Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help supply workforce for sectors experiencing labour shortages, including (a) HGV driving, (b) hospitality, (c) tourism, (d) construction and (d) agriculture, as reported by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is continuing to work with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Transport, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Devolved Authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as other Government Departments to fill vacancies in haulage, hospitality, construction, agriculture, tourism and other sectors experiencing labour shortages. We are working collaboratively to offer training for those who need it and secure jobs directly for those ready to move into roles.
We have worked with key Trade Associations and industry partners across high demand sectors to develop relationships that utilise DWP’s Jobcentre Plus network, fosters strong local links between employers and work coaches, and gives jobseekers the skills and knowledge they need to enter the sector.
We are working with industry to provide our Work Coaches with the key knowledge they need to identify suitable candidates and to develop relationships with key employers and stakeholders in their local areas. As a result, local Jobcentres are now directly connecting with employers in their area, to discuss their recruitment needs and to offer advice on the support available, including work trials, work experience and sector based work academies.
Two websites, JobHelp and Employer Help, were launched last year by DWP in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. JobHelp offers job search advice, showcases recruiting sectors and signposts to job vacancies to help people successfully find work. DWP continues to work with industry and sector bodies to collaborate on content that promotes working in recruiting sectors, including the haulage sector for JobHelp,
In hospitality, DWP is working closely with key employers and trade associations such as UK Hospitality and the British Beer and Pub Association to promote opportunities in the hospitality sector to DWP customers
DWP is also helping jobseekers become HGV drivers to alleviate current shortages. DWP continues to work with DfT on additional measures to support the haulage and logistics sector and to support jobseekers into sustainable, long-term employment. For example, DWP’s driver training pilot is underway, as part of the wider Road to Logistics scheme that supports people to become HGV drivers and we encourage industry to access their local Jobcentre Plus network to take advantage of the range of support on offer.
To support agricultural recruitment, DWP is supporting Defra to develop and deliver a long-term recruitment strategy that supports the domestic workforce into both seasonal and long-term roles in the agriculture sector.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
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 job vacancies in the labour market in (a) the UK and (b) Wales as at 7 June 2021.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Official data from the independent Office for National Statistics shows that the number of advertised vacancies across the UK economy was 657,000 in February to April 2021 – 154,000 (19%) below their pre-COVID-19 level.
Our Plan for Jobs is an ambitious programme of job creation and support to help people of all ages move into work or gain the skills that will open up job opportunities.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of sharing universal credit data with local authorities to help improve local responses to poverty.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department already shares significant amounts of Universal Credit (UC) data through a secure mechanism with Local Authorities (LAs), including through a daily feed of change notifications to support administration of Council Tax Reduction schemes. In addition, LAs have access to claimant level UC data via a system called Searchlight. We continue to engage with LAs to enhance our understanding of how data access may support localised provision.
To further support LAs in identifying vulnerable families, we are also planning to provide them with information about those Universal Credit claims with limited capability for work as well as claims with earnings below the free school meals and free prescription thresholds before the end of May.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
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 data sharing with local authorities on universal credit.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department already shares significant amounts of Universal Credit (UC) data through a secure mechanism with Local Authorities (LAs), including through a daily feed of change notifications to support administration of Council Tax Reduction schemes. In addition, LAs have access to claimant level UC data via a system called Searchlight. We continue to engage with LAs to enhance our understanding of how data access may support localised provision.
To further support LAs in identifying vulnerable families, we are also planning to provide them with information about those Universal Credit claims with limited capability for work as well as claims with earnings below the free school meals and free prescription thresholds before the end of May.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
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 data sharing with local authorities on universal credit.
Answered by Will Quince
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of sharing universal credit data with local authorities to help improve local responses to poverty.
Answered by Will Quince
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of restoring Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile.
Answered by Will Quince
We estimate the cost would be about £800 million in 2020/21, excluding any changes in behaviour by tenants and landlords.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of whether there is a need for transitional protection for mixed-age couples that will see eligibility for pension credit and housing benefit affected by transferring to universal credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The mixed age couples change will not apply to couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners on 14 May for as long as they remain entitled to either benefit. DWP wrote earlier this year to those mixed age couples already receiving Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners to ensure they know about the change and how they could be affected if their circumstances change on or after 15 May.
Couples who would be eligible for the pension age benefits under the previous rules but have not claimed before 15 May will have up to 13 August to make a backdated claim to 14 May and we encourage them to do so.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the number of successful applications to Access to Work was in each local authority area in Wales in each year since 2015.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The table below shows the number of people who had any Access to Work provision approved in Wales in each financial year from 2014/15 to 2017/18, the most recent complete financial year for which data is available.
Table 1: The number of people who had any Access to Work provision1 approved in Wales, by local authority, 2014/15 - 2017/18
| 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 |
Blaenau Gwent | 30 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
Bridgend | 70 | 60 | 60 | 70 |
Caerphilly | 70 | 70 | 80 | 90 |
Cardiff | 140 | 150 | 160 | 200 |
Carmarthenshire | 60 | 70 | 80 | 80 |
Ceredigion | 20 | 20 | 10 | 20 |
Conwy | 50 | 60 | 50 | 50 |
Denbighshire | 30 | 20 | 20 | 40 |
Flintshire | 60 | 60 | 70 | 80 |
Gwynedd | 50 | 30 | 30 | 50 |
Isle of Anglesey | 20 | 30 | 20 | 30 |
Merthyr Tydfil | 30 | 20 | 20 | 30 |
Monmouthshire | 30 | 20 | 40 | 30 |
Neath Port Talbot | 70 | 60 | 80 | 90 |
Newport | 50 | 50 | 80 | 80 |
Pembrokeshire | 20 | 20 | 20 | 40 |
Powys | 40 | 40 | 30 | 50 |
Rhondda Cynon Taf | 90 | 100 | 110 | 120 |
Swansea | 110 | 160 | 170 | 200 |
Torfaen | 30 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
Vale of Glamorgan | 50 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
Wrexham | 60 | 40 | 50 | 50 |
|
|
|
|
|
Total | 1,200 | 1,180 | 1,280 | 1,530 |
Notes:
1. There are two main types of Access to Work provision: Assessments and Elements. More than one item of Access to Work provision of the same type or of different types can be approved for the same person in a given financial year or in different financial years. The table above shows the number of people who had one or more item of provision of any type approved in each financial year.
Data source: These statistics were obtained from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Disability Service Client (DiSC) administrative system.
Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Figures that are less than 10 after rounding are suppressed and replaced with "-". Totals may not sum due to rounding.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will meet with Ministers of the Welsh Government to discuss the potential merits of extending the Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools scheme to Wales.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The provision of careers information, advice and guidance is a devolved matter in Wales. In partnership with Careers Wales, DWP is currently providing support for schools similar to that provided in England through the Jobcentre Support for Schools programme.