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23 Mar 2010 : Column 205W—continued
Pension Protection Fund
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations she has received from small companies on the recent changes to the Pensions Protection Fund levy. [323658]
Angela Eagle: I have received correspondence from individuals, small businesses and parliamentarians. Concerning the pension protection levy and had discussions with groups representing small businesses. The determination of the pension protection levy is a matter for the Board of the Pension Protection Fund who consult stakeholders annually on proposed changes.
Pensions
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate she has made of the effect on the level of annual expenditure by her Department of an increase in the trivial commutation limit for stranded pensions in line with (a) earnings and (b) inflation in each of the next three years; [319772]
(2) what assessment she has made of the effect on entitlement to income-related benefits of an annual increase in the trivial commutation limit in line with (a) earnings and (b) inflation in each of the next three years; [319773]
(3) whether she plans to increase the level of capital disregard in respect of a trivially-commuted stranded pension pot. [319774]
Angela Eagle: No estimates of the effect on income-related benefits of increasing the trivial commutation limit in line with earnings or inflation have been made.
From November 2009 we have increased the amount of capital completely ignored in the calculation of pension credit and housing and council tax benefit for pensioners from £6,000 to £10,000. This change will benefit around 500,000 pensioners and will mean around 88 per cent. of pension credit recipients will have all of their capital ignored in their pension credit assessment.
Poverty: Children
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in City of York constituency were living in poverty (a) in 1997 and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [322124]
Helen Goodman: Between 1998-09 and 2007-08 some 500,000 children were lifted out of relative poverty. Measures announced in and since Budget 2007 will lift around 550,000 children out of poverty. Absolute poverty has been halved.
The Child Poverty Bill will bring new impetus to eradicating child poverty by 2020. It will provide a definition of success and sets a framework to guarantee that Government and their partners at national and local levels make a clear and vital contribution towards ending child poverty.
Estimates of poverty, published in the Households Below Average Income series, only allow a breakdown of the overall number of people in poverty at Government office region level. Therefore, information for the City of York is not available, though figures relating to Yorkshire and the Humber Government office region are. These are given in the table.
Three-year averages are used to report regional statistics as single-year estimates are subject to volatility. Figures are quoted rounded to the nearest hundred thousand children. Child poverty is presented before housing costs in line with the child poverty public service agreements.
| Number of children in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median for Yorkshire and the Humber, before housing costs | |
| Period | Number of children (million) |
| Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income data. The Households Below Average Income series is available in the Library. 2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures is single financial years. Three sample years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. The figures are based on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development equalisation factors. 6. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand. | |
A local child poverty indicator-including constituency level information-has been developed that captures the number and proportion of children in families in receipt of out of work benefits, or in receipt of tax credits where their reported income is less than 60 per cent. of median income. Details can be found via the HM Revenue and Customs website:
The measure enables local partners to make an assessment of the level and geographical distribution of income deprivation in their area and focuses local partners on taking action to help raise family incomes.
Poverty: Milton Keynes
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of (a) the general population, (b) children and (c) pensioners in Milton Keynes was living in poverty in each year since 1997. [321868]
Helen Goodman: The Government strongly believe that the best way to tackle adult poverty is through work. Those in work in the long term are better off than on benefits as training, promotion and career opportunities can enable many workers to attain a better standard of living for themselves and their families. We are therefore placing an increased priority on helping all groups of people, including disabled people and those with health conditions, lone parents and long term unemployed people get into rewarding and sustainable jobs.
The Government's declared aim is to eradicate child poverty by 2020. Our determination to do so is as firm as ever and this is demonstrated by introducing the Child Poverty Bill. The Child Poverty Bill will bring new impetus to eradicating child poverty by 2020. It will provide a definition of success and sets a framework to guarantee that Government and its partners at national and local levels make a clear and vital contribution towards ending child poverty.
