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2 Mar 2010 : Column 1040W—continued
Social Security Benefits: Departmental Coordination
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional processing work attributable to the recession which has fallen to her Department is being undertaken with the assistance of staff from other Government departments; and if she will make a statement. [301739]
Jim Knight: The Pensions, Disability and Carers Service and the Child Support Agency have not taken on any staff from other Departments to process additional work as a result of the recession.
In the 12 month period from October 2008 to September 2009 Jobcentre Plus have recruited 1,095 staff from other Government Departments.
Social Security Benefits: Drugs
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of claimants of (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) income support, (c) incapacity benefit and (d) employment and support allowance who were problem drug users in each of the last five years. [316775]
Jim Knight [holding answer 10 February 2010]: In 2008 the Department for Work and Pensions published a research report: 'Population estimates of problematic drug users in England who access DWP benefits: A feasibility study', working paper No. 46, Hay, G. and Bauld, L. that estimated the number of problem drug users claiming various benefits. Such information as is available is presented in the following table.
| Estimated number of claimants who are problem drug users by benefit type in 2006 | |
| Benefit | Number of claimants |
| Notes : 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand. 2. Problem drug users are defined as those who use heroin and/or crack cocaine and includes those who are in treatment for their dependency. 3. The sum of the component benefits is greater than the total number of problem drug users estimated to be in receipt of the main benefits. This is because claimants can be in receipt of Incapacity Benefit and Income Support at the same time. 4. The figures relate to 2006 and therefore predate the introduction of employment support allowance. Source: Population estimates of problematic drug users in England who access Department for Work and Pensions benefits: A feasibility study, Working Paper No. 46, Hay, G. and Bauld, L. | |
Social Security Benefits: Employment
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of claimants of employment and support allowance have left the benefit for employment since its introduction. [318795]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 25 February 2010]: The information requested is not available.
Social Security Benefits: Fibromyalgia
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance her Department has issued to examining medical practitioners carrying out assessments for eligibility for disability living allowance and employment and support allowance on fibromyalgia. [318398]
Jonathan Shaw: All examining Atos Healthcare professionals, who carry out examining assessments on behalf of the Department, undertake a distance learning module on fibromyalgia within 12 months of joining the organisation. The distance learning module is approved by the chief medical adviser to the Department. In addition, they are required to undertake a programme of continuing medical education that is agreed with the Department. A module on chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia is included in the suite of continuing medical education topics available to the health care professionals.
Entitlement to disability living allowance is not based on the diagnosis of a particular disability or illness but on the effects of disability on the individual person. It is the information about care and/or mobility needs which a person provides on the claim form, supported where necessary by medical reports from a GP or Atos Healthcare professional, which allows the decision-maker to determine entitlement.
Social Security Benefits: Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of pension credits in Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the average weekly payment was in such credits in that constituency in that period. [319013]
Angela Eagle: The information requested is in following table.
| Recipients of pension credit in the Na h - Eileanan an I ar constituency , as at August 2009 | |
| Number/£ | |
| 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming. 3. Pension credit is claimed on a household basis. The average weekly award of pension credit is in relation to the household. 4. Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data. | |
Social Security Benefits: Obesity
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of claimants of (a) employment and support allowance, (b) incapacity benefit and (c) severe disablement allowance who have a primary diagnosis of obesity which limits their ability to work in the latest period for which figures are available. [316778]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 10 February 2010]: To qualify for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work called the personal capability assessment. Therefore, the medical condition recorded on the claim form does not in itself confer entitlement to benefit. This means that the decision for a customer who has claimed incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance because of obesity would be based on their ability to carry out a range of activities in the personal capability assessment. Causes of incapacity are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, published by the World Health Organisation.
Employment and support allowance was introduced from October 2008 for new customers only. It replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity or disability. Data by medical conditions are not yet available for employment and support allowance.
The available information is provided in the table.
| Number of claimants of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance with obesity as the main disabling condition Great Britain and abroad as at May 2009 | |
| Number | |
| Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data. | |
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of (a) incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance and (b) employment and support allowance had a primary diagnosis of obesity in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) each of the last four quarters for which figures are available. [316978]
Jonathan Shaw: To qualify for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work called the personal capability assessment. Therefore, the medical condition recorded on the claim form does not in itself confer entitlement to benefit. This means that the decision for a customer who has claimed incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance because of obesity would be based on their ability to carry out a range of activities in the personal capability assessment. Causes of incapacity are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, published by the World Health Organisation.
The available information is provided in the table.
State Retirement Pensions
Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees of each (a) sex and (b) age have been contracted (i) in and (ii) out of the state second pension scheme in each year since 2004. [318812]
Angela Eagle: The available information is in the following tables.
| Contracted out/in status during the year | ||||
| Employees ( T housand) | ||||
| Tax year | Contracted out/in status | Total | Female | Male |
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