Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have moved off Universal Credit and into work as a result of the Way to Work campaign in Hendon constituency.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
We are unable to provide the number of movements into work in the Hendon parliamentary constituency as to produce this would incur disproportionate cost.
Whilst we cannot provide data at a constituency level, we can provide this data at a Jobcentre Plus (JCP) district geographical area. Hendon constituency falls within North London JCP district, we have therefore provided the movements into work for that took place within that area during the campaign. These will include movements that took place in other constituencies that fall within the same JCP district.
We estimate that so far 17,100 unemployed Universal Credit claimants in the North London Jobcentre Plus District have moved into work during the Way to Work Campaign between 31 January and 26 June 2022.
This cumulative figure is composed of our into work measure to the end of May (14,770) and our internal management information up to 26 June (2,340). This figure includes claimants with a sanction in place that moved into work during the period of the campaign (760). This does not include movements into work from JSA claimants as they cannot be broken down to Jobcentre Plus District level. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Due to rounding, sum of figures may not match declared total.
The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency and timeliness.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress her Department has made on allocating the Household Support Fund to the London Borough of Barnet.
Answered by David Rutley
Local Authorities have received their allocations from the current £421m Household Support Fund for April – September 2022, alongside the grant determination and guidance. The allocations for Local Authorities for this period can be found here. The allocation for Barnet is £2,455,182.90. Local Authorities have discretion on exactly how and when this funding is used within the scope set out in the grant determination and guidance, based on their assessment of local need.
From October 2022, Government is providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, bringing the total funding for this support to £1.5 billion. In England £421m will be used to further extend the Household Support Fund (October 2022 – March 2023). Guidance and individual local authority indicative allocations for this further extension to the Household Support Fund will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who are not engaged in the labour market aged 50 to 64 in each of the last three years.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Now that the Default Retirement Age has been abolished most people can work for as long as they want to and are able.
The Government recognises the challenges faced by people aged 50 and over. Therefore, we are providing over £20 million over the next three years for a new enhanced offer for workers over the age of 50 to help them to stay in or return to work. This offer will ensure that older job seekers receive more intensive, tailored support as part of their Universal Credit claim and will give Work Coaches more time to spend with older job seekers who have recently become unemployed. The 50PLUS Champions network also provides dedicated support to Work Coaches to enable them to effectively direct suitable support to claimants who are aged 50 and over. The available information is set out below.
The employment rate of 60-64 year olds is contained in the table below:
| Employment rate Apr-Jun 2021 |
Aged 60-64 | 54.5% |
Source: Economic labour market status of individuals aged 50 and over 2021
The number of people claiming unemployment related benefits is contained in the table below. The Claimant Count measures the number of people claiming benefit principally for the reason of being unemployed. The available age breakdown is 65 and over, so this will include some people on the claimant count who are over State Pension age.
| Claimant Count May 2022 |
Aged 65+ | 24,990 |
Source: NOMIS June 2022
The number of 50-64 year olds who are economically inactive in each of the last three years is contained in the table below:
| Inactivity level |
Feb-Apr 2020 | 3,308,000 |
Feb-Apr 2021 | 3,443,000 |
Feb-Apr 2022 | 3,519,000 |
Source: Table A05SA, Labour Market Overview June 2022
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the final year before they reach the statutory retirement age.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Now that the Default Retirement Age has been abolished most people can work for as long as they want to and are able.
The Government recognises the challenges faced by people aged 50 and over. Therefore, we are providing over £20 million over the next three years for a new enhanced offer for workers over the age of 50 to help them to stay in or return to work. This offer will ensure that older job seekers receive more intensive, tailored support as part of their Universal Credit claim and will give Work Coaches more time to spend with older job seekers who have recently become unemployed. The 50PLUS Champions network also provides dedicated support to Work Coaches to enable them to effectively direct suitable support to claimants who are aged 50 and over. The available information is set out below.
The employment rate of 60-64 year olds is contained in the table below:
| Employment rate Apr-Jun 2021 |
Aged 60-64 | 54.5% |
Source: Economic labour market status of individuals aged 50 and over 2021
The number of people claiming unemployment related benefits is contained in the table below. The Claimant Count measures the number of people claiming benefit principally for the reason of being unemployed. The available age breakdown is 65 and over, so this will include some people on the claimant count who are over State Pension age.
| Claimant Count May 2022 |
Aged 65+ | 24,990 |
Source: NOMIS June 2022
The number of 50-64 year olds who are economically inactive in each of the last three years is contained in the table below:
| Inactivity level |
Feb-Apr 2020 | 3,308,000 |
Feb-Apr 2021 | 3,443,000 |
Feb-Apr 2022 | 3,519,000 |
Source: Table A05SA, Labour Market Overview June 2022
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the employment rate among people within five years of the statutory retirement age.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Now that the Default Retirement Age has been abolished most people can work for as long as they want to and are able.
