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10 Nov 2009 : Column 297W—continued
Incapacity Benefit: Norwich
Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of incapacity benefit (IB) there were in Norwich, North constituency in (a) 1997 and (b) 2007; how many claimants of employment and support allowance (ESA) in the constituency there are now; and how much has been spent on (i) IB in each year between 1997 and 2008 and (ii) ESA since it was introduced. [296158]
Jonathan Shaw: The available information is in the tables.
| Number of claimants of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance in the Norwich, North constituency at the end of February 1997 and February 2007 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: i. The total number of incapacity benefit claimants is collected for each quarter. Some individuals are claimants for more than one quarter and would be counted more than once if the figures for all four quarters were added together. Therefore the figures provided show the number of claimants there were at the end of February for 1997 and 2007 ii. Figures from 1997 have been rounded to the nearest 100. iii. Figures from 2007 have been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, 5 per cent. and 100 per cent. data. | |
| Number of claimants of employment and support allowance in the Norwich, North constituency at the end of February 2009 | |
| Number | |
| Notes: i. The end of February 2009 is the latest date for which Employment and Support Allowance claimant figures are available. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. | |
| Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance expenditure for Great Britain and the Norwich, North constituency | ||||
| £ million, nominal terms | £ million, 2009-10 prices | |||
| Great Britain | Norwich North | Great Britain | Norwich North | |
| Notes: i. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred thousand. ii. Figures converted to 2009-10 prices using GDP deflators published by HM Treasury at Budget 2009 iii. Nominal figures represent actual expenditure and 2009-10 prices represent what the expenditure is worth in today's prices. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Statistical and Accounting Data | ||||
| Employment and support allowance expenditure for Great Britain and the Norwich, North constituency | ||||
| £ million, nominal terms | £ million, 2009-10 prices | |||
| Great Britain | Norwich North | Great Britain | Norwich North | |
| n/a = Not available Notes: i. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred thousand. ii. Figures converted to 2009-10 prices using GDP deflators published by HM Treasury at Budget 2009. iii. Nominal figures represent actual expenditure and 2009-10 prices represent what the expenditure is worth in today's prices. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Statistical and Accounting Data | ||||
Industrial Diseases: Compensation
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for osteoarthritis of the knee have been received from coal miners and former coal miners since osteoarthritis of the knee became a prescribed industrial disease; how many have resulted in an award of industrial injury disablement benefit; and how many have resulted in an appeal to a medical appeal tribunal. [295708]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 28 October 2009]: The most recent available information is that 25,247 claims have been received for osteoarthritis of the knee since the condition was added to the list of prescribed industrial diseases on 13 July 2009.
At this early stage, 3,411 claims have been processed, of which 858 have received an award of industrial injuries disablement benefit, or an increase of industrial injuries disablement benefit.
113 appeals have been received; it is not possible to specify how many of these are appeals on medical grounds.
We are currently looking into arrangements to publish this information as official statistics.
Industrial Injuries: Disablement Benefit
Sir Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will bring forward legislative proposals to extend to (a) those who have been employed to maintain or repair boilers and (b) others in occupations which involve working in confined spaces, the provisions which relate to industrial injuries disablement benefit for those coal miners diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee. [297184]
Jonathan Shaw: The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC) is the scientific body with the statutory role of advising Ministers on the list of prescribed diseases under the Industrial Injures Disablement Benefit scheme, and in particular which diseases and occupations should be prescribed for industrial injuries disablement benefit purposes.
IIAC, through its research working group and scientific adviser, continually reviews the current scientific literature to see if the necessary level of proof may have become available with regard to diseases and occupations not currently included or if further consideration is required in respect of those already listed.
IIAC will revisit any subject if new, sound and consistent scientific evidence becomes available, and will be happy to receive any such evidence. The Government will give careful consideration to any advice the council may provide, and consider legislative proposals in the light of that advice.
Jobcentre Plus: Manpower
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the ratio of personal advisers to jobseeker's allowance claimants in (a) the UK and (b) each region of England, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) Northern Ireland has been in each month since May 2009; and if she will make a statement. [294033]
Jim Knight: Jobcentre Plus manages its work force in a way that makes direct comparison between headcount and work load difficult in each geographic region. For example, adviser functions will also include non-jobseeker's allowance customers like those in receipt of incapacity benefit, and employment and support allowance.
Available information, for Great Britain only, is shown in the following table.
Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.
The table shows a level of variation across the country between personal advisers and jobseeker's allowance customers. This is to be expected and is due to variations in the Jobcentre Plus operating model. The level of use of external providers is an example. Variations in other adviser work loads not directly linked to the jobseeker's allowance claimant count will be another factor.
Jobcentre Plus: Training
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training is provided to Jobcentre Plus staff to make medical assessments on individuals' fitness for work; and what criteria are used for such assessments. [293626]
Jim Knight: Jobcentre Plus staff do not undertake formal medical assessments on individuals' fitness for work.
Medical services was outsourced to a private company in 1998. The current medical service contractor is Atos Healthcare Medical Services.
Atos Healthcare Medical Services carry out the work capability assessment as part of the process of deciding entitlement to employment and support allowance. They provide medical evidence which is used by Jobcentre Plus Decision Makers, in addition to any other medical evidence supplied by the customer, in order to determine entitlement to benefit.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the reasons are for the lower levels of jobseeker's allowance for people who are (a) single and under the age of 24 and (b) lone parents under the age of 18. [293040]
Jim Knight: Jobseeker's Allowance is paid at a lower rate to single people under 25 as the majority of 16 to 24 year-olds do not live independently and may legitimately be regarded as having lower living costs than those aged 25 and over. In addition, lower benefit rates for young people reflect the realities of the labour market where earnings tend to increase with age. It is vital that benefit rates do not erode work incentives for this age group.
Similar considerations also apply to lone parents under the age of 18.
Jobseeker's Allowance: Employment Schemes
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009, Official Report, column 160W, on jobseeker's allowance: employment schemes, whether work trials are undertaken with employers which are not offering full-time positions; and if she will make a statement. [297381]
Jim Knight: To be eligible for a work trial the vacancy has to be for at least 16 hours per week and the hours worked during the trial period must reflect those of the vacancy. We seek assurance from the employer on these points but we do not keep data on the actual number of weekly hours of each trial.
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