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22 Feb 2010 : Column 78W—continued
| Table 2: Heating rebate scheme | ||
| Vouchers issued | Funding (£) | |
| (1) To 7 February 2010. | ||
The Government have a strong package of measures to help reduce fuel poverty among vulnerable households. This is centred on tackling the three root causes of fuel poverty:
(i) Reducing the demand for energy by improving home energy efficiency is encouraged through schemes such the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP), the Community Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF) and the Decent Homes Standard, in addition to the Warm Front scheme which continues to be the Government's flagship scheme for tackling fuel poverty in the private household sector in England.
CERT requires energy suppliers to meet at least 40 per cent. of their obligation by promoting and installing measures in the homes of a Priority Group of vulnerable consumers in receipt of qualifying benefits or people aged over 70 years. Measures are only reported at a GB level and details for the work carried out in Feltham and Heston are therefore not available.
(ii) Putting in place and continuously looking to improve a regulatory framework that promotes competition as the main driver to ensure downward pressure on prices for consumers, and to improve licence conditions and strengthen Ofgem's powers through the Energy Bill; and
(iii) Raising real incomes, including through winter fuel payments and cold weather payments alongside the wider tax and benefit system and through benefit entitlement checks under the Warm Front scheme.
We have also introduced legislation to implement mandated social price support schemes once the current voluntary agreement with suppliers comes to an end in 2011. These schemes will provide more of the most vulnerable consumers with help towards their energy costs. We have said that we are minded to focus the majority of the additional resources on older pensioner households on the lowest incomes.
As these households tend to have a high incidence of fuel poverty-over 50 per cent. of fuel poor households have a person over 60 living in them; their circumstances are relatively stable; and they are at the greatest risk of excess winter deaths.
The fuel poverty review which was announced in January 2009, has been looking across all three drivers of fuel poverty, and particularly the key issue of how we can more effectively identify and target assistance at the most vulnerable households.
Wind Power
Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for the future generating capacity of UK wind farms. [316861]
Mr. Kidney: The UK does not have specific targets for wind power generation. However, under the lead scenario in the Renewable Energy Strategy published last July, more than 30 per cent. of our electricity could be generated from renewables by 2020. Much of this generation would be from onshore and offshore wind.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the (a) consumable electrical output and (b) proportion of the maximum potential output generated by wind turbines during the severe weather conditions in December 2009 and January 2010; and what estimate he has made of the cost per unit of generating electricity from (i) wind turbines and (ii) non-renewable sources during that period. [316911]
Mr. Kidney: The latest official electricity output data are for November 2009, when major power producers supplied 740 GWh from wind generation. Electricity output data for December 2009 and January 2010 will be available on 25 February 2010 and 25 March 2010 respectively. As such, we are unable to provide an estimate of the cost per unit of generation by either wind or non-renewable sources in December and January.
Load factors are defined as the average hourly quantity of electricity supplied during the year, expressed as a percentage of the average output capability at the beginning and end of the year. As such, these are only calculated on an annual basis, with the latest data for 2008 showing 29.4 per cent. for onshore wind and 34.9 per cent. for offshore wind.
An indication of the load factors for December 2009 and January 2010 can be obtained by calculating total operational wind generation as a percentage of the theoretical maximum generation for all operationally metered wind plants. This data is made available by National Grid and only refers to wind which is operationally metered i.e. around half of the onshore wind farms and none of the offshore wind farms. Onshore wind farms generated 20.9 per cent. and 30.3 per cent. of maximum potential output in December and January respectively. Where this figure exceeds the load factor for onshore wind, given above, the plants covered by operational metering were operating at above average levels.
Work and Pensions
Better Off in Work Credit
Steve Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she expects the Better off in Work Credit to be available; what the monetary value will be
of the weekly amount of credit provided; by what mechanisms payment of a claim will be triggered; how many people she estimates will be eligible for that credit; and if she will make a statement. [308337]
Jim Knight: We will be implementing the enhanced Better off in Work Credit in one region from October 2010 as the first step towards a national roll-out. We expect the credit to be available nationally from January 2011. The Better off in Work Credit will ensure that everyone who has been unemployed for 26 weeks or more will have at least £40 a week more income on moving into work. The amount of the credit will vary from customer to customer and will be dependent on a comparison of the income an individual receives in work against the income they received from out of work benefits.
