The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison McGovern on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of zero-hours contract positions advertised in Jobcentre Plus in England in the last 12 months.
Esther McVey
We do not advertise in jobcentres, all vacancies are now advertised on Universal Jobmatch. JSA claimants are not required to apply for zero hour contract jobs and are not penalised if they leave such a job
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proposals he has to tackle worklessness among social housing tenants.
Esther McVey
Jobcentre Plus provides personalised support to help all unemployed people, including social housing tenants, into work. If claimants are at risk of long term unemployment, they are referred to tailored help offered by the Work Programme.
Where Jobcentre Plus District Managers identify gaps in skills or other provision they have discretion to work with partner organisations, like social landlords, to support the provision of extra help to meet particular needs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on tackling worklessness among social housing tenants.
Esther McVey
The Secretary of State has met the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on a number of occasions and they have discussed a variety of issues.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people on the Work Programme with (a) no qualification, (b) a qualification below Level 2, (c) a qualification at Level 2 and (d) a qualification at Level 3, 4 or above secured a sustained job outcome within two years of starting on the programme.
Esther McVey
The information as requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many press officers his Department employed in each of the last six years.
Mike Penning
We have been able to provide the information dating back to 2011. The number of press officers employed by the Department is as follows:
March 2014 – 20
March 2013 – 20
March 2012 – 23
July 2011 – 31
By way of comparison in March 2010 the Department employed 54 press officers
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Heaton-Harris on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase the number of people with learning disabilities in both part-time and full-time employment.
Mike Penning
We do not target our employment support exclusively at individuals with particular impairments. Instead, through a range of programmes, we aim to identify and meet the needs of the individual, including the needs of people with learning disabilities
The Work Programme is the biggest single Welfare to Work programme, which provides personalised back-to-work support for unemployed people, including disabled people. For those that have more complex needs, we have a range of specialist disability employment programmes, including Access to Work, Work Choice and Residential Training Colleges, all of which support people with learning difficulties to take up and remain in employment. In particular, Access to Work can provide funding towards tailored support for people with learning difficulties such as specialist aids, equipment and support workers.
Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisers provide support and advice for disabled people who need help finding and retaining employment and refer individuals to specialist programmes, where appropriate.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Geoffrey Clifton-Brown on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will amend the benefits rules on the habitual residency test to exempt family members in the services returning from an overseas posting; and if he will make a statement.
Esther McVey
It has always been the case that all migrants, including UK nationals returning from anything more than a short period abroad, must satisfy the Habitual Residence Test. This is a vital tool which enables the Government to continue to protect the integrity of the UK welfare system.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people paying the under-occupancy penalty who have fallen into rent arrears.
Esther McVey
In order to monitor the long term effects of the policy the Department has commissioned an independent, two year evaluation. The research will cover the full range of responses by claimants including the the issue of rent arrears. The final report will be published in 2015
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Nicholas Brown on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the performance of Atos in carrying out medical assessments for personal independence payments; and if he will review this contract following the recent announcement on the Employment and Support Allowance Work Capability Assessment contract.
Mike Penning
The Department’s contracts with Atos Healthcare and Capita for the delivery of assessments for Personal Independence Payment include a full set of service level agreements setting out the Department’s expectations for service delivery, including quality of assessments and the number of days to provide advice to the Department. We are closely monitoring their progress against these and are taking action to drive up performance where this does not meet the required standards.
In particular, for both providers, the end-to-end process for many claimants is taking significantly longer than originally anticipated. We are working with the providers to ensure that they are taking all necessary steps to improve performance, speed up the process and ensure claimants receive a satisfactory experience.
The contracts include a range of remedies which allow the Department to take action on minor as well as more significant poor performance and ultimately the Department has the right to terminate the contract if there is sustained underperformance.
The contracts for Personal Independence Payment assessments are entirely separate to the contract Atos Healthcare has for the delivery of assessments for Employment and Support Allowance and other benefits.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mr Nicholas Brown on 2014-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the suitability of the medical assessment undertaken for personal independence payment claims.
Mike Penning
The assessment for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) looks at how an impairment or condition affects an individual’s ability to live an independent life by assessing their ability to carry out key everyday activities.
As with all our reforms we will closely monitor its introduction/roll out, refine the process if required and learn lessons early on.
We are committed to the highest quality of assessment and will carry out two independent reviews.