HC Deb 26 November 2001 vol 375 cc708-9W
Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disability benefit claimants there are in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) the constituency of Gordon; and how many disability benefit claimants will be liable to attend work-focused interviews as a result of the Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2001 in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the constituency of Gordon. [11496]

Mr. Nicholas Brown

Jobcentre Plus will ensure that for the first time there is a single gateway to the benefit system for people of working age. We want to make sure that everyone of working age has the opportunity to find out what support is available to help them to work. At the same time, this gives us the opportunity to get more help to people who cannot work.

National roll out of Jobcentre Plus will start next year. At present, only people of working age living within areas that are served by Jobcentre Plus pathfinders or work-focused interview sites making new or repeat claims will be required to attend a work-focused interview. No such office is currently serving the Gordon constituency. Information on the number of people who have attended interviews since Pathfinder offices were opened on 22 October will be available in December.

The number of people of working age claiming benefit on the basis of sickness or disability is in the table.

Thousand
May 2001
Great Britain 2,984.1
Gordon 2.0

Notes:

1. Working age is 16–59 for women and 16–64 for men. The table includes people claiming incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, disability living allowance and income support with the disability premium.

2. Cases are allocated to each Parliamentary Constituency by matching the postcode against the 2000 version I of the Postcode Directory and represent Parliamentary Constituency boundaries as at May 1997.

3. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

4. Figures for Northern Ireland are not included. Social security matters in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Source:

Client Group Analysis of DWP Information Centre 5 per cent. statistical samples relating to May 2001.