§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for making personal advisers available for social fund applicants. [51049]
§ Malcolm Wicks[holding answer 18 April 2002]: The role of the personal adviser is to provide work-focused advice and support to people of working age to give them the opportunity to work where they are able to do so. Many social fund applicants will already have had the opportunity to see a personal adviser, for example people making new or repeat claims to benefit at integrated Jobcentre Plus offices, people claiming jobseeker's allowance and people participating in the new deals.
Staff administering the social fund aim to provide the best possible advice to their clients over the telephone or in person, and this will continue under Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service.