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20 Apr 2009 : Column 128W—continued
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance in (a) the UK, (b) England and (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in 2009-10. [262928]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is not available.
While we do not predict future levels of unemployment, we are planning for the impact of higher levels of jobseeker’s allowance claims in the coming months.
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants identified as having a drug addiction in each of the last five years. [264369]
Mr. McNulty: We do not collect information on the medical conditions of jobseeker’s allowance claimants.
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming jobseeker’s allowance are above the age of 50. [267269]
Mr. McNulty: As at February 2009, there are 216,690 people claiming jobseeker’s allowance in Great Britain aged 50 and over.
Notes:
1. Number of claimants rounded to nearest five.
2. Data is published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk
3. Figures exclude clerical cases.
Source:
100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (computer held cases only).
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time between submission of a claim for jobseeker’s allowance and the claimant receiving the first jobseeker’s allowance payment was in the last period for which figures are available. [267700]
Mr. McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the average time between submission of a claim for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) being submitted and the claimant receiving the first Jobseeker’s Allowance payment was in the last period for which figures are available. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The measurement of performance we use for JSA is known as the Actual Average Clearance Time (AACT). This is a calculation derived from an average of all the cases processed on our benefit processing system against the time each of those cases has taken to be processed. For JSA the two dates used to calculate this average are from the initial date of contact by the customer (i.e. their call to one of our Contact Centres) to the date a decision is made on their claim and a letter of eligibility is issued to them.
We cannot measure when the customer actually receives their first payment. The payment will be issued, if the customer is eligible, on the date a letter is issued. Monies will become available to the customer once they have passed through the banking clearance system for the relevant bank/building society or the Post Office Card Account, or when the postal system delivers a cheque payment for the customer to cash.
The AACT for JSA currently stands at 10.5 days (in month at February 2009) and 10.2 days (year to date). This is within the target of 11.5 days.
Jobseeker's Allowance: Cumbria
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of a jobseeker's allowance claim by a person registered as unemployed in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituency was in each of the last five years. [263792]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| The median duration of Jobseeker's Allowance completed claims in the parliamentary constituency of Copeland and the County of Cumbria, for the last five years. | ||||
| Copeland | Cumbria | |||
| Number | Median | Number | Median | |
| Notes: 1. Data are published at www.nomisweb.co.uk 2. Completed claims are rounded to the nearest five 3. Median is measured in number of weeks 4. Median is a better measure of “average” than arithmetic mean for skewed distributions such as duration of claim. Source: DWP WPLS 100 percent data | ||||
Jobseeker's Allowance: Hertfordshire
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for how long on average an unemployed person resident in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire claimed jobseeker's allowance in each of the last five years. [265807]
Mr. McNulty: The available information is in the table.
| Median duration of Jobseeker's Allowance completed claims in Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency and Hertfordshire, for the last five years | ||||
| Hemel Hempstead | Hertfordshire | |||
| Number | Median | Number | Median | |
| Notes: 1. Data are published at www.nomisweb.co.uk. 2. Completed claims are rounded to the nearest five. 3. Median is measured in number of weeks. 4. Median is a better measure of “average” than arithmetic mean for skewed distributions such as duration of claim. Source: DWP WPLS 100 per cent. data | ||||
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Independent Case Examiner plans to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Eastbourne of 6 August, 29 September, 21 October and 20 November 2008 and 16 February 2009 sent on behalf of his constituent, Mr. A Siegel; and when the Secretary of State expects the matter raised in the correspondence to be resolved. [268373]
Jonathan Shaw: The Independent Case Examiner’s office last wrote to the hon. Member on 9 December 2008 asking for further details of Mr. Siegel and his complaint, to enable them to provide an answer to the issues raised. They have no record of having received a reply. The Independent Case Examiner’s office contacted the Member’s constituency secretary on 31 March 2009 to request details of his letter of 16 February 2009. The Independent Case Examiner’s office will write to the hon. Member separately to progress matters.
National Insurance Contributions
Sir Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many temporary national insurance numbers were issued in the last 12 months; and how many are extant. [266348]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 30 March 2009]: The Department for Work and Pensions does not issue temporary national insurance numbers.
