Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of Jobcentre closures on the planned roll-out of universal credit.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
An assessment has been made of the closures and there is little effect on the rollout schedule of the Universal Credit Full Service.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the date for Eastern Avenue Jobcentre's closure will be confirmed.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
An announcement around a proposed closure date was made on Wednesday 11 October at 2pm.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to announce a final decision on Eastern Avenue Jobcentre closure following the consultation.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
A Written Ministerial Statement was laid in the House on 5 July 2017. This statement confirms our estate plans for the future, including Eastern Avenue Jobcentre.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants have been sanctioned for being late by jobcentres in Yorkshire and the Humber since 2015.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
This information is not available.
Information on Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanction decisions, by referral reason and geography, is available here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
Guidance for users is available at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employees at Eastern Avenue Jobcentre, Sheffield opted out of the Employee Deal.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Four employees at Eastern Avenue Jobcentre elected to opt out of the Employee Deal.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his departmental officials used google maps to calculate estimates of travel time between those jobcentres which his Department proposes to close and those jobcentres from where replacement services will be delivered.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Distances and journey times have been calculated using a variety of methods to improve accuracy, including Google Maps and AA route mapping, and information collected about local public transport routes with input from local DWP colleagues.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people who visited the jobcentre at Eastern Avenue, Sheffield in each year from 2010 to date.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested is not available. However, such information that is available is in the tables and provides the number of (a) Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit (required to seek work) claimants; plus the number of new claims to (b) Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support from people who are required to attend Sheffield Eastern Avenue Jobcentre.
Table (a) The number of Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit (required to seek work) claimants required to attend Sheffield Eastern Avenue Jobcentre
Position At January For Each Year Since 2010 | The number of Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit claimants required to attend Sheffield Eastern Avenue Jobcentre |
January 2010 | 2,438 |
January 2011 | 2,448 |
January 2012 | 3,053 |
January 2013 | 3,010 |
January 2014 | 2,440 |
January 2015 | 1,605 |
January 2016 | 1,355 |
January 2017 | 1,170 |
Table (b) The number of new claims to Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support required to attend Sheffield Eastern Avenue Jobcentre
Position For Each 12 Month Period From February To January From 2010 | The number of people making a new claim to Employment and Support Allowance required to attend Sheffield Eastern Avenue Jobcentre | The number of people making a new claim to Income Support required to attend Sheffield Eastern Avenue Jobcentre |
February 2009 to January 2010 | Not Available | Not Available |
February 2010 to January 2011 | 686 | Not Available |
February 2011 to January 2012 | 720 | Not Available |
February 2012 to January 2013 | 2,352 | 500 |
February 2013 to January 2014 | 2,497 | 535 |
February 2014 to January 2015 | 1,929 | 439 |
February 2015 to January 2016 | 1,695 | 423 |
February 2016 to January 2017 | 1,541 | 246 |
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of jobcentres due to close under proposals announced on 30 January 2017 which are not within three miles or 20 minutes by public transport of an existing jobcentre.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
A total of 30 Jobcentres are outside of the criteria of 3 miles and 20 minutes by public transport of the existing Jobcentre.
The list of Jobcentres subject to public consultation has been published and documentation is available to view at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=&publication_filter_option=consultations&topics%5B%5D=all&departments%5B%5D=department-for-work-pensions&official_document_status=all&world_locations%5B%5D=all&from_date=&to_date=
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claimed both income support and any element of tax credits in the most recent year for which information is available.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested is not readily available, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2017 to Question 63189, what steps his Department plans to take for those employees at Eastern Avenue, Sheffield for whom a move would breach the mobility rule but who do not consent to a change.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Department will not breach the mobility rules within employee’s contracts as part of proposals to relocate staff and services from the current Jobcentre at Eastern Avenue, Sheffield. If an employee were to move outside of their contractual mobility it would only be with their agreement. We expect all staff to be relocated to nearby offices. Individual meetings between local DWP managers and their staff began after the announcements on 26 January 2017 and this is an opportunity to discuss mobility or any other aspects of the proposals.
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.