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11 Nov 2009 : Column 566W—continued
Jobseeker's Allowance: Work Experience
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps Jobcentre Plus takes to provide access to work experience for jobseeker's allowance claimants aged (a) between 16 and 24 years and (b) 25 years and over when they have been claiming the allowance for (i) less than six months and (ii) between six and 12 months; and if she will make a statement. [297404]
Jim Knight: There are a number of ways in which someone receiving jobseeker's allowance can undertake work experience.
As part of the Backing Young Britain measures announced on 29 July 2009, we will be introducing arrangements early next year to make two-week work experience opportunities available to jobseekers aged 18 to 21 who have been on jobseeker's allowance for three months. They will remain entitled to jobseeker's allowance. We also committed as part of Backing Young Britain to increase the number of graduate and non-graduate internships available to young people, with 10,000 internship and work experience opportunities for non-graduates, and a total of 20,000 graduate internships.
The Budget announced a guaranteed offer of a job, work-focused training, or meaningful activity to all 18 to 24-year-olds before they have reached the 12 month stage of their claim to jobseeker's allowance. The substantial new work experience opportunity will be available through the introduction of the Community Task Force, in early 2010. Under the Six-Month Offer in place since April 2009 for all jobseekers reaching six months receipt of jobseeker's allowance there is a voluntary work placement option.
Under the mandatory New Deals and Flexible New Deal work experience is part of the activity that all jobseekers must undertake at the appointed stage of their claim. For those aged 18 to 24 entering New Deal for Young People mandatory work experience will begin after 10 months of unemployment. For those entering New Deal 25 Plus mandatory work experience commences after about 21 months. In Flexible New Deal there is no age distinction and work experience can begin at the outset of the provision as part of personalised support.
Jobseeker's allowance is normally payable to people aged 18 and over, up to state pension age. In exceptional circumstances, people aged 16 and 17 may receive jobseeker's allowance but along with other young people aged 16 to 19 they will usually be supported by Connexions in England and its equivalents in Scotland and Wales.
Jobseekers Allowance: Young People
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of people under 24 years old claiming jobseeker's allowance who have (a) never worked, (b) never had a full-time job and (c) not worked for more than six months since reaching the age of 18; and if she will make a statement. [293577]
Jim Knight: The preferred method for reporting on the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance is the Jobcentre Plus Administrative System, which provides the source for the official claimant count figures published by the Office for National Statistics each month in the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. This shows that in September 2009 there were 490,800 18 to 24-year-olds claiming jobseeker's allowance in the UK.
Administrative records do not contain information on the claimants' employment history. The available information about those jobseeker's allowance claimants who have never worked is contained in the Labour Force Survey; the April-June 2009 survey shows that 30 per cent. of 16 to 23-year-olds claiming jobseeker's allowance had never had a paid job. Of these, a small number, about 3 per cent. were in full-time education.
In addition, further analysis shows that the majority of this group who have never worked are concentrated towards the younger ages within the range. Two-thirds of the 16 to 23-year-olds claiming JSA who have never had a paid job are 20-years-old or younger.
Information is not available on those who have never had a full-time job, or those who have not worked for more than six months since reaching the age of 18.
Local Employment Partnerships
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she expects local employment partnerships to take to support (a) older workers, (b) those with mental health disorders, (c) those with alcohol-related problems and (d) those addicted to drugs. [296848]
Jim Knight
[holding answer 2 November 2009]: Through Local Employment Partnerships, over 330,000 people have moved into work with over 40,000 employers since September 2007. Local Employment Partnerships are agreements between the Government through Jobcentre Plus and its partners to work with employers to help all those disadvantaged in the labour market move from benefit into work. Jobcentre Plus uses specific initiatives
to help disadvantaged people move into and stay in work including Age Positive for older workers and Access to Work for people with a health condition. We will shortly pilot extra support for problem drug users.
This range of support helps people with specific issues to prepare for work in order that they are better placed to apply for vacancies with employers recruiting through Local Employment Partnerships.
Local Housing Allowance
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average excess payment is to claimants of local housing allowance. [298649]
Helen Goodman: This information is not available.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 29 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Nazia Aftab. [299049]
Jim Knight: A reply was sent to my right hon. Friend on 11 November 2009.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to reply to the letter of 21 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr C. Wilcock. [297634]
Helen Goodman: A reply was sent to my right hon. Friend on 9 November 2009.
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to reply to the letter of 15 September 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. P. Newton. [297631]
Helen Goodman: A reply was sent to my right hon. Friend on 9 November 2009.
New Deal Schemes
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to ensure the local relevance of help and advice given to jobseekers under the Flexible New Deal programme; and if she will make a statement. [298189]
Jim Knight: The key aim of Flexible New Deal is to help long-term unemployed people prepare for, find and remain in work. Flexible New Deal providers have been given the flexibility to deliver a range of support based on the needs of individuals who are referred to them.
DWP has an ongoing programme of performance monitoring and improvement activity and in addition, the quality of services will be monitored through external inspection of the Flexible New Deal supplier (Ofsted in England, Estyn in Wales and HMIe in Scotland). Results will be published and will inform the performance rating of the supplier, taking into account the quality of
service as well as performance in terms of job outcomes and sustained job outcomes.
In 10 of the 14 Flexible New Deal areas, two suppliers are contracted to deliver Flexible New Deal services to customers. From October 2010 customers will have the right to choose the supplier offering the service best suited to their needs, using information about the support available and performance ratings of the Flexible New Deal suppliers. From April 2011, better performing providers in customer choice areas could gain market share.
