ONE Pilot Areas

HC Deb 17 April 2000 vol 348 cc404-6W

Mr. David Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what period of time has been devoted to training start-up officers and personal advisers in the ONE pilot areas to enable them to identify entitlement to income support, housing benefit, disability living allowance and incapacity benefit; and what period of time has been devoted to training to enable them to identify entitlement to working families tax credit and disabled persons' tax credit; [119338]

(2) what training advisers in the ONE pilot areas have received in understanding and applying the principle of good cause. [119343]

Angela Eagle

ONE training for all advisers is individually tailored through the use of the learning assessment framework which matches training provision to training need. A copy of this framework can be found in the Library.

There is extensive benefits training available to advisers on the entitlement to ONE benefits. Advisers receive a three-week benefit entitlement training course, which includes Income Support, Housing Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax Credit.

Advisers also receive training in relation to good cause. However, it should be noted that most already understand and know how to apply the principles of good cause. Good cause provisions exist elsewhere in the benefit system and were, for example, included in the training for the New Decision Making and Appeals procedures which were implemented in the Autumn of 1999.