The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-09.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many self-employed people claimed working familes tax credit in each of the last 10 years.
Nicky Morgan
Working Family Tax Credit was abolished in 2003 and replaced by Child Tax Credits (CTC) and Working Tax Credits (WTC).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many 16 year olds claimed employment and support allowance in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.
Esther McVey
The information as requested is shown in the table below:
Number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants aged 16 Great Britain, 2010 – 2013
Total
Nov-10 1,220
Nov-11 1,210
Nov-12 1,120
Nov-13 1,030
Source: DWP Information Governance and Security Directorate 100% WPLS.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to ten.
2. Incapacity Benefit was replaced by Employment Support Allowance (ESA) from October 2008.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect (a) generally and (b) on ease of comparisons with previous years of collecting work-related ill-health data through the Labour Force Survey biennially instead of annually.
Mike Penning
Experience from collecting work-related ill health data through the Labour Force Survey from 2003/04 to 2011/12 indicated that figures rarely changed significantly year-on-year. The main value in the data is in comparisons over longer time periods and in combining survey years to look at detailed sub-populations.
Work-related ill health data for 2013/14 has been collated and will be published in the autumn.
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 Stephen Timms on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department collects information from Jobcentre Plus offices on the number of people referred to local advice providers to use telephones.
Esther McVey
It is not our policy to refer people to other organisations for the purposes of making a phone call.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the progress of the current review of the European strategy on health and safety at work.
Mike Penning
The UK Government responded to the public consultation on a new policy framework for health and safety at work in the EU conducted by the European Commission in 2013. We emphasised the need for any new policy framework to be rooted in the principles of better regulation. The Commission has said that it expects to publish a communication on the outcome of that consultation this year and I look forward to seeing it in due course.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobseeker’s allowance claimants have been made subject to a benefit sanction since 26 June 2013 because they have not been prepared to learn English.
Esther McVey
The information requested is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-05-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his most recent estimate is of the date on which the last new claims will be made for jobseeker’s allowance.
Esther McVey
The closure of new claims to Tax credits will be informed by the Universal Credit implementation plans. DWP current planning assumptions are that the Universal Credit service will be available in each part of Great Britain during 2016, having closed down new claims to the legacy benefits it replaced; with the majority of the remaining legacy case load moving to Universal Credit during 2016 and 2017. Final decisions on these elements of the programme will be informed by the development of the enhanced digital solution.
We will continue to work closely with HMRC on the specific process and timing for the closure of new claims to Working Tax Credit.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of claimants of (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) employment and support allowance on Help to Work who will enter employment within (i) six months and (ii) 12 months.
Esther McVey
The information requested is not available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what scope there is for a Work Programme prime provider or sub-contractor to propose variations to the claimant commitment agreed with a jobseeker who subsequently embarks on the Work Programme; and if he will make a statement.
Esther McVey
The claimant can ask for their Agreement / Commitment to be changed at any time. Where a Work Programme provider or sub-contractor feels the Agreement / Commitment should be varied, they should ask the claimant to raise this at their next attendance at the Jobcentre.