Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has any plans to increase the number of replies within his Department's working day standard; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Webb
The Department for Work and Pensions aims to reply to correspondence from hon. Members within 20 working days.
The Cabinet Office publishes information on the performance of Departments and agencies on handling correspondence from Members and peers annually by way of a written ministerial statement. The most recent information for 2013, was announced in the written ministerial statement made by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt. Hon. Frances Maude, Official Report, 13 May 2014, Column 17WS
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the total number of ministerial replies from his Department to hon. Members in a parliamentary session; and what proportion of such replies are sent (a) by letter and (b) by email.
Answered by Steve Webb
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my Rt.Hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), official report, 7 July 2014, column 5-6w.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to increase the number of replies sent electronically to letters from hon. Members.
Answered by Steve Webb
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my Rt.Hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), official report, 7 July 2014, column 5-6w.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to tackle (a) unemployment and (b) youth unemployment in the Brighton, Kemptown constituency; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Esther McVey
Jobcentre Work Coaches offer all claimants tailored support from day one of their claim, which includes skills provision, job search support and work experience opportunities.
Those at risk of long term unemployment are given personalised support through the Work Programme. Jobseekers returning from the Work programme will get extra support through our new Help to Work scheme
Work experience and Sector Based Work Academies participants also get additional help with internet access, help with job search in the form of mock interviews, CV construction and job and apprenticeship applications.
Also, the work coaches have an information event on 02 July 2014 arranged in conjunction with Brighton and Hove City Council and the Youth Employability Service to bring together local employers, apprenticeship providers and young people.
Over the last year we have seen the total number of people claiming JSA fall by over 600 in Brighton, Kemptown and the 18-24 claimant count has fallen by 165 over the same period. This is a sign that the government's long term economic plan is working.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when universal credit will be rolled out to (a) Brighton, Kemptown constituency and (b) the South East; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Esther McVey
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made by my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green, Iain Duncan Smith on 5 December 2013 Col. 65WS link to WMS:
The statement sets out our plans for UC Delivery. We are progressing well against the plan and from 23 June 2014 expansion of the UC live service across the whole of the North West of England began.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/north-west-universal-credit-expansion
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mike Penning
At the present time, there are no plans to relocate a) Departmental staff and b) offices to Brighton.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps he has taken to prevent benefit fraud; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Esther McVey
The level of fraud in the benefit system is relatively low at 0.7% of total benefit expenditure. However, any loss to the public purse due to fraud is unacceptable, which is why the Department is working across Government - and with the private sector - to further reduce the level of loss due to benefit fraud.
We have made considerable progress since the Fraud and Error Strategy was published in 2010. In terms of prevention, this includes using Real Time Information in the Universal Credit pathfinders to prevent fraud and error on new claims before payments are issued. In addition we recently announced a package of measures which, amongst other things include extending these checks to other benefits.
We are also testing the effectiveness of communications to help change attitudes to benefit fraud and to encourage people to routinely report changes of circumstances.
Asked by: Simon Kirby (Conservative - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to tackle pensioner poverty; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Webb
This Government wants all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement. We have restored the link to earnings for the Basic State Pension and also introduced the ‘triple lock', the guarantee that the Basic State Pension will increase by the highest of the growth in average earnings, price increases or 2.5 per cent. We have protected key benefits for older people including: free eye tests; free NHS prescriptions; free bus passes; free television licences for those aged 75 and over and Winter Fuel Payments.