§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases in respect of the jobseeker's allowance are taking longer to process than recommended. [6984]
§ Mr. BurtThe administration of jobseeker's allowance is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 3 December 1996:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many cases in respect of the jobseeker's allowance are taking longer to process than recommended.The processing arrangements for jobseeker's allowance (JSA) are necessarily complex during the transitional stages. Claims to JSA are being processed on the JSA Computer System (JSAPS), the Income Support Computer System (ISCS) and the National Unemployment Benefit System (NUBS2). ISCS provides data on processing times but does not differentiate between JSA and other claims. NUBS2 does not provide this data. There will be a gradual transfer of claims onto the JSAPS. This will be completed by October 1997.For a variety of reasons, including the cost of obtaining the data, the JSA performance targets are based solely on cases processed via JSAPS. Between 7 to 31 October 1996 a total of 188,841 JSA claims were received and a total of 96,308 were processed on the JSAPS. Of these, 72.8% were processed within 10 working days, against an operational aim of 65% set for our managers for the transitional period. There is also a secondary aim of 90% of JSA claims to be processed within 21 working days. As there were only 19 working days between the introduction of JSA on 7 October and the 31 October, this target was not applicable, for this period. These figures are subject to amendment.As these figures cover only the cases actually processed, there are limits to the interpretation that can be placed on one month's data in isolation—especially in the transitional phase of a new benefit when a number of claims are still awaiting clearance. The forthcoming months should produce a more meaningful analysis and provide the Secretary of State with a robust base for setting 1997–98 targets in this area.I hope you find this reply helpful.
§ Mr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what feedback from staff his Department has had regarding the effectiveness of the information technology system that is being used in processing the payments of the jobseeker's allowance; [6986]
(2) what feedback from staff his Department has received regarding the effectiveness of the training that was provided for staff dealing with jobseeker's allowance. [6985]
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§ Mr. BurtThe administration of jobseeker's allowance is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 3 December 1996:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what feedback from staff his Department has had regarding the effectiveness of the information technology system that is being used in processing the payments of the job seeker's allowance (JSA); and what feedback from staff his Department has received regarding the effectiveness of the training that was provided for staff dealing with JSA.Bringing together three main computer systems has been a massive and complex undertaking. Inevitably, there have been some teething problems and some refinements have had to be made to the computer systems. The effectiveness of the refinements continues to be monitored as they are made. The IT systems are working satisfactorily. An advice line is in operation for staff and issues which are identified are being quickly resolved. We are monitoring the position closely and are confident that it is improving.Initial feedback from staff who have attended the Jobseekers Allowance training events has been positive. Inevitably staff need time to absorb and consolidate their training; facilities and resources have been provided to enable them to build confidence and expertise. Generally, people have said the events were effective in equipping them to carry out their jobs. Initial evaluation results show that 97 per cent. of staff felt the training met its objectives and 80 per cent. felt they had learned a lot as a result of the training. A review of the training, which is independent of the JSA Project, is being carried out. It will be producing an interim report in the new year.I hope you find this reply helpful.