§ Mr. Alan HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people formerly in receipt of incapacity benefit who have signed on as unemployed during the year April 1995 to April 1996 have(a) been referred to placing, assessment and counselling teams, (b) taken up a place on a job club, (c) taken up a job interview guarantee, (d) taken up a place on a job plan workshop and (e) received assistance from the access to work scheme. [412]
§ Mr. ForthResponsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
79WLetter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Alan Howarth, dated 29 October 1996:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the number of people formerly in receipt of Incapacity Benefit who have signed on as unemployed during the year April 1995 to April 1996, and how many have subsequently been referred to various employment programmes. This falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of the Employment Service.I have set out as much of the information you requested as we have available in the attached tables. It is not, however, possible to provide the figures you request for referrals to Placing, Assessment and Counselling Teams (PACTS), as prior to the current financial year these were not counted. Instead I have provided figures for the number of assessments undertaken for people with disabilities.It may be helpful if I explain that the purpose of assessment is to help jobseekers identify a realistic work goal, and steps to achieve their goal. Assessment can consist of interviewing and counselling, occupational inventories, work samples and psychological tests, using whatever methods are appropriate to clients' needs. Assessment is delivered by Disability Employment Advisers (DEAs), Occupational Psychologists and other internal and external specialists.In addition, the figures for the number of people who have started on Job Interview Guarantee (JIG) in the current financial year, are included in "Numbers of Starting in Other Programmes". Access to Work starts are included in "Numbers starting on specialists programmes" in both financial year.I hope this is helpful.
Summary of activity with ex-IB clients April 1995 to March 1996 Ex-incapacity benefit claims National cumulative Number of ex-IB making a claim for period ending 29 March 40,257 Number starting on: Jobplan 350 Jobclub 497 JIG 358 PWDs1 assessments 9,380 PWDs1 Numbers starting on specialist programmes2 455 1 People with disabilities. 2 Includes Supported Employment, Rehabilitation starts, Access to Work, Job Introduction. 80W
Summary of activity with ex-IB clients month ending—April 1996 Ex-incapacity benefit clients National cumulative Number of ex-IB making a claim for period ending 26 April 1996 4,059 Number starting on: Jobplan 44 Jobclub 107 Other programmes1 67 PWDs2—referrals 1,316 PWDs2—assessments 1,149 PWDs2—starting on specialist programmes3 100 1 Other programmes—BSS, Restart, Workwise, Jobsearch Plus, Job Search Seminar, Job Review Workshop, Job Interview Guarantee. 2 People with disabilities. 3 Includes Supported Employment, Rehabilitation starts, Access to Work, Job Introduction.