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27 Apr 2009 : Column 1053W—continued
Employment Schemes
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what meetings (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had with trade union and business leaders to discuss the recruitment subsidies announced on 12 January 2009. [269029]
Mr. McNulty: The Secretary of State and ministerial colleagues have ongoing discussions with business and trade union leaders about the full range of employment policies, and have discussed the recruitment subsidy on numerous occasions, including the first meeting of the National Employment Partnership on 11 February.
Incapacity Benefit
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of those in receipt of incapacity benefit who will continue to qualify for the benefit as a result of physical or mental disability following the implementation of the proposed changes to eligibility criteria. [270004]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 22 April 2009]: The White Paper, “Raising expectations and increasing support”, stated that existing incapacity benefits recipients will be migrated to employment and support allowance from 2010. This will involve having the work capability assessment rather than the personal capability assessment which is a more accurate and up to date assessment of limited capability for work than its predecessor. It therefore provides a more appropriate means to ensure that individuals are receiving the correct benefit.
We are monitoring the early stages of implementation of employment and support allowance and this will inform our estimates of the likely impact of the work capability assessment on existing incapacity benefits recipients.
The White Paper also announced changes to the contribution conditions to modernise the link between work and access to contributory working age benefits including employment and support allowance. These changes apply to new claimants only.
Jobcentre Plus
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of the Jobcentre Plus National Workload Projection updates covering the period up to 2020-21 from each quarter of the last three years. [261023]
Mr. McNulty: The available information up to October 2008 has been placed in the Library.
Jobseeker's Allowance projections are based on the planning assumption produced by HM Treasury from the average of independent forecasters' forecasts, and published at each Budget and pre-Budget Report. They do not constitute a Government forecast. Beyond the planning horizon, the projections assume that the unemployment rate remains constant, in line with the long-term projections underpinning the Long-Term Public Finance Report.
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the distance travelled by jobseeker’s allowance claimants to the Jobcentre Plus where they sign on is recorded by Jobcentre Plus. [269051]
Mr. McNulty: This information is not recorded.
However, where it is unreasonable to expect someone to attend their nearest Jobcentre Plus office to ‘sign on’, we have long-standing arrangements that allow them to maintain their claim by post. These arrangements apply if:
The customer lives more than one hour (door to door) by public transport from the nearest office; or
Attendance means being away from home in excess of four hours; or
The customer has a mental or physical disability that restricts mobility; and
in other exceptional circumstances for example, where the customer would have to use a form of transport they would not ordinarily be expected to use on a regular basis, ie an inter-city train, ferry or plane
Jobcentre Plus: Internet
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 26 February 2009, Official Report, column 934W, on departmental internet, whether he plans to establish a virtual jobcentre using second life virtual world technology. [270292]
Jonathan Shaw: The DWP Second Life initiative is in its infancy and at this stage the establishment of a virtual jobcentre is not planned.
Jobcentre Plus: Resignations
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jobcentre Plus personal advisers in (a) each region, (b) each Jobcentre Plus district and (c) total have resigned in each of the last (i) five years and (ii) 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [269507]
Mr. McNulty: The information requested is not available.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the average clearing time for (a) income support applications and (b) jobseeker’s allowance applications was (i) at each benefit delivery centre and (ii) in the UK in each month of the last two years; [264518]
(2) how many outstanding jobseeker’s allowance claims there were at each benefit delivery centre in each month of the last two years. [264657]
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 questions asking: what the average clearing time for income support applications
and jobseeker’s allowance applications was at each benefit delivery centre and in the UK in each month of the last two years; and how many outstanding jobseeker’s allowance claims there were at each benefit delivery centre in each month of the last two years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
The Jobcentre Plus target for the Average Actual Clearance Time (AACT) for Income Support (IS) and Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) in the last two years is set out below. For IS the processing time commences when the customer has provided all the evidence required in order to process the claim. For JSA the time commences from the date the customer makes initial contact with Jobcentre Plus.
| Days | ||
| IS | JSA | |
The information has been placed in the Library. This shows the actual achievement of the AACT for IS and JSA by Benefit Delivery Centre (BDC) and the volume of outstanding claims at each BDC for each month in the last two years.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are claiming jobseeker's allowance in each of the phase one Flexible New Deal contract areas, broken down by length of claim. [266124]
Mr. McNulty: The available information is in the following table.
| Jobseeker's allowance claimants in each of the phase one Flexible New Deal contract areas, broken down by length of claim February 2009 | |||
| Phase one Flexible New Deal contract areas | 0-26 w eeks | Over 26 to 52 w eeks | Over 52 w eeks |
| Notes: 1. Data are rounded to the nearest five. 2. Data are published at https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/Default.asp Source: 100 percent Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems | |||
National Insurance Contributions
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate how many (a) UK and (b) non-UK residents would purchase an additional (i) six and (ii) nine years of national insurance contributions if purchasing those additional years were available only to those who already had (A) between 10 and 15 years, (B) between 15 and 20 years and (C) 20 years or more of qualifying national insurance contributions in each of the next 10 years. [257196]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Estimates for the number of potential gainers would depend upon the level of take-up.
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