§ Kali MountfordTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to extend the use of work-focused interviews for working age claimants to benefits. [160873]
§ Mr. DarlingMy right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment and I are establishing, later this year, Jobcentre Plus, an Agency for people of working age. This will bring together labour market and benefit services for people of working age and enable us to provide a more integrated approach for our customers.
As we announced on 14 March this year, as the first stage in the launch of Jobcentre Plus, we will be introducing around 50 Pathfinder offices. Additionally, we will be introducing work-focused interviews for everyone of working age making a claim to benefit in around a further 40 offices to the same time scale. A provisional list of the locations in which these offices are based is set out in the table. People of working age making a claim for benefit in these offices will be required 178W to participate in a work-focused interview as an integral part of the benefit claims process and will be offered specialist support to help them into work. I will shortly by laying regulations under the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 for this purpose.
Jobcentre Plus Work focused Interview Sites
- City of Aberdeen
- Livingston
- Bridgend
- Telford
- Wallasey
- Manchester Openshaw
- City of Derby
- Gateshead
- Essex.