Asked by: Stephen Hepburn (Independent - Jarrow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average net weekly household income was for people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East, (d) London, (e) the South East, (f) England, and (g) the UK in each year since 2010.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
National statistics on the number of people living in in-work relative low income are set out in the annual "Households Below Average Income" publication. Average incomes are not available at constituency or ward level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. However figures at a regional level are available as a three year rolling average. National figures are available for individual years.
Figures on average incomes by region and for England can be found in the link below, in table 2.5ts, and sets out median and mean incomes before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC). Figures for the UK can be found in table 2.1ts, which shows UK income deciles but also the median and mean incomes, both before and after housing costs.
Asked by: Stephen Hepburn (Independent - Jarrow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce youth unemployment in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside and (c) the North East.
Answered by Lord Sharma
For the quarter October to December 2017, youth unemployment in the North East was 29,000 – down by over 15,000 since the 2010 General Election (quarter: February-April 2010).
In April 2017, a new programme of intensive support was introduced for 18-21 year olds making a new claim to Universal Credit full service. We are introducing this programme in line with the roll-out schedule for Universal Credit, which is being introduced in a planned, gradual and safe way.
A number of sites in the North-East are already full service sites, and are able to provide claimants with intensive support through this new programme. Remaining sites in the North-East will continue to be rolled out in line with the revised schedule for Universal Credit Full Service, including Jarrow, which is expected to deliver our new programme from May 2018.
Considerable additional support is also available to young people who are claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance. This includes (but is not limited to): basic skills training, work-related training, and 2-8 weeks work experience opportunities.
For pupils aged 12 to 18 in England, the Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools programme assists schools in delivering their statutory duty to provide high quality, independent and impartial careers advice. It also helps pupils make a smooth and effective transition from school to work, training or further study.
Asked by: Stephen Hepburn (Independent - Jarrow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average net weekly household income was for people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East, (d) London, (e) the South East, (f) England and (g) the UK in each year since 2010.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
National statistics on average net weekly equivalised household income are set out in the annual "Households Below Average Income" publication. The average net weekly equivalised household income is not available at local authority or constituency level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography (a and b).
Latest 3-year estimates of the average net weekly equivalised household income for (c) the North East, (d) London, (e) the South East, (f) England and (g) the UK, in each year since 2010, are available in Table 2.5ts in the file “2_incomedistribution_timeseries” from the link below. Single year estimates for (g) the UK are also available in Table 2_1ts_Quintile.
Asked by: Stephen Hepburn (Independent - Jarrow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent comparative assessment he has made of rates of unemployment in the north east and other UK regions.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The unemployment rate in the North East is 5.8%. The rate has fallen by 1.0 percentage point over the last year, the third largest fall of any region, and by 3.8 percentage points since 2010. The unemployment level has fallen by 46,000 (38%) since 2010.
Asked by: Stephen Hepburn (Independent - Jarrow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the north east has the highest unemployment rate in the UK for June to August 2017; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The unemployment rate in the North East is 5.8%, back to pre-recession levels. The unemployment rate reflects a range of elements such as local labour market conditions, and demographic factors. However, the rate has fallen by 1.0 percentage point over the last year, the third largest fall of any region, and by 3.8 percentage points since 2010. The government is committed to maintaining and improving this performance through our welfare reforms and the support offered by Jobcentre Plus.
Asked by: Stephen Hepburn (Independent - Jarrow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Government has to tackle youth unemployment in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Gateshead and (d) the north east.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The number of young unemployed claimants is continuing to fall. The proportion of young people (aged 16-24) who are unemployed and not in full time education is at a new record low of 4.8% and the youth claimant count has fallen by around 57% in Jarrow, 53% in South Tyneside and 49% in Gateshead since 2010.
As planned, we have also introduced the Youth Obligation to provide intensive support for 18-21 year olds making a new claim to Universal Credit full service from April 2017. We are rolling out the Youth Obligation in line with the roll-out schedule for Universal Credit full service across the north-east. As such, a number of sites in the north-east are already able to provide claimants with more intensive support through the Youth Obligation, Gateshead included. Remaining sites in the north-east will continue to be rolled-on to the Youth Obligation aligned with the schedule of Universal Credit full service, including Jarrow, which is expected to deliver the Youth Obligation from February 2018.
