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3 Dec 2009 : Column 874W—continued
Employment and Support Allowance
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of (a) incapacity benefit, (b) work-related employment and support allowance and (c) support group employment and support allowance aged under 25 years old there were in each of the last (i) five years and (ii) four quarters. [301786]
Jonathan Shaw: Information is not presently available separately for work-related and support group employment and support allowance.
The available information is in the following tables.
| Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants under the age of 25 years as at May in each of the last five years and the last four quarters | |
| Number | |
| Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. From 6 April 2001, no new claims to severe disablement allowance were accepted. Source: The Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. | |
| Employment and support allowance claimants under the age of 25 years in each of the last three quarters | |
| Number | |
| (1) Provisional data Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. 3. The figures relating to employment support allowance have been thoroughly quality assured to National Statistics standard; however it should be noted that this is a new benefit using a new data source which may not have reached steady state in terms of operational processing and retrospection. Hence most recent data shown are provisional. Source: The Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. | |
Employment Schemes: Disabled People
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 19 October 2009, Official Report, column 1253W, on employment schemes: disabled, in what circumstances disabled people not in work and not in receipt of jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance receive assistance from employment programmes. [302800]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 30 November 2009]: Disabled people not in work and not in receipt of jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance may obtain support from our employment programmes under the following circumstances:
A former WORKSTEP participant who had progressed to unsupported employment but needs to return to the programme within two years; or
A former WORKSTEP participant who left the programme for any reason (other than above) but needs to return to the programme within one year; or
A recent/prospective education leaver for whom there is clear evidence of a need for support in work; or
A customer who has been granted access to WORKSTEP through a discretionary decision based upon a business case approved by an appropriate Jobcentre Plus manager; or
A customer who is in receipt of a War Disablement Pension/Armed Forces Compensation Scheme; and
Be at least 16 years old.
Participants must be on the Disability Employment Adviser's caseload and have a defined job goal; and
Have disability-related needs in making a final choice of occupation or looking for work effectively; and
Be likely to be capable of working or undertaking training by the end of the programme; and
Be at least 16 years old.
Customers must satisfy the following eligibility conditions:
Participants must be unemployed on day one of training; and
Be at least 18 years old.
Access to Work is available to disabled people not in receipt of employment support allowance or jobseeker's allowance who are in employment, or to meet needs that may arise when attending a job interview.
The applicant must be disabled as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The job can be full or part-time, but must be expected to last for at least six months including the Job Introduction Scheme period.
In addition, disabled people do not need to be claiming any benefits to access support from a Disability Employment Adviser. The Disability Employment Adviser works with unemployed individuals who need more extensive support because of their health condition, but also with those in employment who may need support to keep their jobs.
Incapacity Benefit: Appeals
Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people in each constituency aged (a) between 18 and 24 years, (b) between 25 and 49 years and (c) 50 years and over who had had (i) incapacity benefit and (ii) employment support allowance withdrawn began reclaiming the benefit after appeal in each of the last five years. [302671]
Jonathan Shaw: The information requested is not available.
Industrial Diseases: Compensation
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 10 November 2009, Official Report, columns 298-99W, on industrial diseases: compensation, how many of the 858 former miners who have received an award of industrial disablement benefit for osteoarthritis of the knee have (a) had their level of disability assessed at 14 per cent. or more and (b) reached the 14 per cent. required for an award of industrial disablement benefit by aggregation with an earlier disablement assessment. [302878]
Jonathan Shaw: Of the 858 miners who had received an award of industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB), 566 received assessments at 14 per cent. or more. A total of 292 miners with an under 14 per cent. assessment received either an increase, or a new award of IIDB from aggregation, but we do not have a further breakdown of this figure.
Source: DWP clerical count.