The Government recognises the challenges faced by people aged 50 and over. Therefore, we are providing over £20 million over the next three years for a new enhanced offer for workers over the age of 50 to help them to stay in or return to work. This offer will ensure that older job seekers receive more intensive, tailored support as part of their Universal Credit claim and will give Work Coaches more time to spend with older job seekers who have recently become unemployed. The 50PLUS Champions network also provides dedicated support to Work Coaches to enable them to effectively direct suitable support to claimants who are aged 50 and over. The available information is set out below.
The employment rate of 60-64 year olds is contained in the table below:
| Employment rate Apr-Jun 2021 |
Aged 60-64 | 54.5% |
Source: Economic labour market status of individuals aged 50 and over 2021
The number of people claiming unemployment related benefits is contained in the table below. The Claimant Count measures the number of people claiming benefit principally for the reason of being unemployed. The available age breakdown is 65 and over, so this will include some people on the claimant count who are over State Pension age.
| Claimant Count May 2022 |
Aged 65+ | 24,990 |
Source: NOMIS June 2022
The number of 50-64 year olds who are economically inactive in each of the last three years is contained in the table below:
| Inactivity level |
Feb-Apr 2020 | 3,308,000 |
Feb-Apr 2021 | 3,443,000 |
Feb-Apr 2022 | 3,519,000 |
Source: Table A05SA, Labour Market Overview June 2022
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people of the statutory retirement age who live in relative poverty.
Answered by Guy Opperman
National Statistics on the number of pensioners in low income in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Latest statistics, covering up until 2020/21, can be found here:
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to bring forward initiatives to assist people in understanding their pensions.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is currently introducing several initiatives to assist people in understanding their pensions.
The Stronger Nudge to pensions guidance regulations, coming in to force on 1st June 2022, ensure no-one will be able to access their savings through pension freedoms without having received Pension Wise guidance or opted out. As part of this, schemes will offer to book of a Pension Wise appointment for the member as part of the application process, removing the inertia introduced by members having to book their own appointment.
From October this year, new regulations come into force that require defined contribution schemes used for automatic enrolment to send simpler, 2-page maximum, statements to members. These short, simpler statements will give savers the key information they need to be able to better engage with and understand their pensions. They will help people plan for the retirement they want.
DWP published a consultation on the draft regulations for Pensions Dashboards, which closed on 13 March 2022. Following publication of its response, expected this summer, the department will lay regulations for dashboards when parliamentary time allows. Pensions dashboards can help make accessing pensions information easier by empowering people to see what they have in their various pensions, including their State Pension, at the touch of a button on their smartphone, laptop or computer at home. This will put the saver in control and help reconnect people with their lost pension pots, transforming how people think and plan for their retirement.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department plans to take to implement the British Sign Language Act 2022.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The British Sign Language Act 2022 gained Royal Assent in April 2022 and does three things:
A BSL Advisory Board will be established to advise the government on the implementation of the BSL Act from the perspective of those who use BSL. The board will also advise on related matters such as how to increase the number of BSL interpreters. This Board is a key first step in implementation of the Act, and it is anticipated that recruitment for the board will begin soon, with the first board meeting to be held in the Autumn.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps her Department has taken to progress the allocation of the Household Support Fund to local authorities.
Answered by David Rutley
Local Authorities have already received their allocations, alongside the grant determination and guidance, for the £421m Household Support Fund extension. The new allocations for Local Authorities are the same as for the previous 6 months of the scheme and can be found here. Local Authorities have discretion on exactly how and when this funding is used within the scope set out, based on their assessment of local need.
This funding is available now for use by Local Authorities until 30 September 2022.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Plan for Jobs in supporting people into work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to supporting everyone who has been affected by the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on the economy and the labour market. Throughout the pandemic the UK Government has provided historic levels of support to the economy – a total of over £370 billion. This includes key DWP programmes as part of the Plan for Jobs, such as Restart and Kickstart alongside other measures to boost work searches, skills, and apprenticeships. Our support was in addition to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Furlough) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
Our Plan for Jobs is complemented by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK. As part of Plan for Jobs in England over 162,000 jobs have been started through the Kickstart programme. Data for the financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22 shows that as of 27 March 2022, there was a total of 149,980 starts to a Sector Work Academy Programme (SWAP) nationally. We have also launched Way to Work - a concerted drive across the UK to help half a million currently out of work people into jobs by the end of June 2022.
Employment is growing in England – up 30,000 on the quarter and 310,000 on the year to stand at 27.510 million in Dec 2021-Feb 2022, according to ONS figures. Employment in England is up from a low in the pandemic of 27.186 million - though it is below its pre-COVID level, underlining the need for Way to Work to support more people into jobs.
We want everyone to be able to find a job, progress in work and thrive in the labour market, whoever they are and wherever they live.