HC Deb 14 March 2000 vol 346 cc149-50W
Mr. David Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) who employs the personal advisers working in the ONE pilot area currently being run by the Reed/Shaw Trust; [114230]

(2) from which organisations personal advisers in the ONE pilot areas run by the Reed/Shaw Trust are on secondment. [114231]

Angela Eagle

Reed in Partnership Ltd. is leading a consortium (also comprising the Shaw Trust, Nat West Bank plc and SEMA Group Ltd.) to deliver the ONE pilot in North Nottinghamshire. Their teams of Personal Advisers are staffed by direct employees from Reed in Partnership Ltd., and also by staff on voluntary secondment from the Employment Service, the Benefits Agency, and Ashfield District Council.

Mr. David Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what training in adjudication has been given to the personal advisers in the ONE pilot scheme. [114229]

Angela Eagle

Personal advisers are not trained to adjudicate on benefit entitlement which is the responsibility of fully trained officers of the Benefits Agency or relevant local authority. From 3 April, the personal advisers will decide whether a client has fulfilled the new requirement to take part in a work-focused meeting as part of the normal claims process.