§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent review he has undertaken of the effects of the introduction of jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement. [17854]
§ Mr. Roger EvansIn line with the Government's commitment to evaluating all new policies, we have set in place an extensive programme of monitoring and evaluation, to assess whether the jobseeker's allowance is achieving its policy objectives.
A wide-ranging evaluation is being undertaken which includes a national survey of unemployed claimants conducted before and after the introduction of the benefit.
Both the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service have an extensive monitoring programme in place to assess its implementation and performance.