The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of applying in work conditionality once universal credit has been fully rolled out.
Esther McVey
No estimate of the cost of applying in work conditionality has been made as this will be determined using the findings of the in-work progression trials that are due to begin in April 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of raising the participation age on the level of youth unemployment.
Esther McVey
Raising the participation age was legislated for in 2008 with the aim of ensuring young people have the skills and qualifications they need to succeed in the workplace. The number of young people in work is increasing, up by over 100,000 in the last year and by over 125,000 since 2010. A higher participation age should help to cut youth unemployment in the short-term, as it means more young people are studying full-time, and in the longer term, by increasing the level of skills and qualifications of the workforce. Over the last year 16-17 year olds and 18-24 year olds have both seen significant falls in unemployment, with unemployment down both for those studying full-time and for those who have left full-time education. During 2014 overall youth unemployment recorded the largest annual fall on record and the youth claimant count has now fallen for 38 consecutive months.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent on the youth contract in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.
Esther McVey
The spend on Youth Contract since it was launched in April 2012 is as follows:
2012/13 – £85.8m
2013/14 – £210.3m
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to pilot the application of universal credit in work conditionality by staff other than Jobcentre Plus advisers; and if he will make a statement.
Esther McVey
The in-work progression trials, due to begin in April 2015, will be delivered by Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has received from local authorities engaged in the accelerated rollout of universal credit to their areas from February 2015.
Mr Mark Harper
As part of the national roll out of Universal Credit (UC) which I announced on 12 October 2014, officials from my Department are in discussions with Local Authorities (LA) and their representative bodies across Great Britain including the Local Government Association, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Welsh Local Government Association in taking UC forward.
Senior Representatives jointly consider matters in the Partnership Forum, and in the Universal Support Task Force and most recently the Implementation and Expansion Sub Group.
These discussions include; agreeing go-live dates, managing communications, discussion on level of support LAs can provide to UC claimants and associated costs. All Representations from LAs are being managed at a local level during the course of these discussions.
The Minister for Welfare Reform has engaged with the local government sector including holding regular meetings with Councillor David Sparks, chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is currently pursuing plans for jam jar bank accounts under the universal credit programme; and if he will make a statement.
Esther McVey
We are looking at a wide range of support options and considering the best outcomes for Universal Credit claimants which provide value for the taxpayer.
We are continuing to have discussions with providers of financial products and other stakeholders and we will make an announcement once those discussions have concluded.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his strategy for testing approaches to universal credit in work conditionality includes testing of a requirement to leave one job and start another in order to increase pay; and if he will make a statement.
Esther McVey
Each claimant will discuss their personal circumstances with a Work Coach and requirements will be personalised to take account of a claimant’s individual capability and circumstances. In some circumstances it may be reasonable to expect a claimant to apply for and take up new employment which will enable them to increase their earnings.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-02-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what criteria his Department compiled the list of people and organisations to whom his Department’s consultation, Universal Credit data sharing between his Department and local support providers, published on 10 December 2014, was initially sent.
Mr Mark Harper
This was an open consultation hosted on GOV.UK, to which anyone, individual or organisation could respond. DWP also sent it to organisations with whom we have been working to develop proposals for local support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-17.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his most recent assessment is of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of Universal Jobmatch.
Esther McVey
Today, many jobs are only advertised on the internet. That’s why we are doing everything we can to give those looking for work the skills and the opportunities to access them. Universal Jobmatch is a powerful tool for successfully connecting people to jobs, and it is delivering.
The website launches a public service into the digital age, allowing people to search for work from their home, handheld devices, local libraries, as well as the traditional Jobcentre. It allows employers to match jobseekers to their vacancies and gives our customers access to a greater number of opportunities. It puts them on an equal footing with everyone else seeking a new job in the UK. With over 6 million job searches per a day, the service is clearly popular, successful, and value for money.
At 18 March 2014, there were 507,474 vacancies on the service.
All internet job sites face the issue of duplicate vacancies. We take this issue very seriously, and whenever we have a doubt about the validity of a job offer we will intervene, suspend the vacancy and investigate. If an employer breaches our terms and conditions we remove their right to advertise. Our continuing removal of such employers or jobs demonstrates that our system of checks works.
Since Universal Jobmatch was launched in November 2012, we have removed 1216 employer accounts that did not comply with our terms and conditions. That figure is equivalent to 0.2% of the total number of registered employer accounts.
Universal Jobmatch has revolutionised the way we deliver the public employment service. With over 6,000,000 job searches per day at a cost of far less than 1 pence each, it represents excellent value for money.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people and what proportion of the working age population have been in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for over (a) two years, (b) five years and (c) 10 years in each region of England.
Esther McVey
The information requested is shown in the tables below.
Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants in each Region in England by duration of claim and as a percentage of the working age population – as at August 2013
|
Region |
All |
% |
Duration of 2 to 5 years |
% |
Duration of 5 to 10 years |
% |
Duration of over 10 years |
% |
|
North East |
77,400 |
4.9 |
14,330 |
0.9 |
300 |
– |
50 |
– |
|
North West |
166,260 |
3.8 |
22,990 |
0.5 |
1,400 |
– |
180 |
– |
|
Yorkshire and The Humber |
140,760 |
4.3 |
23,660 |
0.7 |
810 |
– |
110 |
– |
|
East Midlands |
87,700 |
3.2 |
12,900 |
0.5 |
630 |
– |
40 |
– |
|
West Midlands |
141,210 |
4.2 |
23,410 |
0.7 |
1,490 |
– |
120 |
– |
|
East of England |
93,300 |
2.6 |
13,370 |
0.4 |
420 |
– |
50 |
– |
|
London |
191,590 |
3.5 |
30,990 |
0.6 |
1,420 |
– |
250 |
– |
|
South East |
107,830 |
2.1 |
13,550 |
0.3 |
610 |
– |
80 |
– |
|
South West |
68,750 |
2.2 |
8,530 |
0.3 |
180 |
– |
50 |
– |
Source: DWP IGS 100% WPLS and ONS Mid-2012 Population Estimates
Notes:
“