August 2007 who had a youngest child aged 12 or over at that date and who had a child for whom they were receiving disability living allowance | |
| Number | |
| Note: 1. 5 per cent. sample figures are uprated to 100 per cent. WPLS totals and rounded to the nearest 100. Totals may not sum due to rounding. Source: DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample | |
| L one parents receiving income support at November 2007 who had a youngest child aged 12 or over at that date and who were receiving earnings from part-time employment | |
| Number | |
| Note: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding. Source: DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS | |
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of Jobcentre Plus staff (a) have received specific training and (b) will receive specific training before October 2008 on the changes to eligibility criteria for income support affecting lone parents coming into effect in that month; and if he will make a statement. [215840]
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 16 July 2008:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many and what proportion of Jobcentre Plus staff have received specific training to date, and will receive specific training before October 2008, on the changes to eligibility criteria for Income Support affecting lone parents coming into effect in that month. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The introduction of the changes to eligibility criteria for receipt of Income Support, affecting lone parents, is to be phased over a three year period, commencing in November 2008. The changes will affect all jobs in Jobcentre Plus in different ways, and the proposed training and awareness approach will meet the specific needs of all job roles.
Our current planning assumption is that all Jobcentre Plus staff will require awareness products in the lead up to November 2008. Since February, five such products relating to this change have been issued to all Jobcentre Plus adviser managers. We also estimate that approximately 8,950 customer-facing staff will need
additional training during the implementation period, to equip them with the skills to support lone parents as they make their transition to Jobseeker's Allowance.
Further detailed work is currently being undertaken to convert these assumptions into more detailed plans. This approach will ensure adequate numbers of customer-facing staff are trained and available to deal with the increase in volumes of lone parents moving from Income Support to Jobseeker's Allowance at each stage of the implementation process.
Local Housing Allowance: Essex
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Southend and (b) Essex in the deregulated private rented sector who will be in receipt of local housing allowance in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009; [218375]
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Southend and (b) Essex who will be in
receipt of the local housing allowance where the rent is paid directly to the claimant in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009. [218376]
Mr. Plaskitt: The information is not available.
Personal Injury
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the highest 10 payments made by his Department in settlement of personal injury claims brought against it were over the last 12 months for which figures are available; which of those cases were (a) contested and (b) uncontested by the Department; and what the nature of the incident was in each case. [216679]
Mrs. McGuire: The information is provided in the following table.
| Nature of incident | Contested/ Uncontested | Date Concluded | Damages (£ |
|
Exacerbation of existing back condition by failure to provide adequate equipment | |||
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