Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of claims processed within planned processing timescales.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department has seen a sustained increase in applications and demand for DWP services as a result of the pandemic and subsequent cost of living pressures, as well as ongoing publicity campaigns such as Help for Households and Pension Credit take-up.
Whilst we have seen an overall improvement in claims processed within planned timescales, and we expect that overall performance to continue to improve in the 24-25 figures, we acknowledge that across our services more needs to be done to improve the number of claims processed within the planned timescales.
Through recruitment in 23-24 we have started 17,166 people in new roles (and have further candidates due to start in Q1 of 24-25). This level of recruitment has resulted in a net increase in our Service Delivery resource levels to meet customer demand. We also have utilised our existing contracts with external partners to increase our service delivery capacity.
Across our service lines we continue to focus on productivity improvement activities, as well as continuing to modernise our benefit services through our digital transformation and Service Modernisation programmes, which mean an increasing number of claims can now be made online and through self-service. The Department strategy is to continue our modernisation programme, enable our people to focus on supporting more vulnerable customers who are unable to self-serve or need additional support.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many prisoners have accessed support through Prison Work Coaches since the scheme's introduction; and how many of those prisoners entered the labour market as a result in each such year.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions has around 200 Prison Work Coaches who provide benefit and employment support to prisoners in every prison across England, Scotland and Wales.
Data is not available on how many prisoners have accessed support through Prison Work Coaches.
We are pleased employment rates amongst prison leavers continue to improve. In the year to March 2023, 25.9% of prison leavers were employed 6 months post release, up from 17.3% in the previous year, excluding cases out of scope or where the status was unknown. This information is included in the Community Performance Annual, update to March 2023 which is published on gov.uk[1].
[1] Community Performance Annual, update to March 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the staff turnover rate for his Department is as of 25 April 2024.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The departments turnover figures are only available at the end of each month. The DWP turnover rate as of 31st March 2024 is 7.3%.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on meeting its Greening Government Commitment targets.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP’s 2023/24 GGC performance is currently being collated and will be submitted to DEFRA at the end of May 2024. Therefore, 2022/23 is the latest full year of GGC data that is available and a summary of DWP’s performance (including our ALBs) against each of the headline GGC targets from 2022/23 is provided below. Further details of DWP’s performance (excluding ALBs) is available in DWP’s 2022/23 Annual Report and Accounts.
Target A: Mitigating climate change: working towards net zero by 2050
DWP reduced our total greenhouse gas emissions by 32% compared to the 17/18 baseline, which is on track to meet the target to reduce by 45% by 2024/25.
DWP reduced our direct greenhouse gas emissions by 1% compared to the 17/18 baseline. During the pandemic DWP took on c.200 additional properties to respond to national requirements. These buildings were still part of the estate in 2022/23 which impacted the direct greenhouse gas emissions performance; however, significant estate rationalisation has occurred during 2023/24 and we forecast we will meet the 2024/25 target to reduce by 17%.
Target B: Minimising waste and promoting resource efficiency
DWP reduced our total waste generated by 31% compared to the 2017/18 baseline, exceeding the target to reduce by 15% by 2024/25.
Target C: Minimising waste and promoting resource efficiency
DWP reduced our water consumption by 19% compared to the 2017/18 baseline, exceeding the target to reduce by 8% by 2024/25.
Target D: Procuring sustainable products and services
DWP has a sustainable procurement policy and ensures all procurement activities comply with the Government Buying Standards, meeting the target requirements.
Target E: Nature Recovery – making space for thriving plants and wildlife
DWP has developed a draft nature recovery plan and intend to finalise this before 2024/25 to meet the target requirements.
Target F: Adapting to climate change
DWP has developed a climate change adaptation strategy which includes a climate change risk assessment and climate change adaptation plan for its estates and operations, meeting the target requirements.
Target G: Reducing environmental impacts from information communication technology (ICT) and digital
DWP provide annual reporting data against the ICT & digital services strategy and provide membership to the sustainable technology advice and reporting team, meeting the target requirements.
Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals for all types of benefit case (a) are awaiting a hearing and (b) were awaiting a hearing on 22 April 2010 (i) nationally, (ii) by region, (iii) by Tribunal Office and (iv) by hearing venue.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The table below sets out the number of appeals for all types of benefit awaiting a hearing (i) nationally, (ii) by region, and (iv) by hearing venue as at end of December 2023 (the latest period for which data are available). There is no separate data collated at (iii) Tribunal office level.
Data for 22 April 2010 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
All SSCS Benefits at December 231 | |||
Region / Venue | Total Open Caseload | Ready To List | Listed For Hearing |
London | 11785 | 6166 | 1401 |
Bexleyheath | 6 | 3 | 0 |
East London | 2715 | 1443 | 349 |
Enfield | 46 | 20 | 4 |
Fox Court | 5765 | 2996 | 670 |
Hatton Cross | 436 | 170 | 96 |
Romford | 844 | 516 | 112 |
Sutton | 1973 | 1018 | 170 |
Midlands | 14569 | 7979 | 2084 |
Birmingham | 3275 | 1668 | 603 |
Boston | 299 | 196 | 33 |
Chesterfield | 649 | 359 | 84 |
Coventry | 1146 | 725 | 102 |
Derby | 1047 | 618 | 142 |
Hereford | 162 | 81 | 25 |
Kidderminster | 193 | 93 | 37 |
Leicester | 1305 | 700 | 160 |
Lincoln | 693 | 422 | 71 |
Northampton | 736 | 476 | 87 |
Nottingham | 1666 | 906 | 256 |
Nuneaton | 123 | 72 | 13 |
Shrewsbury | 518 | 283 | 67 |
Stoke | 681 | 379 | 78 |
Walsall | 493 | 226 | 86 |
Wellingborough | 280 | 169 | 31 |
Wolverhampton | 1058 | 462 | 180 |
Worcester | 245 | 144 | 29 |
North East (Leeds) | 6382 | 2903 | 1205 |
Barnsley | 314 | 126 | 67 |
Bradford | 1055 | 542 | 178 |
Doncaster | 448 | 191 | 75 |
Grimsby | 300 | 138 | 57 |
Huddersfield | 36 | 11 | 8 |
Hull | 615 | 327 | 97 |
Leeds | 957 | 341 | 193 |
Scarborough | 241 | 111 | 53 |
Sheffield | 1182 | 554 | 214 |
Wakefield | 982 | 473 | 187 |
York | 252 | 89 | 76 |
North East (Newcastle) | 4775 | 2480 | 807 |
Bedlington | 234 | 95 | 65 |
Berwick | 20 | 9 | 4 |
Darlington | 502 | 251 | 77 |
Durham | 425 | 212 | 95 |
Gateshead | 116 | 49 | 32 |
Newcastle | 751 | 284 | 176 |
North Shields | 208 | 56 | 63 |
South Shields | 361 | 176 | 72 |
Sunderland | 792 | 488 | 80 |
Teesside | 1366 | 860 | 143 |
North West | 10686 | 5704 | 1635 |
Barrow | 108 | 65 | 12 |
Birkenhead | 440 | 264 | 57 |
Blackburn | 401 | 225 | 69 |
Blackpool | 545 | 238 | 105 |
Bolton | 613 | 303 | 108 |
Burnley | 374 | 200 | 46 |
Bury | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Carlisle | 254 | 125 | 42 |
Chester | 627 | 358 | 81 |
Lancaster | 157 | 94 | 7 |
Liverpool | 1640 | 778 | 234 |
Manchester | 2159 | 1258 | 331 |
Preston | 317 | 143 | 70 |
Rochdale | 636 | 279 | 127 |
Runcorn | 1 | 0 | 0 |
St Helens | 676 | 373 | 99 |
Stockport | 977 | 581 | 129 |
Wigan | 581 | 327 | 82 |
Workington | 179 | 93 | 36 |
Scotland | 1557 | 411 | 508 |
Aberdeen | 89 | 24 | 27 |
Ayr | 101 | 20 | 40 |
Campbeltown Centre | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Dumfries (Cairndale) | 26 | 2 | 13 |
Dundee | 88 | 18 | 22 |
