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8 Feb 2010 : Column 688W—continued
Disability Living Allowance: Torbay
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Torbay constituency received (a) the mobility component, (b) the care component and (c) the mobility and care components of the disability living allowance in each of the last five years. [314610]
Jonathan Shaw: The available information is in the following table:
| Disability living allowance cases in payment for the Torbay parliamentary constituency for each of the last five years, as at May of each year | |||||
| Number | |||||
| May | |||||
| 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | |
| Notes: 1 Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2 Figures show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3 The postcode of a claimant is used to assign the parliamentary constituency. Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. | |||||
Employment and Support Allowance
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the average waiting time was between the making of a claim for employment and support allowance by a person diagnosed with a terminal illness and the placing of that person in the Support Group in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many such claims had not been determined within 13 weeks of the claim in that period; [314725]
(2) how many claimants of employment and support allowance with a diagnosis of terminal cancer had not been placed in the Support Group on the latest date for which figures are available; [314726]
(3) how many claimants of employment and support allowance who during the assessment phase of their
claim were receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment for cancer or were recovering from that treatment had (a) been requested to attend and (b) been recorded as having attended a (i) work capability assessment and (ii) work-focused interview in the latest period for which figures are available; [314727]
(4) how many claimants of employment and support allowance with a diagnosis of terminal cancer or other terminal illness had been (a) requested to attend and (b) recorded as having attended a (i) work capability assessment and (ii) work-focused interview in the latest period for which figures are available. [314728]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 1 February 2010]: Where a customer claims employment and support allowance under the special rules provision because they are terminally ill, their claim is fast-tracked, and upon confirmation that their illness is terminal they are immediately placed in the Support Group.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of employment and support allowance who have a diagnosis of terminal cancer or other terminal illness have been moved from the Work Related Activity Group to the Support Group for the latest period for which information is available; and for how many weeks the affected claimants received the lower rate of employment and support allowance before they were moved into the Support Group. [314934]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 2 February 2010]: The information is not available.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2009, Official Report, column 1278W, on employment and support allowance, when she expects to publish details of the strategy to migrate existing claimants from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance. [315051]
Jonathan Shaw: The draft Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions) (Existing Awards) Regulations 2010 that provide for the migration of customers claiming incapacity benefits to employment and support allowance, have been referred for public consultation by the Social Security Advisory Committee. This consultation is currently underway and will finish on 8 February.
Once the Social Security Advisory Committee delivers its report, the Government will publish a response.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the evidence given to the Work and Pensions Select Committee by the Minister for Disabled People on 9 November 2009, when will the Department's (a) internal review into the operation of the employment and support allowance will be published and (b) the annual review will be published. [315719]
Jonathan Shaw
[holding answer 4 February 2010]: We are currently conducting a Department-led review of the Work Capability Assessment to ensure that it is accurately identifying individuals for the most appropriate support and accounting for adaptation. This technical review commenced in 2009, working with medical experts
and representative groups to produce a series of recommendations. A finalised report is expected later this year.
We are also committed to conducting a statutory independent review of the Work Capability Assessment every year for the first five years of operation. The independent review is distinct from the department-led review in that it will evaluate the operation of the assessments of limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity. This review is currently being commissioned and will report its first findings later in 2010.
Employment Schemes: Disabled
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether she plans to expand the number of Right to Control Trailblazer sites. [315048]
Jonathan Shaw: We plan to test the Right to Control in around eight local authority areas for two years from late 2010. The final number of areas will be determined by a selection panel's assessment of local authority bids to become Trailblazers.
It is important that the new right is fully evaluated to ensure it delivers better outcomes for disabled people. Decisions about wider roll out will be made once evaluation evidence is available.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what timetable she has proposed in respect of the receipt of applications from local authorities to become a Right to Control Trailblazer site; and when her Department expects to complete its evaluation of such bids. [315049]
Jonathan Shaw: The deadline for local authorities to submit their proposals to become Trailblazer sites was 29 January 2010. The Department is currently evaluating the bids and will announce the successful sites in late February 2010.
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she expects to publish a framework for use by local authorities for the implementation of the Right to Control Trailblazer sites. [315050]
Jonathan Shaw: On 8 December 2009 the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) issued a prospectus for potential Trailblazers to consider how best to design their bids. The ODI has supported local authorities to develop their bids through a series of information events and supporting documentation.
Regulations will set out the minimum requirements that Trailblazer sites must implement. These regulations will be developed in co-production with disabled people, their representative organisations, providers and Trailblazer local authorities. We will consult on draft regulations. Regulations will then be laid and debated in both Houses before the Trailblazers launch in late 2010.
Fuel Poverty: Government Assistance
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will bring forward proposals to assist with the heating bills of long-term sick and disabled people. [314577]
Mr. Kidney: I have been asked to reply.
Winter f uel/ c old w eather p ayments
People who are long-term sick or disabled may benefit from cold weather payments and/or winter fuel payments. Cold weather payments are made for periods of exceptional cold weather which last, or are forecast to last, for seven consecutive days. These payments go to people on low incomes and are currently worth £25. Winter fuel payments are paid to most people who are aged 60 or over. For winter 2009-10, these payments are £250 for households with someone aged 60-79 and £400 for households with someone aged 80 and over.