During the Better off in Work Credit pilot that ran in Yorkshire and the Humber, customers made their applications at their local jobcentre in consultation with Jobcentre Plus staff. We will review this process to determine the most effective means of taking applications taking account of the lessons learned from the pilot before we roll out the next phase.
Of those who move from benefits to work in each year, the vast majority are already better off in work. We expect only a small minority-up to around 100,000 a year to qualify for the enhanced Better off in Work Credit.
Blaydon
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to Blaydon constituency, the effect on that constituency of her Department's policies and actions since 2000. [315296]
Jonathan Shaw: DWP leads the Government's response to some of the biggest issues facing the Country-welfare and pension reform-and are a key player in tackling child poverty. As the biggest delivery department in the UK, DWP makes a difference to millions of people every day, helping them to lead safer, fairer and more rewarding lives that are free from poverty. We want to give people more choice and control over their lives and are committed to providing greater choice and personalised support to everyone who needs it so they have the opportunity to get into and remain in work. We believe that work works. Even in economically challenging times we know that work works for the most vulnerable and the disadvantaged.
Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. Since 2000, although the number of people unemployed in Blaydon has increased by 45 per cent to 2,014, the number unemployed for more than one year has decreased by 28 per cent to 220. From May 2000 to May 2009 the number of lone parents claiming Income Support in Blaydon has decreased by 24 per cent to 860.
Our New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Since their inception over
2.2 million people in Great Britain have found work with the support of the New Deal, and 3,620 have been helped in Blaydon.
We introduced a target to halve child poverty by 2010-11 on the way to eradicating it by 2020. Poverty is measured using a headline indicator of the proportion of children in households with an income below 60 per cent of contemporary household median income before housing costs. This is in line with international best practice.
Statistics on the numbers of children living in poverty are not available at the constituency level. But the latest information for the North East Government Office Region shows that the proportion of children in poverty has fallen from 32 per cent. in 2000 to 28 per cent.(1)
Figures from 2000 relating to support for older people could be obtained at only disproportionate cost. However, figures are available from 1997 and these are shown as follows.
Since 1997 our strategy has been to target help on the poorest pensioners while providing a solid foundation of support for all.
This year we will be spending over £13 billion more on pensioners than if we had continued with policies that were in place in 1997. Around half of that money will go to the poorest third of pensioners.
In 1997 the poorest pensioners, who received income support, lived on £69 a week (£98 in today's prices). Today pension credit, which was introduced in 2003, means no pensioner needs to live on less than £130 a week, £198.45 for couples. As of May 2009 6,140 pensioners in Blaydon are benefiting from pension credit.
In 2007-08 there were 900,000 fewer pensioners living in relative poverty in UK compared to 1998-99 (measured as below 60 per cent. of contemporary median household income after housing costs).
Statistics on the proportion of pensioners living in relative poverty are not available at the constituency level. But the latest data for the North East Government Office Region show that the number of pensioners in poverty in fell from 27 per cent. to 19 per cent. since 20002.
Pensioners in the UK also benefit from a range of additional support such as the winter fuel payment which this winter is worth £250 for households aged between 60-79 and £400 for households aged 80 or over. These payments provide vital reassurance to older people that they can afford to turn up their heating during cold weather. Prior to winter 1997-98 less than £60 million was spent helping pensioners meet their fuel bills - this year the Government will be spending around £2.7 billion on winter fuel payments alone. In 2008-09 19,980 people aged 60 and over benefited from Winter fuel payments in Blaydon.
We have also taken steps to strengthen and protect the private pensions system to ensure people can continue to have confidence to save for their future through the establishment of the Pensions Protection Fund, the Financial Assistance Scheme and a more powerful and proactive pensions regulator.
The protection system ensures that, unlike in 1997, people are not left without a pension even in the event that their employer becomes insolvent.
In total 405 people in the North East Region are receiving compensation from the Pension Protection Fund (data not available at constituency level(3)).