Dunfermline | 27 | 7 | 6 |
Edinburgh | 315 | 92 | 114 |
Galashiels | 28 | 9 | 8 |
Glasgow | 489 | 143 | 155 |
Greenock | 46 | 10 | 15 |
Hamilton | 130 | 26 | 34 |
Inverness | 63 | 9 | 24 |
Kilmarnock | 7 | 2 | 2 |
Kirkcaldy | 59 | 22 | 19 |
Kirkwall | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Lerwick | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Lewis | 3 | 0 | 2 |
Oban | 6 | 2 | 3 |
Stirling | 65 | 22 | 19 |
Stranraer | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Wick | 5 | 1 | 2 |
South East | 12225 | 7369 | 1200 |
Ashford | 930 | 533 | 102 |
Basildon | 399 | 200 | 75 |
Bedford | 365 | 243 | 33 |
Brighton | 1250 | 733 | 109 |
Cambridge | 456 | 244 | 61 |
Chatham | 616 | 434 | 60 |
Chelmsford | 700 | 434 | 64 |
Eastbourne | 135 | 88 | 11 |
Hastings | 317 | 221 | 23 |
High Wycombe | 509 | 291 | 55 |
Ipswich | 619 | 409 | 37 |
Kings Lynn | 269 | 136 | 33 |
Luton | 605 | 365 | 46 |
Margate | 322 | 197 | 29 |
Milton Keynes | 309 | 172 | 38 |
Norwich | 990 | 657 | 87 |
Oxford | 551 | 351 | 58 |
Peterborough | 467 | 243 | 56 |
Reading | 593 | 352 | 53 |
Southend | 220 | 109 | 42 |
Stevenage | 239 | 137 | 19 |
Watford | 1364 | 820 | 109 |
South West | 9782 | 5401 | 823 |
Unallocated 2 | 247 | 156 | 18 |
Aldershot | 555 | 309 | 52 |
Barnstaple | 122 | 60 | 9 |
Bournemouth | 12 | 0 | 1 |
Bristol | 1922 | 1090 | 163 |
Exeter | 385 | 132 | 55 |
Gloucester | 715 | 421 | 54 |
Havant | 1058 | 684 | 63 |
Newport IOW | 319 | 225 | 20 |
Newton Abbot | 383 | 190 | 37 |
Plymouth | 623 | 303 | 62 |
Poole | 801 | 417 | 67 |
Salisbury | 73 | 20 | 12 |
Southampton | 982 | 594 | 58 |
Swindon | 532 | 322 | 35 |
Taunton | 410 | 215 | 32 |
Truro | 435 | 156 | 69 |
Weymouth and Dorchester | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Worle | 206 | 107 | 16 |
Wales | 6471 | 3470 | 675 |
Aberystwyth | 82 | 41 | 10 |
Caernarfon | 179 | 64 | 26 |
Cardiff | 2668 | 1455 | 310 |
Carmarthen | 107 | 36 | 20 |
Haverfordwest | 153 | 68 | 20 |
Langstone, Newport | 1181 | 703 | 91 |
Llandrindod Wells | 37 | 21 | 8 |
Llanelli | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Llangefni | 284 | 180 | 25 |
Port Talbot | 531 | 232 | 45 |
Prestatyn | 411 | 247 | 31 |
Swansea | 317 | 140 | 34 |
Welshpool | 81 | 46 | 14 |
Wrexham | 438 | 237 | 41 |
SSCS Regional Centre Not Known | 29 | 4 | 2 |
Grand Total | 78261 | 41887 | 10340 |
From April 2023 the SSCS Tribunal started to list cases using a new Scheduling and Listing solution. This, alongside HMCTS migrating to a new Strategic Data Platform, has resulted in some cases heard and decided using this new listing solution not currently being included in the data above.
1. Data pulled 24/4/2024
2. Unallocated relates to appeals that have not yet been allocated to a venue.
Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that the data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when data are used.
Management information reflects the data held on the case management system, which is subject to change, and can differ from the quality-assured MOJ official statistics, which form the agreed definitive position.