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20 July 2009 : Column 848W—continued
Jobcentre Plus: Qualifications
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether she has made an assessment of the merits of requiring minimum qualifications for Jobcentre Plus personal advisers; and if she will make a statement. [275406]
Jim Knight: 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 to James Purnell asking whether he had made an assessment of the merits of requiring minimum qualifications for Jobcentre Plus personal advisers. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to Mel Groves as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. As Mel Groves is currently on annual leave, I am replying in his absence.
I have recently commissioned a review to develop an accreditation strategy for a number of key job roles across Jobcentre Plus, which will include the personal adviser role. The results of this review will be available in the Autumn.
Currently, within the recruitment process all Jobcentre Plus personal advisers are required to meet a minimum entry standard. This is assessed through testing literacy and numeracy. Successful candidates will then go to the second stage interview where the individual's relevant competencies are examined.
Once recruited, in addition to an internal learning programme we invest in the S/NVQ programme where personal advisers work towards an externally recognised qualification in 'advice and guidance'. This is not a mandatory requirement.
Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to ensure the provision of access to freephone Government helplines in Jobcentre Plus offices for benefit claimants; and if she will make a statement. [278372]
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will instruct Jobcentre Plus to ensure all calls to social fund offices are free of charge to customers using either landline or mobile telephones. [282636]
Jim Knight: The Department believes strongly that calls to its 0800 numbers should be free to mobile phone users as they already are to callers from landlines. Officials from the Department have accordingly held discussions with the Telephone Helplines Association, and with mobile telephone operators, seeking to secure the Department's customers a free service when contacting the Department's 0800 numbers via a mobile phone. These discussions are continuing.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will estimate the proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants of each age who have skills levels equivalent to less than level 2. [287316]
Jim Knight [holding answer 15 July 2009]: The information requested is not available.
Jobseeker's Allowance: Fraud
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for jobseeker's allowance were rejected owing to fraudulent documents being used in support of such applications in each of the last five years. [281986]
Jim Knight: We do not record the number of applications for jobseeker's allowance (JSA) rejected due to fraudulent documents being used. However, we can provide reassurance that rigorous checks of all documentation are undertaken when an application to JSA is made. If there is a suspicion about the validity of the documentation produced, the case is referred to our Fraud Investigation Service. The claim will not be put into payment until the questions around the documentation are resolved.
Jobseeker's Allowance: Personation
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals have been found to be claiming jobseeker's allowance under a false or stolen identity in each of the last five years. [281987]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.
Lone Parents: Employment
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of the lone parents who were moved from income support onto jobseeker's allowance as a result of changes to benefit rules in December 2008 are in employment; and if she will make a statement. [286481]
Jim Knight: Due to unavoidable time lags in the collation and assessment of our benefits and employment data, the Department cannot provide this information at this point in time. Our comprehensive evaluation of Lone Parent Obligations will address benefit transitions and employment outcomes and this information will be available in due course.
New Deal Schemes: Essex
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point have participated in a New Deal programme in each of the last three years. [282435]
Jim Knight: The figures for New Deal starters in Essex and in Castle Point are shown in the tables:
| (a) Essex | |||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| (b) Castle Point | |||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Notes: 1. Westminster Parliamentary Constituency (post May 2005) is allocated using the ONS postcode directory and customer's postcode. 2. Time series-year of starting: the calendar year of starting the New Deal. Latest data is to February 2009. 3. The measure used for New Deal 50 Plus and New Deal for Partners is Starters (individuals) as spells are not available in these cases. 4. Since June 2008, the New Deal for Disabled People has ceased to operate as a national programme. 5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate. Figures are available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/tabtool_nd.asp | |||
New Deal: Pathways to Work
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) criminal and (b) administrative penalties are available in respect of contractors for work under the (i) New Deal and (ii) Pathways to Work programmes found to have defrauded her Department; and if she will make a statement. [283974]
Jim Knight: All DWP Welfare to Work contracts, including Pathways to Work and New Deal programmes, include mandatory clauses outlining the remedies where contractor fraud is committed. Remedies range from a formal warning with the recovery of any amounts paid by the Department in respect of any fraud or financial irregularity and damages that are appropriate through to termination of contract. Contracts will be terminated where the breach of the contract terms is sufficiently serious.
DWP deals with minor irregularities internally. Where the Department believes the matter is more serious, and where there may be sufficient evidence for a prosecution, the matter will be referred to the police.
DWP will always investigate any allegations and take action where there is sufficient evidence for us to do so.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many investigations her Department is undertaking into contracts for (a) New Deal and (b) Pathways to Work. [283975]
Jim Knight: The Department is undertaking four investigations into contracts for New Deal and one investigation into contracts for Pathways to Work.
Pension Credit: Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and (b) the London Borough of Bexley have received pension credit in each year since its inception. [286690]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table.
| H ousehold recipients of pension credit | ||
| As at November each year | Bexleyheath and Crayford parliamentary constituency | Bexley local authority |
| Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim Pension Credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data | ||
Pension Credit: Derbyshire
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in (a) Derbyshire and (b) West Derbyshire have received pension credit in each year since its inception. [286415]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table.
| Household recipients of pension credit | ||
| As at November each year | Derbyshire local authority | West Derbyshire parliamentary constituency |
| Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data | ||
Pension Credit: North East
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pension credit recipients live in Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency. [280704]
Angela Eagle As at November 2008, there were 5,230 households in receipt of pension credit in Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency.
Notes:
1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.
Source:
DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.
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