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  • David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    David Anderson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2015 to Question 17647, if he will carry out a survey of women’s attitudes to state pension equalisation.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Department has no plans to carry out a survey of women’s attitudes to State Pension age equalisation. It has been Government policy since 1995 that the inequality between men and women’s State Pensions Ages must be removed.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 1.126 of Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what funding for Discretionary Housing Payments he plans to provide to local authorities in addition to that announced in Summer Budget 2015.

    Justin Tomlinson

    In the Autumn Statement it was announced that additional Discretionary Housing Payment funding will be made available to Local Authorities, including those in supported accommodation. A further £70 million will be made available on top of the Summer Budget announcement across 2018-19 and 2019-20.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures his Department has put in place to ensure that conditionality requirements for jobseekers who are in receipt of universal credit, as set out in each individual’s Claimant Commitment, take into account whether the individual may be homeless.

    Priti Patel

    Work Coaches regularly discuss a range of issues and circumstances with claimants. Where homelessness is raised, and is a barrier to employment, work coaches can temporarily lift or vary work search and availability requirements to help support in finding accommodation. Conditionality requirements reflect reasonable expectations given the claimants circumstance. These are recorded in the Claimant Commitment and regularly reviewed.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken since the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Homeless Claimants) Amendment Regulations 2014 came into force to increase awareness of the easement of conditionality rules among Jobcentre Plus staff.

    Priti Patel

    All Jobcentre Plus staff have access to comprehensive and clear procedures, instructions and learning which equips them to advise customers appropriately. These products were updated to reflect the implementation of the conditionality easement for homeless claimants.

    In addition, the homeless easement was communicated separately through internal staff memos and on the Department’s internal Intranet site. More recently, an internal Homelessness ‘Ask the Expert’ telephone conference was hosted for managers and staff. The event was aimed at improving services to homeless customers and covered the conditionality easement introduced in 2014.

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of (a) employment and support allowance and (b) job seeker’s allowance have been sanctioned since 2012; and how many such claimants (i) remained on the relevant benefit, (ii) gained employment and (iii) dropped off the system following the sanction period.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    The information that is available, on the number of sanction referrals and adverse sanction decisions, in respect of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), is published and available at:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/:

    Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started—SuperWEB2.html

  • Neil Gray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants were sanctioned in (a) 2015, (b) 2014, (c) 2013, (d) 2012 and (e) 2011; how many such claimants were (i) disabled and (ii) lone parents in each such year; and how many dependents such claimants had in each such year.

    Priti Patel

    The specific information requested, in respect of claimants who are sanctioned and have dependents and lone parents on Employment and Support Allowance, is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    The information that is available, on the number of sanction referrals and adverse sanction decisions, in respect of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) is published and available at:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

    Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started—SuperWEB2.html

    Information about Income Support lone parents (ISLP) is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/income-support-lone-parent-regime-figures-on-sanctions-and-work-focused-interviews–2

  • Eilidh Whiteford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Eilidh Whiteford – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Eilidh Whiteford on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people sanctioned since 2012 have not gained employment and are no longer in receipt of the relevant benefit following the sanction period.

    Priti Patel

    The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    The information that is available, on the number of sanction referrals and adverse sanction decisions, in respect of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), is published and available at:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/:

    Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started—SuperWEB2.html

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2015 to Question 17164, which employers have been sub-contracted to deliver community work placements by each of those prime providers.

    Priti Patel

    Prime Providers may use subcontractors to help source Community Work Placements. The current Community Work Placement sub-contractors working for prime providers are as follows:

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA2 – East Midlands

    Acorn Training

    Acorn Training Consultants

    Babington

    Framework Housing

    Learn Direct

    Work Pays

    Cygnus Consulting Limited

    JJ Training (UK) Limited

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA3 – London West

    ATN

    Cygnus Consulting Limited

    Urban Futures

    Ixion

    Pinnacle People

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA4 – London East

    ATN

    Ixion

    Faith Regen

    Resources Plus (Bexley)

    Urban Futures

    Pinnacle People

    Advanced Personnel Management Group (UK) Limited: CPA5 – North East

    Acumen

    DISC

    Escape Family Support

    Groundwork North East and Cumbria

    Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle

    Sunderland North Community Business Centre

    Tyne Metropolitan College

    Training and Advice Services Ltd

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA6 – North West

    Bootstrap

    The Work Company

    Learn Direct

    Groundwork

    Learndirect Limited: CPA8 – Scotland

    Aberdeen Foyer

    Argyll & Bute Council

    Argyll Training

    CEIS Ayrshire

    Dundee & Angus College

    Fife College

    Midlothian Council

    Ironworks

    Pulteneytown Peoples Project

    Lifeskills Central Limited

    Connect Community Trust

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA9 – South East

    Learn Direct

    PCMI

    Cygnus Consulting Limited

    Working Links (Employment) Limited: CPA13 – Wales

    Groundwork

    ACT Learnabout

    Bethany Training

    Tai Calon

    Grow Enterprise Wales (RCT Homes)

    North Wales Training

    Newport City Council

    Cornelly and District Development Trust

    Whitehead Ross

    Crest Cooperative

    Melin Homes

    Advanced Personnel Management Group (UK) Limited: CPA15 – West Midlands

    Sarina Russo Job Action

    Shropshire Council

    Stoke College

    Stoke Council

    Interserve Working Futures Limited: CPA16 – Yorkshire and the Humber

    Halifax Opportunities Trust

    Aim 2 Learn

    Interserve Working Futures Limited: CPA17 – Yorkshire and the Humber

    Groundwork Sheffield

    Phoenix Enterprises

    G4S Regional Management (UK&I) Limited: CPA18 – Yorkshire and the Humber

    Pinnacle People

    JJ Training

    Work Company

  • Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the judgment in the case of R v Secretary of State [2015] EWHC 3382 (Admin).

    Justin Tomlinson

    The Government is considering the judgment and will set out its position in due course.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Emily Thornberry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2015-12-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times Jobcentre Plus staff applied an easement of conditionality under the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Homeless Claimants) Amendment Regulations 2014 to claimants in the most recent month for which figures are available.

    Priti Patel

    This information is not routinely gathered, so the information requested is not available.