Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with (a) service users and (b) local community groups on the closure of Langside jobcentre.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Whilst neither I nor my predecessor have personally had any discussions with service users and local community groups on the closure of Langside Jobcentre, the Employer and Partnership Manager and Customer Service Leaders in Central Scotland District regularly meet with our stakeholders in the Langside area.
These on-going meetings, which will continue after the closure of Langside Jobcentre, provide the opportunity to discuss and address any local issues and forge closer relationships between DWP and the local community.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish the updated terms and conditions of the replacement SMI loan scheme.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The terms and conditions of the loan are set out in The Loans for Mortgage Interest Regulations 2017 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2017/725/made). A loan agreement has been sent (or will be sent) to all existing customers who wish to take up the offer of a Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loan.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to unsuccessful applicants for industrial injuries disablement benefit on the services offered by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council where mandatory reconsideration is not appropriate.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Anyone who is unsuccessful in claiming industrial injuries disablement benefit may seek a mandatory reconsideration of their claim. Where our decision is upheld, we provide information on the option to appeal that decision to Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service.
The Department does not routinely advise claimants to approach the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, as it is not the Council’s role to consider individual appeals. However, if an individual feels that there is a strong case to update the list of prescribed diseases or occupations, they may contact the Council to seek a review of the relevant eligibility rules.
Information on the Council’s role and how to contact them is readily available via the Gov.uk website.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to meet local community groups in Glasgow South constituency to discuss the effect of proposed jobcentre closures in Glasgow.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
We are committed to continuing to serve people in all areas of the country to make sure that they can continue to access the services they need.
I recently met with the MP’s who represent Glasgow and Rutherglen and Hamilton West to discuss our proposals.
We started a public consultation process for the proposed closure of Bridgeton, Castlemilk and Maryhill Jobcentres on 7 December 2016, via Gov.uk. The consultation will close on 31 January 2017.
We would encourage members of local community groups to submit their views on these proposals via the online consultation.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to extend the public consultation on proposed jobcentre closures in Glasgow to all of the eight sites that are earmarked for closure.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
There is no statutory requirement for consultation on Jobcentre closures. However, where the distance from the current location to the proposed alternative Jobcentre is over three miles or 20 minutes away by public transport, we are undertaking public consultation, through Gov.uk and by post, to inform our final decisions on closure and alternative service delivery options.
We have no plans to extend the public consultation on proposed Jobcentre closures in Glasgow.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has plans to estimate the number of disabled working age population in Glasgow South constituency to inform the equality impact assessment on the proposed closure of Glasgow jobcentres.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The information as requested is not available. However, there are a total of 5,790 people claiming Employment and Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefits in Glasgow South constituency. It is worth noting that the extent to which they are required to attend the Jobcentre will vary, depending upon the specific requirements of the benefit they receive.
The purpose of the equality analysis and public consultation is to help establish how many people are likely to be affected by these proposals, including disabled people of working age in Glasgow South constituency.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2016 to Question 57955, on employment and support allowance: Glasgow, if he will take steps to make available the information requested.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Department currently has no plans to collect and publish this information for individual Jobcentre Plus offices.
The Department does publish Employment and Support Allowance statistics to various geographical levels, including constituency (Westminster and Scottish), local authority and Jobcentre Plus district. These can be found here: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp.
Guidance for users can be found here: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with jobcentre staff on their extra travel time and costs resulting from proposed jobcentre closures in (a) Castlemilk and (b) Langside.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Individual meetings between local DWP managers and their staff in Glasgow, including Castlemilk and Langside Jobcentres, began five days after the announcements on 7 December 2016. The first round of meetings concluded on 6 January 2017 and we will continue to discuss any moves with staff as and when final decisions are made.
We recognise that DWP staff are our most valuable resource and we will continue to ensure that there is proper consultation with them and trade unions.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish the savings anticipated from the proposed closure of the jobcentres in (a) Castlemilk and (b) Langside.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department has always reviewed its offices to make sure it delivers value for money. However, the anticipated savings for each individual Jobcentre is commercially sensitive information. The overall anticipated savings figure was published as part of the last Spending Review announcement.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to estimate how many people have received (a) job seeker's allowance and (b) employment support allowance in Glasgow South constituency after using services at (i) Castlemilk and (ii) Langside jobcentres before carrying out an equality impact assessment on closing those jobcentres.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
There are a total of 1,060 people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and a total of 5,790 people claiming Employment and Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefits in Glasgow South constituency. However, the extent to which they are required to attend the Jobcentre will vary, depending upon the specific requirements of the benefit they receive.
The purpose of the equality analysis and public consultation is to help establish how many people are likely to be affected by these proposals, not just those in receipt of a disability-related benefit.