§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance have been(a) disqualified and (b) sanctioned for refusing offers of employment in each quarter since the introduction of the benefit. [138308]
§ Ms JowellFirstly, can I make clear that claims for Jobseeker' s Allowance (JSA) are not subject to disqualifications. Sanctions replaced disqualifications when JSA replaced Unemployment Benefit (UB) in 1996.
Information on the numbers and types of decisions given by Employment Service Officers on labour market questions are published in the "Analysis of Sector Decision Making" (formerly known as the "Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions"), copies of which are held in the House of Commons Library.
The number of sanctions imposed for Refusal of Employment (RE) in each quarter since the introduction of JSA on 7 October 1996 are as follows. I should point out that the figures relate to the number of "sanctions", 818W rather than the number of "recipients", as it is possible that some jobseekers have been sanctioned more than once in the course of one claim.
Refusal of employment sanctions imposed Quarter Number 1 October 1996 to 31 December 1996 1,189 1 January 1997 to 31 March 1997 3,097 1 April 1997 to 30 June 1997 5,894 1 July 1997 to 30 September 1997 6,889 1 October 1997 to 31 December 1997 6,198 1 January 1998 to 31 March 1998 3,749 1 April 1998 to 30 June 1998 2,581 1 July 1998 to 30 September 1998 2,751 1 October 1998 to 31 December 1998 3,163 1 January 1999 to 31 March 1999 2,947 1 April 1999 to 30 June 1999 3,691 1 July 1999 to 30 September 1999 4,497 1 October 1999 to 31 December 1999 5,342 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2000 6,215 1 April 2000 to 30 June 2000 5,653 You may wish to note a number of factors underlying the figures set out in this letter. First, the total number of JSA claimants was falling over the period set out. Secondly, during the period October 1996 to March 1997 a number of claimants continued to receive UB as a transitional arrangement, and were liable to disqualification rather than a JSA sanction.
From the introduction of JSA in October 1996 to September 1997, the Employment Service Annual Performance Agreement (APA) included a target for referrals to adjudication officers on a number of grounds including Refusal of Employment. After a period of piloting, this was replaced in April 1999 by a new Labour Market Activity Target which, among other factors, measured the extent to which possible cases of RE had been appropriately followed up. The higher figure in the first quarter of 2000 reflects a period when a backlog of cases from the previous quarter was identified and referred for a formal decision. Figures for RE sanctions imposed during the period July to September 2000 are due to be lodged in the Library of the House by the end of December.