§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have on the extent of the problem of cases passed on by the Employment Service to citizens advice bureaux for help with completion of jobseeker's allowance forms, and what legal responsibility rests on the Employment Service in these areas.
§ Baroness BlackstoneResponsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. L. Lewis. The agency has therefore been asked to respond to the question and its reply is attached for your information.
Letter to Earl Russell from the Chief Executive of the Employment Service, Mr. L Lewis.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the completion of jobseeker's allowance forms. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the agency.
I ought to say first that we do not keep statistics of the extent to which ES advisers refer jobseekers to citizens advice bureaux for help with the completion of their claim forms.
The ES has no legal responsibility as such to help jobseekers to complete our forms. However, our guidance to all of our advisers recommends that someone should be available at all times to help people who are experiencing difficulty in this respect. In addition, jobseekers are asked to attend the Jobcentre at least thirty minutes before their first interview is scheduled to take place so that our advisers can help them with the completion of their forms if this is necessary.
I hope this clarifies the position.
126WA
§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will issue guidance drawing the attention of the Employment Service to Regulation 13(3) of the Jobseekers' Allowance Regulations, which allows claimants to restrict their availability provided the restrictions are reasonable in the light of the person's physical or mental condition.
§ Baroness BlackstoneThe Employment Service is already aware of the Jobseekers' Allowance Regulations. The agency has been asked to respond to your question and its reply is attached.
Letter to Earl Russell from the Chief Executive of the Employment Service, Mr. L. Lewis.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about drawing the attention of the Employment Service to Regulation 13(3) of the Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) Regulations.
It may help if I explain that, prior to the introduction of JSA, all ES advisers attended training courses to enable them to implement the new regulations. This training was reinforced by detailed procedural guidance which was issued to all Jobcentres in August 1996. Guidance on regulation 13(3) was issued to Jobcentres as part of the JSA Local Office Adjudication Guide. The guidance states that:
"A person may restrict their availability in any way provided the restrictions are reasonable in the light of their physical or mental condition. For example, a person with emphysema could restrict the:
- (a) type of work to avoid working in smoke/fumes;
- (b) number of hours work in a week;
- (c) number of hours work in a shift.
Where a jobseeker imposes acceptable restrictions on the conditions of work they are prepared to accept because of their physical or mental condition they do not have to show reasonable prospects of getting a job. The jobseeker must show that all the restrictions are reasonable in view of their health."
We also give regular information to our advisers through a newsletter called Adviser Update. I have arranged for an article on regulation 13(3) to be included in the next Adviser Update, due to be issued to Jobcentres in mid July.
I hope this is helpful.
§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the case of an unemployed man with an employed wife who was required to sign on at 4 pm when he was due to pick up his children from school illustrates the truth of the remark made by the Prime Minister at the Aylesbury Estate in South London on 2 June that "much more can be done to make work and family life compatible".
§ Baroness BlackstoneResponsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. L. Lewis. 127WA The agency has therefore been asked to respond to the question and its reply is attached for your information.
Letter to Earl Russell from the Chief Executive of the Employment Service, Mr. L. Lewis.
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the requirement to attend at a Jobcentre at a particular time. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
It may be helpful if I explain that attendance times are allocated when a jobseeker first attends for interview at a Jobcentre. At this interview an Employment Service adviser will help the jobseeker to draw up a jobseeker's agreement, which sets out their availability for work and any agreed restrictions on their availability; what work they are looking for; and the specific steps that they will take to look for work.
Although attendance times are generally allocated in accordance with operational requirements, ES Advisers are able to allocate an attendance time which is compatible with a jobseeker's particular circumstances, as recorded on their jobseeker's agreement, when this is clearly desirable. I would be happy to look into the particular circumstances of the case to which you refer if you would like to let me have further details.
I hope this clarifies the position.