Regional information about assistance payments received by members from the Financial Assistance Scheme could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The Government have also taken forward a radical package of pension reforms in the Pensions Acts of 2007 and 2008 which will deliver a fairer and more generous state pension and extend the opportunity of workplace pension saving to millions, many for the first time.
The state pension reforms begin to come into effect from 2010 and will mean around three quarters of women reaching State Pension age in 2010 are expected to qualify for a full basic State Pension compared to half without reform.
Support for disabled people and carers
Since 2001, we have significantly extended and improved civil rights for disabled people in areas such as employment, education, access to goods and services and transport. Disabled people in Blaydon will have benefited from these improvements. The Welfare Reform Act 2009 contains powers to increase choice and control for disabled adults, including disabled parents who are entitled to state support, enabling them to choose how certain state support is used to meet their individual needs. This will be trail blazed in up to eight local authority areas from late 2010. Older and less well off carers have gained extra help through the provisions within the National Carers Strategy.
(1) Based on three-year averages and figures are rounded to the nearest percentage point or 100,000 children between 2000-01 to 200-03 and 200-06 to 2007-08.
(2) Based on three-year averages and changes are rounded to the nearest percentage point or 100,000 pensioners between 2000-01 to 2002-2003 and 2005-06 to 2007-08.
(3) Regional information about assistance payments received by members from the Financial Assistance Scheme could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Chorley
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will set out, with statistical information as closely related to Chorley constituency as possible, the effect on that constituency of the policies of her Department and its predecessor since 1997. [314238]
Jonathan Shaw: As the biggest delivery Department in the UK, DWP makes a difference to millions of people every day, helping them to lead safer, fairer and more rewarding lives that are free from poverty. The policies that we have introduced since 1997 have aimed to give people more choice and control over their lives. Through our welfare reform programme, we are committed to providing personalised support to everyone who needs it so they have the opportunity to get into and remain in work.
Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. Since 1997, although the number of people unemployed
in Chorley has increased by 38 per cent. to 1,900, the number unemployed for more than one year has decreased by 23 per cent. to 170. From May 1997 to May 2009 the number of lone parents claiming Income Support in Chorley has decreased by 43 per cent. to 690.
Our New Deal programmes have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of unemployed people to move from benefit into work. Since their inception over 2.2 million people in Great Britain have found work with the support of the New Deal, and 2,810 have been helped in Chorley.
We introduced a target to halve child poverty by 2010-11 on the way to eradicating it by 2020. Poverty is measured using a headline indicator of the proportion of children in households with an income below 60 per cent. of contemporary household median income before housing costs. This is in line with international best practice.
Statistics on the numbers of children living in poverty are not available at the constituency level, but the latest information for the North West shows that the proportion of children in poverty fell from 32 per cent. to 27 per cent. since 1997.
Since 1997 our strategy has been to target extra help at the poorest pensioners while providing a solid foundation of support for all.
This year we will spend over £13 billion more on pensioners than if we had continued with the policies that were in place in 1997. Around half of that money will go to the poorest third of pensioners.
In 1997 the poorest pensioners, who received Income Support, lived on £69 a week (£98 in today's prices). Today Pension Credit, which was introduced in 2003, means no pensioner needs to live on less than £130 a week, £198.45 for couples. As of May 2009, 5,330 pensioners in Chorley are benefiting from Pension Credit. Statistics on the proportion of pensioners living in relative poverty are not available at the constituency level, but the latest information for the North West Government Office Region shows that the proportion of pensioners in poverty fell from 28 per cent. to 18 per cent. from 1997.
Pensioners in the UK also benefit from a range of additional support such as the winter fuel payment which this winter is worth £250 for households aged between 60 and 79 and £400 for households aged 80 or over. These payments provide vital reassurance to older people that they can afford to turn up their heating during cold weather. Prior to winter 1997-98 less than £60 million was spent helping pensioners meet their fuel bills-this year we will be spending around £2.7 billion on winter fuel payments alone. In 2008-09 22,320 people aged 60 and over benefited from winter fuel payments in Chorley.
We have also taken steps to strengthen and protect the private pensions system to ensure people can continue to have confidence to save for their future through the establishment of the Pensions Protection Fund, the Financial Assistance Scheme and a more powerful and proactive pensions regulator.
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