Income Support (Hansard, 17 July 1997)

§ Mr. Alan Howarth

[holding answer 10 July 1997]: Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Terry Rooney, dated 17 July 1997: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about how many claimants had their Income Support reduced in each of the first two quarters of 1996–97 for non-attendance or failure to complete (i) Jobplan Workshops, (ii) Restart Courses, (iii) Workwise and Worklink and (iv) 1–2–1, and how many claimants had Income Support reduced for (a) two weeks and (b) four weeks for non attendance or failure to complete Project Work in the first two quarters of 1996–97. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency. Unfortunately, the information is not available in the form you require. It may help if I explain that decisions on Income Support for non attendance on or failure to complete Project Work are based on opinions given by Employment Service adjudication officers. In the period April 1996 to September 1996. Employment Service adjudication officers gave 43 opinions which may have led to a reduction in the amount of Income Support payable. The information 309W available does not show whether this would have been for two weeks or four weeks. Not all adverse opinions will necessarily have resulted in a reduction of Income Support. Information on the number of claimants whose Income Support was reduced during the same period for non attendance on or failure to complete Jobplan Workshops, Restart Courses, Workwise, Worklink, and 1–2–1 was not collated centrally and unfortunately can not therefore be provided. I hope this helps to clarify the situation.