Between 1998-9 and 2007-8 some 500,000 children were lifted out of relative poverty. Measures announced in and since Budget 2007 are expected to lift around a further 550,000 children out of poverty. Absolute poverty has been halved.
Addressing pensioner poverty has been a priority for this Government. We have targeted help on the poorest pensioners, those who need it most, while providing a solid foundation of support for all.
With the help of targeted support and additional funding there were 900,000 fewer pensioners living in relative poverty (after housing costs) in 2007-08 than in 1998-99.
Estimates of poverty, published in the households below average income series, only allow a breakdown of the overall number of people in poverty at Government Office Region level. Therefore, information for Milton Keynes is not available, though figures relating to the South East Government Office Region are. These are given in the tables.
Poverty for all individuals is presented both before and after housing costs. Child poverty is presented before housing costs and pensioner poverty is presented After housing costs, in line with the relevant Public Service Agreements. The most commonly used figures relate to those with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income for the three groups.
Three-year averages are used to report regional statistics as single-year estimates are subject to volatility. Figures are quoted rounded to the nearest percentage point. The tables show the percentage of all individuals (Table 1), children (Table 2) and pensioners (Table 3) in the South East Government Office Region who have incomes below 60 per cent. of the contemporary median income.
| Table 1: Proportion of individuals in households with incomes below 60 per cent of contemporary median for the South East, before and after housing costs | ||
| Proportion of individuals (%) | ||
| Before housing costs | After housing costs | |
| Table 2: Proportion of children in households with incomes below 60 per cent of contemporary median for the South East, before housing costs | |
| Proportion of children b efore housing costs (%) | |
| Table 3: Proportion of pensioners in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median for the South East, after housing costs | |
| Proportion of pensioners after housing costs (%) | |
| Notes: 1. These statistics are based on households below average income data. The households below average income series is available in the Library. 2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for households below average income figures is single financial years. Three sample years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or 'equivalised') for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. The figures are based on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development equivalisation factors. 6. Figures have been presented on both a before housing cost and after housing cost basis. For before housing cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for after housing cost they are. 7. Proportions have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. | |
A local child poverty indicator-including constituency level information-has been developed that captures the number and proportion of children in families in receipt of out of work benefits, or in receipt of tax credits where their reported income is less than 60 per cent. of median income. Details can be found via the HM Revenue and Customs website:
The measure enables local partners to make an assessment of the level and geographical distribution of income deprivation in their area and focuses local partners on taking action to help raise family incomes.
Remploy: Factories
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of Government procurement contracts were let to (a) Remploy factories and (b) other Government-assisted factories in each of the last three years. [317587]
Jonathan Shaw: DWP does not centrally hold information on Government spend with Remploy or other assisted factories and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost. However, DWP has spent £2.6 million with Remploy through procurement contracts since April 2008.
Social Security Benefits
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average processing time of applications for (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) housing benefit, (c) a crisis loan, (d) a community care grant and (e) a budgeting loan was in (i) each of the smallest geographical areas for which information is available and (ii) the UK in each quarter of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [321454]
Helen Goodman: Information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
The available information has been placed in the Library.
Jobcentre Plus has a formal target for the average actual clearance time (AACT) taken to process jobseeker's allowance claims. The two dates used to calculate this average are from the initial date of a customer's contact i.e. their call to a Jobcentre Plus contact centre to the date a decision is made on their claim and a letter of eligibility is issued to them.
Jobseeker's allowance data for 2005-06 are recorded down to district level. From 2006-07 the data are recorded at benefit delivery centre level which is now the smallest geographical area that can be provided. Jobcentre Plus does not hold quarterly AACT figures.
Housing benefit information has been provided from 2003-04 to 2007-08; the data quality for 2008-09 was not high enough for publication. The Department has been working with local authorities to improve data quality. This month we intend to publish processing time information for April to September 2009, for between 270 and 300 local authorities whose data meets Official Statistics standards.
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