DWP Ministers or Officials have not visited Wales since April 2012 to discuss the Jobs Growth Wales Programme.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-03-25T10:15:10.31Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2015-03-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Employment Schemes: Wales"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times ministers or officials from his Department visited Wales since April 2012 to discuss the Jobs Growth Wales programme.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"} ], "uin" : "228593"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/223707", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/223707/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We spoke at length to a number of local authorities last autumn when conducting a review of local welfare schemes.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
The findings were published, including examples of best practice, on 5th<\/sup> November 2014. A copy of the report was sent to all the local authorities that received funding and a copy placed in the House library. It can also be found on the Gov.uk website here:<\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370775/2-local-welfare-provision-review-nov-2014.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> None of those local authorities we spoke to raised concerns about people being incorrectly referred to local welfare provision support rather than being considered for a Short Term Benefit Advance (STBA). There were some suggestions that this may have happened on occasion when STBAs were first introduced in April 2013, so the department issued revised guidance and instructions to staff at the time. The relevant DWP guidance was also shared with local authorities.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "225362"}
, {"_value" : "225363"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-03-02T12:54:22.447Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-02-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Welfare Assistance Schemes"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effective delivery of local welfare schemes by English local authorities.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"}
], "uin" : "225365"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/223709", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/223709/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " We spoke at length to a number of local authorities last autumn when conducting a review of local welfare schemes.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The findings were published, including examples of best practice, on 5th<\/sup> November 2014. A copy of the report was sent to all the local authorities that received funding and a copy placed in the House library. It can also be found on the Gov.uk website here:<\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370775/2-local-welfare-provision-review-nov-2014.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> None of those local authorities we spoke to raised concerns about people being incorrectly referred to local welfare provision support rather than being considered for a Short Term Benefit Advance (STBA). There were some suggestions that this may have happened on occasion when STBAs were first introduced in April 2013, so the department issued revised guidance and instructions to staff at the time. The relevant DWP guidance was also shared with local authorities.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "225362"}
, {"_value" : "225365"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-03-02T12:54:22.337Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-02-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Welfare Assistance Schemes"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has received about instances of people being sent from Jobcentre Plus to apply to the local welfare scheme instead of being offered a short-term advance of benefits; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"}
], "uin" : "225363"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/223711", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/223711/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " We spoke at length to a number of local authorities last autumn when conducting a review of local welfare schemes.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The findings were published, including examples of best practice, on 5th<\/sup> November 2014. A copy of the report was sent to all the local authorities that received funding and a copy placed in the House library. It can also be found on the Gov.uk website here:<\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370775/2-local-welfare-provision-review-nov-2014.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> None of those local authorities we spoke to raised concerns about people being incorrectly referred to local welfare provision support rather than being considered for a Short Term Benefit Advance (STBA). There were some suggestions that this may have happened on occasion when STBAs were first introduced in April 2013, so the department issued revised guidance and instructions to staff at the time. The relevant DWP guidance was also shared with local authorities.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "225363"}
, {"_value" : "225365"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-03-02T12:54:22.15Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-02-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Welfare Assistance Schemes"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will promote the sharing of best practice in the administration of local welfare schemes.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"}
], "uin" : "225362"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/223401", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/223401/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Since June 2014 this Government has:<\/p> <\/p> - Appointed Dr Ros Altmann CBE as the Business Champion for Older Workers to actively promote the business case and benefits of employing older workers, seeking to engage and influence both strategically and in terms of practical advice. Dr Altmann has engaged with over 80 organisations and attended numerous events and speaking engagements. Ministers have attended three meetings of Dr Altmann\u2019s working group and have also met with her to discuss her emerging findings. She will shortly be making her recommendations to the Government.<\/p> - Announced new pilots that will be based on our current sector based work academies and Work Experience programmes, but tailored to the needs of older claimants.<\/p> - Extended the right to request flexible working, which can help older workers to stay in the labour market.<\/p> - Launched the advice element of Fit for Work, which helps with sickness absence and provides an occupational health assessment and health and work advice to employees, employers and GPs.<\/p> - Completed the first stage of the Inclusive Technology Prize to inspire innovation from individuals and small businesses to develop assistive living technology.<\/p> - Funded \u2018Carers in Employment\u2019 pilots in nine Local Authorities.<\/p> - Launched a small scale pilot in Gloucestershire, designed to support Carers Allowance claimants whose engagement with Jobcentre Plus is optional.<\/p> - Started working with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). In September 2014 (partnering with Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LEP) we held a national conference on economic growth, focussing on retaining and recruiting older workers.<\/p> - Announced two trials that will explore what may provide effective support for older claimants looking at career reviews and IT and digital support.<\/p> - Announced the introduction of regional \u2018Champions\u2019 in Jobcentre Plus. These Jobcentre Plus staff will work with both Work Coaches and local employers to raise the profile of and highlight the benefits of employing older claimants.<\/p>