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26 Oct 2009 : Column 156W—continued
Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people (a) in total, (b) aged 18 to 24, (c) aged 25 to 49 and (d) aged 50 years and over who made a new claim for (i) incapacity benefit and (ii) employment and support allowance in the most recent year for which figures are available in (A) Pathways to Work Jobcentre Plus-led areas and (B) Pathways to Work-led areas were in work (1) six months and (2) one year later. [291007]
Jim Knight [holding answer 14 September 2009]: The information requested is not available.
Incapacity Benefit: Mentally Ill
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the likely impact on the mental health of people in receipt of incapacity benefit due to mental health problems of proposals to change eligibility for incapacity benefit. [293887]
Jonathan Shaw: Several steps have been taken to mitigate any stress caused to those with mental health conditions upon entering the claim process for employment and support allowance.
The questionnaire that most customers will fill in when they claim employment and support allowance (the ESA50) has been redesigned to make it more customer-friendly. We have improved the wording, lay-out and design of the form. The questionnaire used for the previous assessment did not fully take into account the cognitive functions of people with learning disabilities and other conditions such as brain damage, that are not mental health problems. The new questionnaire also includes the opportunity for individuals to detail fluctuations in the nature of their condition. Where customers suffer from mental health conditions, the claim will be progressed even if the questionnaire is not completed.
Every month a customer satisfaction survey is sent at random to a large number of customers. This ensures an ongoing assessment of the customer experience and highlights any areas in need of review and improvement.
In addition, to protect our most vulnerable customers, Jobcentre Plus has ensured that safeguards are embedded into the design and delivery of employment and support allowance. These safeguards ensure that where a customer has a mental health condition, and fails to comply with the Work Capability Assessment processes, benefit will not be withdrawn until their responsibilities have been explained to them either by telephone contact or a home visit.
Industrial Injuries Scheme: Knees
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account her Department takes of the participation of miners in industrial action in 1984 and 1985 when reckoning service in order to determine the compensation payable for (a) miners' beat knee and (b) osteoarthritis of the knee. [292955]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 14 October 2009]: Periods of industrial action in 1984 and 1985 are not relevant in considering entitlement to PD A6 (Beat Knee).
For osteoarthritis of the knee, periods of industrial action exceeding three months in 1984 and 1985 do not qualify as time spent underground and therefore do not count towards the 10 year qualifying period.
Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services
Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the revenue guaranteed by the Jobseekers Direct telephone line in 2009-10. [291734]
Jim Knight: The Department for Work and Pensions does not receive any revenue from the Jobseekers Direct telephone line.
Jobseeker's Allowance: Employment Schemes
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of a work trial undertaken by a jobseeker's allowance claimant was in each of the last 24 months. [293588]
Jim Knight: The information requested is not available in the format requested. Such information that is available is in the following table:
| Duration of completed work trials by jobseeker's allowance customers April 2009 to September 2009 | |||
| 0-7 days duration | 8-21 days duration | 22+ days duration | |
| Note: The totals of the in-month figures are lower than the cumulative number of Work Trials completed. This is because the in-month figures are a snapshot taken on a particular date in the month, whereas the cumulative total figure reflects subsequent Work Trials that took place. Source: BOXI Management Information | |||
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseeker's allowance claimants aged (a) 18 to 24 and (b) 25 to 59 years old in each region have completed a work trial in each of the last 24 months; and if she will make a statement. [293594]
Jim Knight: 11,239 work trials have been completed by jobseeker's allowance customers from April 2009 to September 2009. The totals of the in-month figures are considerably lower than the total number of work trials completed. This is because the in-month figures are a snapshot taken on a particular date in the month, whereas the total figure reflects subsequent work trials that took place.
The information requested is not available in the format requested. Such information that is available is in the following table:
Jobseeker's Allowance: Fife
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what average length of time a claimant received jobseeker's allowance in North East Fife constituency in (a) each of the last 12 months and (b) each of the last five years. [293976]
Jim Knight: The information is in the following tables:
| Average length of tim e a claimant received jobseeker' s allowance in North East Fife constituency in each of the last 12 months | |
| Median ( n umber of w eeks) | |
| Source: DWP WPLS 100 per cent. data | |
| Average length of time a claimant received jobseeker ' s allowance in North East Fife constituency in each of the last five years | |
| October to September each year (Inclusive) | Median ( number of weeks ) |
| Notes: 1. Data are published at www.nomisweb.co.uk 2. Median, rather than arithmetic mean, is the preferred measure of "average" for skewed distributions such as duration of claim Source: DWP WPLS 100 per cent. data | |
Jobseeker's Allowance: Forest of Dean
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of claimants of jobseeker's allowance in the Forest of Dean constituency were aged between (a) 18 and 24, (b) 25 and 49 and (c) 50 and 64 on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many and what proportion of such claimants in each age group had been claiming the allowance for (i) under three months, (ii) between three and six months, (iii) between six and 12 months, (iv) between one and two years, (v) between two and five years and (vi) five years and over. [295516]
Angela E. Smith: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply to the hon. Member. A copy of the response will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
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