The funding system is performance based, with the majority of the contract value allocated for outcome payments to the supplier when a jobseeker enters work that lasts 13 weeks and then again at 26 weeks. DWP believes that this range of measures provides the correct balance to ensure relevant and effective services are delivered to Flexible New Deal customers.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps are being taken under the Flexible New Deal programme to get people into work lasting 12 months or more; and if she will make a statement. [298190]
Jim Knight: The key aim of Flexible New Deal is to help long-term unemployed people prepare for, find and remain in work. Flexible New Deal suppliers will work with each customer to decide the best way to help them into sustained employment, and will offer support tailored to the needs of the individual.
The funding system is performance based, with the majority of the contract value allocated for outcome payments to the provider when a jobseeker enters work that lasts 13 weeks and then again at 26 weeks. DWP believes that this provides the correct balance between supplier incentives and value for money. After a person has been employed for 26 out of the previous 30 weeks they are more likely to remain in a job in the longer term.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been unemployed for 12 months or more and who have not been referred to the flexible New Deal scheme. [299017]
Jim Knight [holding answer 10 November 2009]: The Flexible New Deal service started in Phase One areas in October. To bridge the gap for existing jobseeker's allowance customers at April 2009, and take account of the former New Deal 25 Plus customers in these areas being referred to Flexible New Deal providers earlier, revised contractual arrangements were agreed with existing New Deal (including Private Sector-led) and Employment Zone providers.
Due to these changes some of the former New Deal 25 Plus customers in these areas who did not start with the New Deal provider will have been unemployed for more than 12 months by the time they are referred to the provider under the Flexible New Deal. However they will have also received more intensive support from Jobcentre Plus personal advisers for a period of six months.
All new jobseeker's allowance customers will be referred to the Flexible New Deal providers on reaching 12 months unemployment, or earlier in certain circumstances.
For customers in Flexible New Deal Phase Two areas, existing New Deal and Employment Zone contracts will continue. They will have access to the additional support for jobseekers at six months. Some customers may also be able to access additional support under the Young Persons Guarantee provision. Customers over age 25 will receive support from Jobcentre Plus until they become eligible for the existing New Deal 25 Plus when they have been receiving jobseeker's allowance for 18 months.
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been referred to the flexible New Deal scheme since 6 October 2009. [299018]
Jim Knight [holding answer 10 November 2009]: The Flexible New Deal started on 5 October 2009 and data are only starting to feed through. The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity. We intend to publish headline Official Statistics from early 2010.
New Deal Schemes: Bedfordshire
Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged between 18 and 24 years old resident in Mid Bedfordshire constituency have received assistance under the New Deal since 2003; and how many such people have moved into employment. [295418]
Jim Knight: There have been 410 starters (spells) on the New Deal for Young People in the Mid Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency since January 2003. The following table shows the immediate destination of those who have left New Deal.
| Destination | Number |
| Notes: 1. Latest data on starters are to May 2009 and latest data on leavers is to February 2009. 2. Spells: An individual may have more than one spell on New Deal for Young People. 3. Immediate destination on leaving is measured within two weeks of leaving New Deal, using information from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. People recorded as leaving to Employment and Benefits have evidence of both employment and have an active benefit. 4. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 5. Totals may not sum due to rounding. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate | |
New Deal Schemes: Young People
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many 18 year olds with a previous history of not being in employment, education or training entered the New Deal early on a (a) voluntary basis since April 2008 and (b) a mandatory basis since April 2009. [298724]
Jim Knight: The data are unavailable.
Occupational Pensions
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many occupational pension schemes have been fully wound up since 1997; how many are in the process of winding up; and what the size of the membership of schemes in each such category was in each year since 1997. [283547]
Angela Eagle: In 2008, there were a total of over 27 million members in occupational pensions schemes. Government are committed to helping scheme sponsors through this difficult time. We will continue to work with employers and the pensions industry to see how we can help. We are also taking forward reforms which will extend the opportunity of workplace pension saving to millions, many for the first time. From 2012 all eligible workers will be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension scheme resulting in between six to nine million people newly participating or saving more in workplace pensions.
Information is not available in the format requested. The available information is presented as follows and was provided by the Pensions Regulator:
(a) The number of schemes in the UK that have wound up for a variety of reasons since 2 April 1997 is 99,589 (8,484 defined benefit and 91,105 defined contribution).
(b) The number of schemes that have entered winding up status since 2 April 1997 and have not yet completed the process is 7,238 (1,094 defined benefit and 6,144 defined contribution). The total membership of these schemes is 325,586 (219,708 defined benefit and 105,878 defined contribution).
Notes:
1. The data supplied by the Pensions Regulator are current as at 4 November 2009. They have been enhanced and updated with information received via the new scheme returns, which includes new data for small defined contribution schemes.
2. A wound up scheme is one which has notified the Pensions Regulator that it has completed winding up procedures. In some cases schemes notify the Pensions Regulator that they have completed winding up procedures without having previously notified the Regulator that they have commenced winding up procedures.
3. A winding up scheme is one which has notified the Pensions Regulator that it has commenced winding up procedures.
4. Total membership includes deferred and pensioner members. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of these numbers.
Pension Credit: Selby
Mr. Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of pension credit in Selby constituency on the latest date for which information is available. [299769]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table.
| Pension credit caseload February 2009 | |
| Selby 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 partner. 3. Number of beneficiaries-pension credit is claimed on a household basis and therefore the number of people that pension credit helps is the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are also claiming. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study | |
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