Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the enforcement procedures are for not payment of Child Maintenance Payments; and whether those procedures are subject to regular assessments of effectiveness.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Child Maintenance Group has the following powers which can be applied immediately if payment compliance cannot be re-established and are subject to fixed charges:
If the paying parent is self-employed or not employed, we can apply:
If a bank account is not identified or there are no or insufficient funds available to permit any deduction order, the case will be referred for consideration and instigation of Legal Enforcement action to secure what is owed, and always to strive for long term payment compliance. The following Enforcement powers available are:
Throughout the Enforcement process, the case will continuously be reviewed to determine whether previously unsuccessful action may now be successful.
CMG regularly reviews Enforcement procedures and policies to continuously improve efficiency and effectiveness. Legislation and policy are similarly reviewed with policy colleagues to consider whether other actions should be introduced. In December 2018 new legislation was introduced in England, Scotland and Wales to request a non-compliant paying parent is disqualified from holding or obtaining a UK passport. The Curfew sanction will be introduced in December 2022 to be available for implementation in early 2023.
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase pension credit uptake in rural areas.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We have undertaken a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit and increase take-up across the whole of the country. On 21 March I wrote to the editors of all regional newspapers across England, Scotland and Wales calling on readers to check if they could be eligible and make a claim.
On 3 April DWP launched a comprehensive Pension Credit take-up campaign. We have been promoting Pension Credit in a variety of ways – including print advertising and promotion in the national press, across social media, via internet search engines and on screens in Post Offices and GP surgeries across Great Britain. I also wrote to all MPs, urging them to support the campaign at a constituency level as MPs are well placed to promote Pension Credit locally. Our digital toolkit has been updated with information and resources, as well as leaflets and posters which advice organisations, charities and other stakeholders working across local communities can use to help promote Pension Credit.
Most recently, on 15 June DWP held another Pension Credit day of action with broadcasters, regional and national newspapers and other partners encouraged to reach out to pensioners, as well their family and friends, through their channels.
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart Scheme placements have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by young people by (i) nation, (ii) region and (iii) sector as of 15 March 2022.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of the 15th March 2022, over 152,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people. The last date a young person can start a Kickstart job is 31st March 2022.
We have previously published the number of jobs approved and advertised as of 31st January, here. At that point, over 235,000 jobs had been advertised and over 305,000 had been approved. Kickstart has now closed to employer applications and as of March, all approved jobs proceeding to the advertisement stage, have been advertised. As such, these totals will not increase but may decline as a result of vacancies being withdrawn or removed by the employer.
Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 15th March 2022 and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.
Jobs made available (advertised) and job starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Also included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location.
The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways. This is generally because, over time, some previously approved jobs were removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application.
Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.
The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.
Table 1: Number of Kickstart total available jobs and job starts, Great Britain, by nation and region (figures rounded to nearest 1000*)
| Total jobs made available | Total jobs started |
Region / Nation Split | (DATA RETAINED FROM 31/01/22) | (DATA EFFECTIVE 15/03/22) |
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Total, Great Britain | 235,000 | 152,000 |
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England | 204,000 | 132,000 |
East Midlands | 14,000 | 10,000 |
East of England | 18,000 | 11,000 |
London | 51,000 | 33,000 |
North East | 11,000 | 7,000 |
North West | 30,000 | 19,000 |
South East | 26,000 | 16,000 |
South West | 14,000 | 9,000 |
West Midlands | 21,000 | 14,000 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 19,000 | 12,000 |
Scotland | 19,000 | 13,000 |
Wales | 12,000 | 7,000 |
Table 2: Number of Kickstart total available jobs and job starts, Great Britain, by Sector (figures rounded to the nearest 10*)
Sector Split | Total jobs made available | Total jobs started |
| (DATA RETAINED FROM 31/01/22) | (DATA EFFECTIVE 15/03/22) |
Administration | 57,350 | 37,500 |
Animal Care | 1,610 | 1,200 |
Beauty & Wellbeing | 1,720 | 1,300 |
Business & Finance | 8,500 | 5,600 |
Computing Technology & Digital | 15,840 | 11,800 |
Construction & Trades | 7,230 | 4,900 |
Creative & Media | 20,990 | 15,600 |
Delivery & Storage | 6,380 | 4,200 |
Emergency & Uniform Services | 520 | 300 |
Engineering & Maintenance | 7,080 | 4,600 |
Environment & Land | 4,620 | 3,200 |
Government Services | 1,000 | 600 |
Healthcare | 6,140 | 3,100 |
Home Services | 1,560 | 800 |
Hospitality & Food | 26,380 | 13,200 |
Law & Legal | 650 | 500 |
Managerial | 960 | 600 |
Manufacturing | 6,430 | 4,200 |
Retail & Sales | 34,970 | 24,900 |
Science & Research | 990 | 800 |
Social Care | 4,740 | 2,400 |
Sports & Leisure | 5,920 | 3,800 |
Teaching & Education | 11,000 | 6,300 |
Transport | 900 | 400 |
Travel & Tourism | 1,110 | 500 |
* Due to rounding, sum of figures may not match declared total
Asked by: Cherilyn Mackrory (Conservative - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart scheme placements for young people have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started in each (i) nation, (ii) region and (iii) business sector since the beginning of that scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of the 26th October, almost 94,000 young people have started a Kickstart job.
With the current pace of starts, we are confident that in early November over 100,000 young people will have started in a Kickstart job. This is an amazing achievement with the first jobs having started only a year ago. We will continue to offer Kickstart jobs to many thousands more.
As of the 26th of October, over 213,000 jobs have been made available for young people to apply to through the scheme and over 304,000 jobs have been approved for funding.
From 28/09/2021 to 25/10/2021, on average over 6,700 Kickstart jobs were made available each week, and on average over 3,400 young people started a Kickstart job each week.
Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 25th of October and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.
Jobs made available and starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Over time, some previously approved jobs have been removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application.
Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.
The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.
Table 1- Kickstart jobs made available and started by location.
Location | Jobs Made Available | Cumulative Jobs Started |
East Midlands | 13,040 | 5,700 |
East of England | 17,010 | 6,550 |
London | 45,760 | 19,840 |
North East | 8,560 | 4,360 |
North West | 26,270 | 11,920 |
Scotland | 15,750 | 7,990 |
South East | 23,880 | 10,100 |
South West | 14,990 | 5,990 |
Wales | 11,160 | 4,500 |
West Midlands | 19,070 | 8,590 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 16,620 | 7,380 |
*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals. |
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Table 2- Kickstart jobs made available and started by sector.
Sector | Jobs Made Available | Cumulative Jobs Started |
Administration | 52,320 | 23,240 |
Animal Care | 1,220 | 720 |
Beauty & Wellbeing | 1,480 | 750 |
Business & Finance | 7,720 | 3,400 |
Computing Technology & Digital | 14,690 | 7,780 |
Construction & Trades | 6,290 | 2,900 |
Creative & Media | 17,120 | 9,280 |
Delivery & Storage | 6,170 | 2,650 |
Emergency & Uniform Services | 490 | 200 |
Engineering & Maintenance | 6,610 | 2,850 |
Environment & Land | 3,950 | 1,870 |
Government Services | 750 | 280 |
Healthcare | 5,460 | 1,960 |
Home Services | 1,540 | 490 |
Hospitality & Food | 25,130 | 7,670 |
Law & Legal | 450 | 290 |
Managerial | 1,090 | 450 |
Manufacturing | 5,810 | 2,470 |
Retail & Sales | 32,080 | 15,300 |
Science & Research | 850 | 460 |
Social Care | 4,820 | 1,530 |
Sports & Leisure | 5,010 | 2,290 |
Teaching & Education | 9,770 | 3,660 |
Transport | 730 | 190 |
Travel & Tourism | 670 | 270 |
*These numbers are rounded and so may not match provided totals. |
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