Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation
Debate between Liam Byrne and Stella Creasy(11 years, 9 months ago)
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Mr Byrne
My admiration for jobcentre staff working under this regime is unbounded. They are good people trapped in bad systems, with a Secretary of State who, I fear, is out of touch.
I have a copy of the e-mail that Mr Wintour reports today, and this is its concluding paragraph:
“Guys, we really need to up the game here”—
on the issuing of sanctions—
“The 5% target is one thing—the fact that we are seeing over 300 people a week and only submitting six of them for possible doubts is simply not quite credible.”
The e-mail says, “So the bottom line. I have until 15 February, along with other area managers, to show an improvement, and then it is a performance improvement plan for me.” He continues:
“Obviously if I am on a PIP…to improve my team’s Stricter Benefit Regime referral rate I will not have a choice but to consider implementing PIPs for those individuals who are clearly not delivering SBR within the team.”
That is why it is important that we have assurances that the independent review, set out in the Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Bill, will get to the bottom of every sanction issued.
Stella Creasy (Walthamstow) (Lab/Co-op)
I was extremely disappointed to hear the Secretary of State’s response just now, because we are talking about the jobcentre that serves both our constituencies. The e-mail also states:
“Our district manager is not pleased”.
“James Corbett is not pleased and neither is John”, states the e-mail. It says that because John is
“under pressure to improve our office output and move up the league he has to apply some pressure downwards.”
The e-mail is talking about league tables. Will the Secretary of State comment on that? Who does my right hon. Friend think is putting together these league tables and applying this pressure on staff, from a regional perspective down to our jobcentres, to find reasons to sanction people in our community, not because of their behaviour, but simply to meet a target?