Under the current voluntary agreement between energy suppliers and Government, suppliers offer some help with energy bills to vulnerable consumers, and a number include help for customers who are long-term sick or disabled.
As announced in the Low Carbon Transition Plan, the Government have decided to create a system of mandatory social price support to place the current voluntary agreement on a statutory footing for when it ends in March 2011. Draft legislation to enable this was introduced to Parliament as part of the Energy Bill on 19 November.
Detailed proposals on mandatory social price support are still under development and will be subject to the safe passage of the Energy Bill.
Proposals on the social price support schemes including proposed eligibility, will be put out to consultation this summer.
Industrial Health and Safety
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times the Health and Safety Executive has had a recommendation for hazardous substance consent declined by a local authority in each of the last five years. [314189]
Jonathan Shaw: Under the provisions of the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 and the legislation enacted under it in 1992, 1999 and 2009, the Health and Safety Executive acts as a statutory consultee to Hazardous Substances Authorities (HSA), usually local planning authorities. HSE provides advice to HSAs on applications for consent to store hazardous substances at major hazards installations. The decision to grant or reject the consent rests with the HSA.
HSE requests HSAs to notify it of the outcome of all applications for consent as is required by Reg 11(5) of the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 1992. However, the response to this request is variable. HSE is not aware of any occasions in the last five years where HSAs have granted consent against HSE's advice. HSE does not keep information on occasions when consents have been refused in circumstances when HSE has not advised against the application.
Jobcentre Plus: Closures
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job centres have closed in the last 10 years. [309725]
Jim Knight [holding answer 11 January 2010]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many Jobcentres have closed in the last 10 years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
I am only able to provide information relating to Jobcentre Plus since it was created in April 2002 with the merger of the former Employment Service and Benefits Agency. Altogether, 506 Jobcentre Plus offices previously open to the public have been closed since April 2002.
The vast majority of these took place as a result of the decision to merge the former Benefits Agency and Employment service in 2002. Jobcentre Plus inherited around 1,500 offices from the two former agencies. At the point of merger, the two organisations had offices which, in many instances, were geographically close to each other and provided opportunities to rationalise the estate. We have modernised our Jobcentre network to improve customer service, rationalising our estate to provide excellent high street coverage and a single, integrated customer facing office, at the same time reducing cost to the tax payer. We remain the largest office network in Government with 741 modern Jobcentres supported by 31 modern, industry standard contact centres and 79 main benefit processing centres.
The great majority of our services (in common with most large, modern organisations) are now also delivered through the telephone and internet. For example, to give customers more convenient access, we have around half a million vacancies on-line at any time (our website receives close to one million job searches every working day), and new claims to benefit are predominantly taken by telephone with some taken on-line. This has brought our customer facing services together in a more coherent and integrated network.
Our approach to closure of a customer-facing Jobcentre takes into account a range of issues, including the impact on customer service and whether the work and staff can be relocated. When we are considering changes in our service delivery planning of this nature, we consult with our customers, partner organisations, Trade Unions, staff, and local Members of Parliament.
In the light of the current economic conditions and welfare reform changes planned for the next two to three years a decision was taken late in 2008 to suspend the planned closure of 25 Jobcentres. Three small offices in London, where closure had been previously announced, subsequently closed in March and April 2009. However, there will be no new Jobcentre closures while the current economic conditions persist.
Jobcentre Plus continues to give people the support they need to move from benefits and into work. We quickly recruited 16,000 extra staff during the economic downturn, all for customer-facing jobs, and have moved fast to introduce new help for customers such as additional jobs advice and more support for young people.
During the downturn, our Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) workload doubled. But I am pleased to report that we are on top of performance and meeting all six of our key performance targets. We usually answer virtually all calls from customers making a new JSA claim and on average within seconds. Over 4 in 5 of customers are seen for their first advisory interview about finding work within 3 working days of making a JSA claim, and we are clearing JSA new claims quickly - on average within 10 days, well ahead of its target of 11.5 days.
Pensioners: Social Security Benefits
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she is taking to ensure that people over 60 years of age receive the benefits to which they are entitled. [306559]
Angela Eagle: The Government are committed to ensuring pensioners receive the support they are entitled to and a number of measures have been put in place to encourage pensioners to take up their benefit entitlement.
The claim process has been simplified so that claims for housing benefit and council tax benefit can be made over the phone with pension credit without the need for a signed claim form. A targeted regional campaign is being rolled out, which is designed to engage with the local pensioner population, using channels of communication and working with organisations they are familiar with. The Pension Disability and Carers Service carries out around 13,000 visits weekly to vulnerable customers. In addition a small pilot is planned for 2010 designed to investigate the viability of making better use of the data currently held by DWP to improve pension credit take-up.
Winter fuel payments are made automatically to most people (around 95 per cent.) without the need for a claim. For winter 2008-09, over 12.3 million people in around 9 million households received winter fuel payments at a cost of around £2.7 billion.
Social Security Benefits: Debts
Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the 10 largest benefit debts owed to her Department by individuals in each Jobcentre Plus district were on the most recent date for which figures are available; and to which principal benefit each debt related. [314734]
Jim Knight [holding answer 2 February 2010]: Data on benefit debt are not broken down by geographical area or Jobcentre Plus district.
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