Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase youth employment.
Answered by Lord Sharma
Youth unemployment has fallen by over 40% since 2010. Around 3.0 million young people have left full-time education and have successfully found work, with the employment rate for this group at 74.9%, up by 7.5 percentage points since 2010.
The Youth Obligation Support Programme was introduced in April 2017 to provide intensive support for 18-21 year olds making a new claim to Universal Credit. This programme starts with an intensive activity period of workshops and interventions that encourages 18-21 year olds to think more broadly about their skills and job goals, helps them identify any training they need, and supports them to improve their job search, job application and interview skills.
We also believe that early intervention is particularly important, which is why we have introduced Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools, which was trialled in 10 districts starting in February 2016 and rolled out nationally in England only from November 2016. It helps young people make a smooth and effective transition from school to work, training or further study. This support includes advice on the local labour market, ‘soft skills’ employers expect such as teamworking and resilience, job search skills such as CV writing and interview techniques, and the promotion of vocational routes into employment
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints relating to the equalisation of the state pension age investigation case managers at the office of the Independent Case Examiner are investigating; and what the average waiting time for such a complaint lodged with the Independent Case Examiner to be allocated to an investigation case manager was in the last 12 months.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Investigation case managers at the Independent Case Examiner’s Office are currently investigating 35 complaints relating to the equalisation of the state pension age. In the period March 2017 to February 2018 the average waiting time for complaints relating to the equalisation of the state pension age to be allocated to an investigation case manager was 39 weeks.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many independent case managers at the office of the Independent Case Examiner are working on cases relating to complaints on the equalisation of the state pension age.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Independent Case Examiner’s Office has 3 investigation case managers working on cases relating to complaints on the equalisation of the state pension age.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time taken has been for the office of the Independent Case Examiner to respond to a complaint relating to the equalisation of the state pension age in the last 12 months.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In the period March 2017 to February 2018 it took an average of 45 weeks for the Independent Case Examiner’s Office to conclude investigations into complaints about the equalisation of state pension age, from the point at which the complaint was accepted for examination.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2018 to Question 125898, on Personal Independence Payment: Mental Health, whether additional funding will be made available as part of her Department's Annual Managed Expenditure to pay for personal independence payment back-payments.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The Department’s Annually Managed Expenditure budget is set through the annual Main and Supplementary Estimates process. It is demand led and set at a sufficient level to cover DWP’s expected welfare spend, including PIP benefit payments to individual claimants and any back payments due.
Asked by: Gavin Newlands (Scottish National Party - Paisley and Renfrewshire North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, from which budget any back payments due to personal independence payment claimants will be funded.
Answered by Sarah Newton
PIP benefit payments to individual claimants, including any back payments, come from DWP’s Annual Managed Expenditure.