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local and regional partnerships and their roles and responsibilities in relation to drug treatment services

Jobcentre Plus programmes, services and processes, which will ensure that Jobcentre Plus advisers within their district are aware of the help and support Jobcentre Plus can offer customers, and

22 Apr 2009 : Column 770W

how the wider drugs strategy fits within the wider welfare to work agenda.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseeker’s allowance claimants there were per Jobcentre Plus (a) staff member and (b) personal adviser in each of the last 12 months, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement. [246905]

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.

Letter from Ruth Owen :

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants there were per (a) staff Jobcentre Plus member and (b) personal adviser in each of the last 12 months, broken down by region. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mel Groves as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. Mel Groves is currently on Annual Leave and I am replying in his absence.

Jobcentre Plus has a key role in helping both individuals and employers in the current economic situation. Our priority is to ensure people receive the benefits they are entitled to and the support and training necessary to get back to work as soon as possible, and help employers fill their vacancies with suitably qualified people.

Working with a range of partners, we promote work as the best form of welfare, helping unemployed and economically inactive people of working age move closer to the labour market and compete effectively for work, while providing appropriate help and support for those without work.

In addition to Jobseeker’s Allowance, Jobcentre Plus staff deal with a wide range of benefits including Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance and Bereavement Benefits. I enclose a copy of the available information and a copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Ratio of jobseeker’s allowance claimants to total Jobcentre Plus staff
	Total	East	East Midlands	London	North East	North West	Scotland	South East	South West	Wales	West Midlands	Yorks and the Humber
2007
December	11.46	13.05	12.00	17.72	10.74	9.32	8.88	12.37	8.63	8.39	15.28	10.09
2008
January	12.05	13.82	12.50	17.72	11.54	10.19	9.50	13.00	9.33	9.06	15.59	10.59
February	12.33	14.15	12.82	17.87	11.77	10.55	9.76	13.29	9.66	9.39	15.73	10.88
March	12.32	14.08	12.89	17.80	11.80	10.52	9.68	13.54	9.69	9.34	15.51	10.95
April	12.28	13.95	12.93	17.58	11.75	10.68	9.51	13.57	9.56	9.16	15.54	11.05
May	12.30	14.01	13.03	17.69	11.73	10.62	9.46	13.56	9.58	9.08	15.44	11.14
June	12.18	13.70	12.81	17.76	11.37	10.45	9.51	13.48	9.50	8.88	15.37	11.08
July	12.54	13.66	13.21	17.89	11.62	11.00	9.87	13.83	9.94	9.30	15.63	11.65
August	13.28	14.46	14.16	18.54	12.31	11.71	10.37	14.61	10.88	9.92	16.55	12.45
September	13.66	14.98	14.49	19.03	12.83	12.11	10.25	15.29	11.30	10.22	16.99	12.89
October	14.08	15.61	14.65	19.33	13.43	12.37	10.53	15.82	12.05	10.54	17.32	13.44
November	15.29	17.30	15.96	20.10	14.61	13.20	11.50	17.82	13.60	11.63	18.67	14.62
Notes: Jobseeker’s allowance data 1. Figures exclude clerical cases. 2. Data are published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk Source: 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems (computer held cases only). Jobcentre Plus total staffing numbers 3. A small number of staff have not been allocated to Government office region on the payroll system. These have been included in calculations for the total but not the individual regions. Source: Data View (Payroll extract).

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Ratio of jobseeker’s allowance claimants to Jobcentre Plus personal advisers
	Total	East	East Midlands	London	North East	North West	Scotland	South East	South West	Wales	West Midlands	York s and the Humber
2007
December	82.71	87.24	93.93	88.52	76.11	78.27	70.14	85.73	62.47	74.87	103.00	82.88
2008
January	86.88	92.37	98.01	88.58	80.60	84.00	75.98	89.98	67.98	81.09	106.87	86.89
February	89.38	95.48	101.14	89.62	83.61	86.75	78.54	92.40	70.80	83.72	110.23	89.01
March	89.46	96.24	101.86	89.17	85.73	87.07	78/71	91.97	69.86	83.74	108.97	89.40
April	90.87	97.50	103.71	88.73	86.04	90.03	79.99	95.72	71.97	83.86	108.00	92.19
May	90.19	96.09	103.23	89.30	84.56	88.25	78.85	95.55	72.43	82.53	106.36	92.19
June	90.34	93.69	102.92	90.44	83.57	88.33	79.25	95.28	73.01	81.42	106.82	93.83
July	93.22	95.30	105.58	92.54	85.64	92.64	80.50	95.88	77.86	86.06	110.84	98.07
August	99.25	99.62	111.48	97.72	91.02	96.93	87.11	101.47	86.49	93.76	118.94	104.32
September	99.92	100.44	110.03	98.82	92.15	96.23	85.67	103.04	88.95	96.12	119.64	106.25
October	102.61	104.40	111.19	100.21	97.29	97.62	87.61	106.39	96.37	97.71	120.87	110.52
November	111.62	114.40	123.68	104.58	106.82	105.08	94.59	122.12	111.07	106.95	129.95	118.83
Notes: Jobseeker’s allowance data 1. Figures exclude clerical cases. 2. Data are published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk Source: 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems (computer held cases only). Jobcentre Plus personal adviser staffing numbers Source: Activity Based Management system.

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