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 10 November 2009, Official Report, columns 298-99W, on industrial diseases: compensation, how many of the 858 former miners awarded industrial disablement benefit there were (a) in each age group, (b) of each level of disability and (c) who received industrial injury benefit awards at each level; and in respect of how many of the remaining 2,552 claims a disablement assessment of less than 14 per cent. has been made. [302879]
Jonathan Shaw: We do not have any information available regarding the age of those miners who received an award of industrial injuries disablement benefit. Of the 858 miners with an award, 566 received an assessment of 14 per cent. or greater and 292 received an assessment of under 14 per cent. We have no information available on the precise level of disablement assessment or payment they received.
Of the remaining 2,553 claims, 479 received an assessment of under 14 per cent.
Source: DWP clerical information.
Pension Credit: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) individuals and (b) households were in receipt of pension credit in the city of Newcastle in (i) February 2004 and (ii) each year since 2004. [303399]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table:
| Numbers in receipt of pension credit in Newcastle | ||
| Households | Beneficiaries | |
| Notes: 1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest ten. 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. 4. Figures provided are for Newcastle Upon Tyne Central which is the number of individuals or couples living in the parliamentary constituency of the MP and is defined by the address and postcode of those individuals. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. | ||
Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents have been subject to benefit sanctions in each quarter of the last five years; and what proportion of benefit claimants that figure represented in each such quarter. [302119]
Helen Goodman: The information is not available.
Social Security Benefits: Mentally Ill
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with mental health problems have been assessed as unable to work through the (a) work and (b) personal capability assessment in the last five years. [302546]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 30 November 2009]: The information requested is not available.
Winter Fuel Payments
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) households and (b) persons were in receipt of winter fuel allowance in the most recent year for which figures are available. [303739]
Angela Eagle: 8,980,000 households and 12,420,000 individuals were in receipt of the winter fuel payment in 2008-09.
Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.
Source: Information Directorate, 100 per cent. data.
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to the public purse of winter fuel allowance was in the most recent year for which figures are available. [303740]
Angela Eagle: £2.7 billion was spent on winter fuel payments in 2008-09.
Note:
Figure is rounded to the nearest 100 million
Source:
Information Directorate
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Afghanistan
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on potential EU diplomatic contributions to the campaign in Afghanistan. [303884]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary regularly discusses the EU's role in Afghanistan with his EU counterparts. The UK has supported Sweden, the current presidency, in prioritising Afghanistan within the EU, including driving forward a new strategy to enhance EU engagement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This strategy was discussed and adopted at the European Council on 30 October 2009.
The EU's assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan is substantial and has been steadily increasing. Assistance to date has achieved much, including better access to health provisions; support to rural livelihoods; support to Afghan refugees; rebuilding infrastructure and support to the reestablishment of public services, including paying the salaries of key public workers (teachers, nurses and doctors). But it is right that we, the EU, look to see how we can deliver even more.
Anti-Semitism
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he received on anti-Semitic behaviour by pupils of North Naples middle school, Florida in November 2009; whether he has had discussions with to the US Administration on that matter; and if he will make a statement. [303916]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has received no independent reports about the behaviour of pupils at North Naples Middle School in Florida in November, but he is aware of the press coverage. We believe that any instances of anti-Semitic and discriminatory behaviour-particularly by children-are a cause for common concern. We note that the school has treated the matter very seriously and has been reportedly quick to take action to address the issue. This includes through an address to students by the Assistant Principal covering the student code, an explanation of why what happened was wrong, the in-school suspension of the offending students and the summoning of their parents to school conferences.
Anti-Semitism is a cause of common concern for the US and UK, and we continue to work closely with the US Administration and other partners to combat anti-Semitism wherever it occurs. For example, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been a strong supporter of the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Anti-Semitism since it launched in 2006, working in partnership with the All-Party Group, colleagues across Government and Jewish non-governmental organisations to drive forward recommendations made in the inquiry. Our embassies have also supported inquiry members in their overseas visits, spreading the All-Party Group's unique approach to dealing with anti-Semitism to other countries, such as the US, Germany, Canada, Latvia and Argentina.
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