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25 Oct 2010 : Column 170W—continued
Unemployed People: Vetting
Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of unemployed people who are awaiting Criminal Records Bureau checks to be completed before they can commence work; and if he will make a statement. [16726]
Chris Grayling: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
Unemployment: Older People
Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps his Department has taken to assist unemployed people aged over 55 years into employment. [17601]
Chris Grayling: The Department has announced plans for radical reforms to the welfare to work system, including the introduction of the new Work Programme, due to be rolled out nationally from summer 2011. The Work Programme will support a wide range of customers, including older people, and will offer an integrated and personalised system of back to work support for the first time.
The Department currently has measures for Jobseeker's Allowance customers aged over 50 years who need more help because of age-related issues. The measures are due to run until March 2011 and give customers extra interview time with an adviser and early access to intensive help and work trials. Jobcentre Plus advisers receive training on age issues where appropriate.
The Department worked with The Age and Employment Network to develop a best practice guide for provider organisations to use when delivering back to work services for customers aged over 50 years which launched in July 2010.
The Department's Age Positive initiative supports employers with recruiting older workers, in addition to giving advice about training and retaining them. In August 2010, the initiative began working with business leaders in nine main occupational sectors to encourage a change in workplace attitudes; manage the transition to operating without retirement ages; and maximise the benefits from an age diverse workforce.
The Government is consulting on phasing out the Default Retirement Age from April 2011, in order to help older people remain in work and bring about a change in attitudes amongst employers and individuals about the benefits of working for longer. The consultation ends on 21 October and the Government response will be published in autumn 2010.
Winter Fuel Payment: Erith and Thamesmead
Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents of Erith and Thamesmead constituency in receipt of winter fuel payment are higher rate tax payers. [18846]
Steve Webb: The Department does not hold information about the income of Winter Fuel Payment recipients as this is not required to establish entitlement.
The latest available information about the numbers of people who received a Winter Fuel Payment in Erith and Thamesmead constituency is in the document Winter Fuel Payment recipients 2009-10 by Parliamentary Constituencies and Gender (All). This is available in the House of Commons Library and on the internet at:
Winter Fuel Payments
Dr Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who are in receipt of the winter fuel allowance are aged (a) between 60 and 64 years, (b) 65 to 66 years and (c) 67 to 68 years; and how much has been paid in winter fuel allowance to each such group in the latest period for which figures are available. [18661]
Steve Webb: Winter fuel payment recipients and expenditure for 2009-10 in the age categories requested are:
| Age | Recipients (thousand) | Expenditure ( £ million ) |
| Notes: 1 Figures for recipients are rounded to the nearest 10,000 and expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £ million. 2 Tables containing benefit expenditure by benefit, local authority and parliamentary constituency can be found at the following URL: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure Source: DWP Information Directorate 100% data. | ||
Winter Fuel Payments: Livingston
Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many individuals in Livingston constituency received the cold weather payment in 2009-10; [18633]
(2) what the total monetary value was of cold weather payments paid to recipients in Livingston constituency in 2009-10. [18634]
Steve Webb: The information requested is not available. Data on Cold Weather Payments is not available by constituency, but only by weather station. In 2009-10, Livingston was linked to the weather station Edinburgh Gogarbank. This weather station triggered payments on 5 occasions and each eligible individual in Livingston constituency therefore received 5 Cold Weather Payments, each worth £25.
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