§ 4. Mr. Chris Pond (Gravesham)What is his estimate of the total savings to date to his Department as a result of the new deal for lone parents; and what forecasts he has made of future savings. [107189]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security (Angela Eagle)The independent evaluation of the programme's prototype phase is due to be published at the end of this month and will include a full cost-benefit analysis. The full national programme is being evaluated separately. It, too, will include a cost-benefit analysis and will be available in spring 2002.
§ Mr. PondI thank the Minister for that response and look forward to the results of the full evaluation. Is she aware that among the 100,000 lone parents who have benefited from the new deal so far is a young woman in my constituency who, after many years of unemployment, has gained so much in terms of skills and confidence that she is now working at Gravesend jobcentre? The help that the new deal has given her and so many other lone parents is a major factor in helping the Government to fulfil their commitment to halving child poverty in 10 years.
The Minister will not be hurt if I say that the majority of lone parents would love to sever their relationship with her Department. However, is she aware that many are fearful that, if they make the transition from social security into work, there will be a dangerous gap between the receipt of benefits and the arrival of the first pay packet? Can she give any reassurance to those lone parents considering making that transition?
§ Angela EagleMy hon. Friend is right to point to the successes of the new deal for lone parents. On his specific question, the Government have introduced a lone parents benefit run-on from last October. That means that all lone parents moving off benefits into jobs will receive an extra 8 two weeks' income support or jobseeker's allowance, depending on what they were claiming before moving into work. There is also the four-week housing benefit run-on which continues to be paid for the month after lone parents come off benefits. We hope that together those measures will tide lone parents over that difficult gap.
§ Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York)Can the Minister confirm that 100,000 people only attended interview; they were not taken off the dependency list? Can she also confirm that there remain 470,000 single parents with children over five who would be eligible? What measures is her Department taking to encourage those people to break the dependency link? They would love to get off benefits and into a stable job, but her Department is singularly failing to encourage them to do so.
§ Angela EagleFirst, at least we have a new deal for lone parents and are trying to help them off benefit; the previous Government did nothing but abuse them. I can say that 32,710 lone parents are now in jobs who would not have been in jobs before, and 10,630 are in further education and training. This is difficult: 30 per cent. of lone parents have no qualifications, and 55 per cent. have qualifications under national vocational qualification level 2. Some, perhaps, are not job-ready, and we are doing our best with these programmes to prepare them for the labour market so that they and their children can look forward to a lifetime off benefits rather than the lifetime on benefits that the previous Government left them with.