Asked by: Stephen Hepburn (Independent - Jarrow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time is after an application is submitted for universal credit before the first payment is received for claimants in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK.
Answered by Damian Hinds
I refer the Hon. Members to the answer I gave on 18 July 2017 to question 4898.
Asked by: Stephen Hepburn (Independent - Jarrow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of universal credit applicants wait more than (a) six and (b) 10 weeks after making their claim before they receive any income in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK.
Answered by Damian Hinds
We are intending to publish further data on payment timeliness in due course, but our latest internal data nationally, suggests around 80% of cases are paid in full at the end of the first assessment period.
For the remaining cases we estimate around a third have not signed up to their claimant commitment so cannot be paid until they have. The other two thirds have an outstanding verification issue, such as providing bank statements, evidence of childcare costs, or proof of rent. Many of these claimants receive a part-payment where elements of the claim have been verified.
Asked by: Stephen Hepburn (Independent - Jarrow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of constituents in Jarrow constituency have had their personal independence payments overturned as a result of (a) mandatory reconsideration and (b) an appeal hearing in each year for which data is available.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The latest available data on personal independence payment (PIP) clearances split by type of clearance (i.e. whether the claim was awarded, disallowed or withdrawn) can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.
Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html
Table 1 below shows the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mandatory Reconsideration decisions where the award was changed by year since the introduction of PIP in the Parliamentary Constituencies of Torfaen, Delyn and Jarrow.
Table 1 - Number of Mandatory Reconsiderations decisions where the award changed by financial year of decision.
Year of Mandatory Reconsideration | 2013/14 | 2014/ 15 | 2015/ 16 | 2016/ 17 | 2017/18 (April 17 only) | Total |
Torfaen | Less than 5 | 80 | 70 | 110 | 20 | 280 |
Delyn | Less than 5 | 30 | 30 | 60 | 10 | 130 |
Jarrow | Less than 5 | 20 | 40 | 80 | 10 | 150 |
Tables 2-4 below show the Number of appeals found in favour of appellant by financial year, data from Ministry of Justice.
Table 2
Jarrow1 |
| Number Found in Favour of Appellant | Percentage Found in Favour of Appellant (at hearing)2 |
2013-143 | PIP4 | 0 | 0% |
2014-153 | PIP4 | 15 | 58%5 |
2015-163 | PIP4 | 76 | 49% |
2016-173 | PIP4 | 123 | 51% |
Table 3
Torfaen constituency1 |
| Number Found in Favour of Appellant | Percentage Found in Favour of Appellant (at hearing)2 |
2013-143 | PIP4 | Less than 5 | Less than 5 |
2014-153 | PIP4 | 80 | 69% |
2015-163 | PIP4 | 488 | 74% |
2016-173 | PIP4 | 516 | 70% |
Table 4
Delyn constituency1 |
| Number Found in Favour of Appellant | Percentage Found in Favour of Appellant (at hearing)2 |
2013-143 | PIP4 | 0 | 0% |
2014-153 | PIP4 | 22 | 42% |
2015-163 | PIP4 | 194 | 52% |
2016-173 | PIP4 | 479 | 67% |
1 Social Security and Child Support data are attributed to the hearing venue nearest to the appellants’ home address. For appellants living in Jarrow appeals are attributed to the South Shields venue. For appellants identified as living in Torfaen Constituency this would be Langstone Tribunal venue. For appellants identified as living in Delyn Constituency this would be this would be either Prestatyn or Wrexham Tribunal Venues.
2. Percentage Found in favour of Appellant this is based on the number found in favour as a percentage of the appeals cleared at hearing. In line with the published stats, data are not available at a level more-detailed than hearing venue.
3 By financial year - from April to March.
4 PIP replaced Disability Living Allowance for people aged 16 to 64 and rolled out from 8 April 2013. As such, appeal volumes in HM Courts & Tribunals Service in the Year 2013-2014 are low.
5 Indicates the population where the decision was in favour with 30 appeals or less