Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people in Erith and Thamesmead constituency have (a) opted out after being auto-enrolled into a workplace pension and (b) saved more than the auto-enrolment minimum contribution.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Since automatic enrolment started in 2012 participation rates have been transformed with 87% of eligible employees saving into a workplace pension in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.
The Department does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017, approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019 minimum contribution rates.
I am providing the following information about the impact of automatic enrolment in your constituency, as of August 2019:
In the Erith and Thamesmead constituency, since 2012, approximately 5,000 eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 1,180 employers have met their duties.
Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf.
The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by constituency, available via the following weblink: https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of savings to the public purse from preventing claimants being paid the employment and support allowance (ESA) assessment rate if they have been found fit for work and then reapply for ESA.
Answered by Mark Harper
The information requested is contained within the Autumn Statement 2014: policy costings document which can be accessed via the following weblink – the relevant page is 66:
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of how many people will claim jobseeker's allowance as a result of no longer being able to claim the employment and support allowance (ESA) assessment rate when applying for ESA after being found fit for work.
Answered by Mark Harper
The information requested is contained within the Autumn Statement 2014: policy costings document which can be accessed via the following weblink – the relevant page is 66:
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who have been found fit for work following a work capability assessment have reapplied for employment and support allowance within (a) 12, (b) 24 and (c) 36 months.
Answered by Mark Harper
The information as requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to reach a decision on the future of the Post Office card account after the current contract ends in March 2015.
Answered by Steve Webb
Discussions continue between Her Majesty’s Government and Post Office LTD to consider the needs of our customers beyond March 2015, announcements will be made when these discussions reach a conclusion.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Child Maintenance Options 0800 telephone number is now free to all callers; and on what date the free service took effect.
Answered by Steve Webb
The Child Maintenance Options 0800 telephone number was added to the DWP list of free to call numbers in August 2014. This means calls to Child Maintenance Options from BT landlines and those made by 93 per cent of mobile users, hosted by the six major mobile provider networks, will have the cost of the call met by DWP. Calls from other networks may be free, if they are included within call packages, but this will depend on the network provider. The remaining 7 per cent of calls from mobile users will be able to call the Child Maintenance Options 0800 number free of charge from autumn 2015, which is when the OFCOM ruling requires all network providers to make calls to all 0800 numbers free of charge.
We will also offer to call back a customer, if asked, or if concerns are raised over the cost of the call. Alternatively, customers can also use the online ‘live chat’ facility or email service which is available via the Child Maintenance Options website at www.cmoptions.org.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make the Child Maintenance Options Service 0800 telephone number free to all callers, including mobile telephone users.
Answered by Steve Webb
Calls to the Child Maintenance Options 0800 telephone number are free from BT land lines but customers may have to pay if they use another telephone company or a mobile, or if they are calling from abroad. We are currently finalising arrangements with the six major mobile network providers to make the numbers free to call from their networks.
In the meantime, callers contacting the Child Maintenance Options service from a mobile telephone are informed by their network provider that they will be charged. Callers using mobile telephones can request the Options service to call them back, or alternatively use the online ‘live chat' facility or email service, available via the Child Maintenance Options website at www.cmoptions.org.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2014, Official Report, columns 971-2W, on Remploy, what proportion of the £4.2 million spending has gone to Jobcentre Plus; and who the recipients are of the majority of that funding.
Answered by Mike Penning
Of the £4.2 million spent on providing individual support to former Remploy disabled employees, up to the end of January 2014, £0.7m has been provided to Jobcentre Plus to fund Personal Case Workers, who provide personalised one-to-one help to find and keep employment. As at 21 March 2014, 1,513 disabled former Remploy workers have chosen to work with our Personal Case Workers to find another job and 716 are in work.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, why Remploy Employment Services is now called Remploy; and whether his Department will continue to fund employment services provided by Remploy.
Answered by Esther McVey
Remploy has formally always existed as a single company, Remploy Ltd. Remploy Ltd managed the operation of its business through two different arms: Remploy Enterprise Businesses, the factories, and Remploy Employment Services. Following the completion of Remploy's commercial process to exit its factory businesses it has decided that there is no longer a need to differentiate between the businesses, and it is now using Remploy only, as previously.
The Department agrees Remploy funding and performance targets, including Work Choice job outcome targets, on an annual basis. Remploy's performance targets for 2013-14 were published on 31 October 2013, Official Report, column 60WS, by written ministerial statement confirming publication of Remploy annual report and accounts 2013. Remploy performance targets and funding for 2014-15 will be published alongside the 2014 accounts later this year.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer 6 March 2014, Official Report, columns 971-2W, on Remploy, which businesses were sold; and whether profit from such sales has been passed back to HM Treasury.
Answered by Mike Penning
The automotive, filters, healthcare, e-cycle and CCTV managed services were the five businesses that were sold as part of Remploy's commercial process.
The overall cost of the exit of the factory businesses included profits from the sales of the businesses with total costs estimated to be below budget.