New Deal Schemes: Finance
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the budget for the Flexible New Deal in (a) phase 1 and (b) phase 2 is; and whether he plans to revise the budget following the revised estimates of the numbers of people flowing through each phase provided to those tendering to administer the Flexible New Deal. [268402]
Mr. McNulty [ holding answer 2 April 2009 ] : The indicative budget for phase 1 of the flexible new deal was included in the invitation to tender at an average of £236.6 million per annum, and the bids are subject to ongoing evaluation and commercial negotiation. Phase 2 indicative budgets will be announced as part of the procurement process later this year.
The Department does not forecast levels of long-term unemployment or the future number of claimants of jobseeker’s allowance. However, for planning purposes the Department does make use of the HM Treasury unemployment assumption, which is based on an average of a number of independent unemployment forecasts. These figures are planning assumptions only and do not reflect an official view of numbers of unemployed people or the duration of unemployment. An update to this assumption will be published in the Budget.
Pathways to Work
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the financial viability of Pathways to Work contracts in the current economic climate; and whether his Department has varied (a) contractual terms and (b) payment timings on any Pathways to Work contracts since their establishment. [267902]
Mr. McNulty [holding answer 31 March 2009]: The financial viability of providers is assessed before we award a contract, and throughout the contract life. Where any financial viability risks are identified the Department’s financial specialists seek robust and appropriate mitigation and ensure that management plans are put in place.
The Department, working in consultation with providers, has been looking at approaches to improve performance of Pathways to Work contracts. Among the actions agreed, we have been prepared to consider re-profiling the payment of the service fee element, to reflect more closely the expenditure and income generation of providers. This re-profiling does not, overall, change the contractual terms, the value or the total amount payable for outcomes against the service fee or the overall performance expectations. Each contract is being looked at on an
individual basis and of the 11 providers involved, we have agreed to re-profile in nine cases.
Pensioners: East Sussex
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners resident in (a) Eastbourne and (b) East Sussex have not yet received their Christmas bonus from his Department. [267246]
Ms Rosie Winterton: By 15 March 2009, 15.3 million scheduled additional Christmas bonus payments of £60 had been paid to pensioners and other eligible recipients. It is possible that a small number of customers may not have received their payment. Therefore exceptionally, some payments may need to be made clerically.
An exercise to identify the very small number of qualifying customers who have not yet received their payment is being undertaken.
Pensioners: Ex-servicemen
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter of response to the representations made in the report from the Royal British Legion and Age Concern on the situation of ex-service pensioners; and if he will make a statement. [266797]
Kitty Ussher [holding answer 26 March 2009]: The director general of the Royal British Legion wrote to the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform drawing attention to the Return to Rationing Campaign and the needs of ex-service and other pensioners. The then Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Warwick and Leamington (Mr. Plaskitt) replied on 24 September 2008 and a copy of the reply has been placed in the Library.
We have since received a number of further representations in support of the Royal British Legion campaign and have replied in similar terms.
Pensioners: National Insurance Contributions
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make an estimate of the cost of extending eligibility to buy back six additional years of national insurance contributions to (a) men and (b) women reaching state pension age in (i) 1978, (ii) 1988 and (iii) 1998; and if he will estimate the cost of such extension to all those reaching pension age within these time periods, regardless of qualifying years. [263150]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Self-Employed
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what steps his Department is taking to support formerly self-employed persons without work; [261497]
(2) if he will adjust the criteria for claiming contribution-based jobseeker's allowance to enable formerly self-employed persons without work to claim the allowance. [261499]
Mr. McNulty:
The Government are doing everything they can to help those who become unemployed back into work as quickly as possible. We are investing an
extra £1.3 billion to ensure that through Jobcentre Plus we can continue to provide personal help and advice to everyone who needs it.
Income-based jobseeker's allowance is available to self-employed people who meet the eligibility criteria. The Department administers a wide range of benefits and allowances that are available to people on low incomes. Self-employed people who meet the qualifying criteria may be entitled to housing benefit, council tax benefit and help with NHS charges. Those working and on a low income may be entitled to working tax credit whilst those with children may be entitled to child tax credit.
Class 2 national insurance contributions provide self-employed people with protection against ill-health, bereavement and old age by providing entitlement to employment and support allowance, bereavement benefits and basic state pension and the rate of contributions they pay reflects this. There are no plans to extend this entitlement to contributory jobseeker's allowance.
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