Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that people eligible to join the Class 3A voluntary contribution scheme are made aware of it.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
For over a year prior to launch, individuals were able to register by phone or email for scheme updates.
The scheme has also achieved widespread coverage, particularly around its launch, in the national and specialist press read by the scheme’s target audience. DWP has worked directly with financial advisory bodies and key pensions industry experts to raise awareness of the scheme.
DWP officials have attended conferences around the country with IFAs to explain the scheme and Ministers have written articles and conducted interviews on national, regional and international broadcast channels.
As of 8 November 2015, the scheme had attracted 3460 applications.
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
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 proportion of people eligible for the Class 3A Voluntary National Insurance Contribution Scheme that have signed up to that scheme.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
We do not hold application data for the State Pension top up (Class 3A) at a regional or constituency level. To obtain this would incur a disproportionate cost. Across the UK we have received 3193 applications for State Pension top up (Class 3A) in the scheme’s first 3 weeks.
Up to c. 12m individuals are eligible for the scheme depending upon personal circumstances. In the first 3 weeks of operation there were 3193 applications for State Pension top up (Class 3A).
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have signed up to the Class 3A Voluntary National Insurance Contribution Scheme in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Pendle constituency.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
We do not hold application data for the State Pension top up (Class 3A) at a regional or constituency level. To obtain this would incur a disproportionate cost. Across the UK we have received 3193 applications for State Pension top up (Class 3A) in the scheme’s first 3 weeks.
Up to c. 12m individuals are eligible for the scheme depending upon personal circumstances. In the first 3 weeks of operation there were 3193 applications for State Pension top up (Class 3A).
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disabled people have entered employment following participation in the Work Programme in (a) Pendle, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West to date.
Answered by Esther McVey
The information requested for the number of people placed into employment from the Work Programme, is not available.
The information we do have shows the number of Work Programme Job Outcomes, by various geographies and this can be found at:
http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.html
Guidance for users can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have found employment through (a) the Work Programme, (b) the Youth Contract and (c) an apprenticeship in Pendle in each year since 2010.
Answered by Esther McVey
The Work Programme is moving people off benefit and into work, with the number of people finding lasting work continuing to increase.
Information showing the number of Work Programme Job Outcomes, by various geographies can be found at:
http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.html
Guidance for users can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance
The youth claimant count is the lowest since June 1970, which is due to the actions that this government has taken. We are on track to deliver the extra 250,00 Work Experience and Sector Based Accademy places committed to under the Youth Contract.
The latest published information on Youth Contract starts and apprenticeship starts can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the benefit cap on rates of employment in (a) Pendle, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West.
Answered by Esther McVey
We know that the benefit cap encourages people to move into work.
The number of households capped in Pendle Parliamentary Constituency from the introduction of the benefit cap to November 2014 (the latest available data) was 31. Of the 10 households who were no longer capped as at November 2014, 6 had an open Working Tax Credit claim. This shows that they have moved into work. The actual number of households who have gone into work is likely to be higher, as some individuals may go into work but not be claiming WTC.
The number of households capped in Lancashire from the introduction of the benefit cap to November 2014 (the latest available data) was 416. Of the 226 households who were no longer capped as at November 2014, 79 had an open Working Tax Credit claim.
The number of households capped in the North West from the introduction of the benefit cap to November 2014 (the latest available data) was 3,868. Of the 2,128 households who were no longer capped as at November 2014, 728 had an open Working Tax Credit claim.
Further information can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-november-2014
Asked by: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been assessed by the Work Programme in (a) Pendle, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West to date.
Answered by Esther McVey
The information requested for Work Programme referrals and attachments, by various geographies, is published and available at:
http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/WorkProg/tabtool.html
Guidance for users is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance