The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Adrian Sanders on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the capability of the Work Programme to provide adequate support to jobseekers with long-term medical conditions.
Esther McVey
The Department has commissioned an independent evaluation of the Work Programme, and will publish findings once the evaluation is complete.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gilbert on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many single parents with a child under the age of five years old were subject to the benefit cap between 1 April 2013 and 31 January 2014.
Esther McVey
The information requested is not readily available and can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gilbert on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in receipt of (a) income support, (b) jobseeker’s allowance and (c) employment and support allowance were subject to the benefit cap between 1 April 2013 and 31 January 2014.
Esther McVey
The information requested is not readily available and can only be be provided at a disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gilbert on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in temporary accommodation were subject to the benefit cap between 1 April 2013 and 31 January 2014.
Esther McVey
The information requested is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gilbert on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many additional households in temporary accommodation became subject to the benefit cap on flow in each month between May 2013 and January 2014.
Esther McVey
The information requested is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Michael Meacher on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants have been sanctioned for (a) four weeks, (b) three months and (c) three years (i) nationally and (ii) in Oldham in the last year.
Esther McVey
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gilbert on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who were temporarily exempt from the benefit cap due to their housing benefit being reduced were in temporary accommodation between April 2013 and January 2014.
Esther McVey
The information requested is not available. People whose housing benefit entitlement is reduced such that their overall benefit falls below the cap threshold are not subject to the cap.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Bob Ainsworth on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the number of tenant evictions resulting from the decision to pay housing benefit direct to claimants rather than landlords.
Steve Webb
The Government does not expect an increase in the number of evictions in relation to the direct payments of housing benefit.
Most tenants in the Private Rented Sector are already used to receiving their housing payments directly, and managing their own finances.
For other tenants, including many in the Social Rented Sector, this will represent more of a change. We are working with the advice sector to ensure that claimants are able to access budgeting support services to help them to manage their money successfully. Money advice will be offered at a national and local level, and include a mix of online, telephone and face to face services.
A minority of claimants may require alternative payment arrangements. This might include paying rent direct to the landlord, making payments more frequently than monthly, or splitting the payment for a couple.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Adrian Sanders on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time for a work capability assessment is for claimants in (a) Torbay local authority area, (b) the South West region and (c) England.
Mike Penning
The average waiting time for a Work Capability Assessment in the period from March 2013 to February 2014 is as follows:
Torbay local authority area – the information is not available in respect of Local Authority areas
The South West – 110 working days
England – 71 working days
We announced in a Written Ministerial Statement on 27 March our plans to achieve a reduction in waiting times and next steps, including Atos Healthcare’s withdrawal from delivery of Work Capability Assessments in Great Britain before the end of the current contract .
Atos Healthcare will continue to deliver Work Capability Assessments until contract exit and will still be subject to a quality and service credit regime. We will continue to work with Atos to ensure they can deliver the best service possible to claimants until they leave the contract.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2014-03-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding his Department has agreed to provide in future years for former Remploy Employment Services; and until what year such funding will continue.
Esther McVey
The Department agrees Remploy funding and performance targets, including Work Choice job outcome targets on an annual basis. Remploy’s performance targets for 2013/14 were published in Hansard on 31 October 2013, column 60WS by Written Ministerial Statement confirming publication of Remploy Annual Report and Accounts 2013. Remploy performance targets and funding for 2014/15 will be published alongside the 2014 accounts later this year.