HC Deb 01 April 1996 vol 275 cc26-8W
Mr. Rooney

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the current benefit sanction on claimants failing to attend 1-2-1 interviews; and what sanctions will apply under the jobseeker's allowance. [24152]

Mr. Forth

Under current legislation any jobseeker who fails to attend 1-2-1 interviews when required will be disallowed benefit until such time as he does attend. Under jobseeeker's allowance any jobseeker who fails to attend a 1-2-1 interview without good cause will face a fixed period sanction of two weeks' loss of JSA. If he has received an earlier sanction within the previous 12 months, the fixed period may be four weeks' loss of JSA. Depending on the circumstances of the jobseeker, he may be able to receive hardship payments of JSA during the period of sanction.

Mr. Rooney

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if regulation 9 of the Job Seeker's Allowance Regulations 1996 will allow claimants who satisfy all other availability conditions to restrict their availability for employment during the first six months of a claim. [24156]

Mr. Forth

Jobseekers may place restrictions on the nature of the employment for which they are available, the terms or conditions of employment, including the rate of remuneration, and the locality in which they are looking for employment provided that they can show that they have reasonable prospects of securing employment despite those restrictions. Regulation 9 imposes a six-month limit on any restriction to do with the rate of remuneration. There is no limit to other areas of restriction, although an adjudication officer may take into account the length of time a jobseeker has been unemployed when determining whether a jobseeker continues to retain reasonable propects of securing employment with the restrictions he has imposed.

Mr. Rooney

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the new 13-week qualifying period for employment on trial of claimants of JSA will take into account any period of unemployment preceding 7 October 1996. [24154]

Mr. Forth

Yes. Jobseekers can take advantage of employment on trial if they have been unemployed for a continuous period of 13 weeks falling before the start of the job. Jobseekers will not have to have been in receipt of benefit during this period in order to qualify. The reduction in the qualifying period to 13 weeks represents a significant improvement in the provision enabling more people to try out an unfamiliar job without fear of losing benefit later if they decide to give up the job.

Mr. Rooney

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in what order the jobsearcher's plan and jobseeker's agreement will be completed by claimants of JSA; what additional forms will have to be completed by those entitled to income related JSA and passported benefits; and at what intervals the jobseeker's agreement will be reviewed by Employment Service staff. [24153]

Mr. Forth

New claimants to jobseeker's allowance will be asked to complete a "helping you back to work" form—formerly referred to as the jobsearch plan form-to help them prepare for an interview to agree a jobseeker's agreement. The jobseeker's agreement may be reviewed at each fortnightly attendance and advisory interview, and will be varied as necessary.

Jobseekers who claim income-based JSA and wish to claim housing benefit and council tax benefit will also be required to compete forms NHBI (HB) and NHBI (CBT), as they are currently required to do, in addition to the JSA claim form. Existing arrangements for claiming benefits from other Departments will be carried forward into JSA.

Mr. Rooney

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals he has for Employment Service staff to take adjudication decisions on benefit sanctions against claimants of JSA. [24149]

Mr. Forth

All labour market adjudication decisions in JSA, including those where a benefit sanction is appropriate, will be taken by adjudication officers employed by the Employment Service. Adjudication officers act independently of the Secretary of State.

Mr. Rooney

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment at what intervals claimants of JSA will have to attend compulsory advisory interviews; and if the existing pattern of compulsory six-monthly restart interviews will be maintained. [24151]

Mr. Forth

Jobseekers will have to attend advisory interviews when they make a new claim, when they have been unemployed for 13 weeks, or earlier if that has been agreed with the jobseeker, and when they have been unemployed for six months—the existing pattern of six-monthly restart interviews will be maintained.

Jobseekers will also have a short review when they attend the jobcentre every fortnight. If, as a result of those reviews, it is decided that a more in-depth advisory interview is appropriate, one will be arranged. Failure to attend any interview as required may lead to the loss of JSA.

This pattern of interviews will, of course, be reviewed from time to time in the light of changing circumstances.

Mr. Rooney

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proposals he has to enable all unemployed people on Government employment and training programmes to count participation in these towards the three-month qualification period for undertaking part-time education as specified in regulation 11 of Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations. [24147]

Mr. Forth

Jobseekers who claim jobseeker's allowance will be able to study part time so long as they remain available for and actively seeking employment.

There will be an additional concession for certain jobseekers, where no aspect of their study will be taken into account when deciding whether they are available for work if they are willing and able to rearrange their course to take a job within the hours that they have agreed in their jobseeker's agreement they will be available for work. Those who have been in receipt of JSA or certain other benefits for broadly three months or more in the last six will qualify for this concession. Such people may also have been participating in Government programmes. Attendance for an appropriate period on a Government employment and training programme aimed primarily at 16 and 17-year-olds will also qualify a jobseeker for this concession.