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Social Services/Benefits (Public Bodies)

Answer

Jobcentre Plus was created in April 2002 bringing together the former Employment Service and those parts of the former Benefits Agency delivering services to working age people.There have been three quantitative national Jobcentre Plus customer satisfaction surveys completed since 2002. The reports for each survey, Jobcentre Plus National Customer Satisfaction Survey 2003, 2004, and 2005, are available in the Library, together with a national qualitative customer satisfaction survey that was undertaken during 2003, Jobcentre Plus Customer Satisfaction 2003: Findings from Qualitative Research.Copies of the Jobcentre Plus Mystery Shopping National Reports for 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 have been placed in the Library.The Pension Service was created in April 2002 to deliver services to those over sixty years of age.A customer satisfaction survey for the Pension Service was conducted in 2003. The report for this survey is available in the Library. A further survey was undertaken in 2005. The results are due to be published in 2006; copies of the report will be placed in the Library.Mystery Shopping, which provides an independent assessment of service delivery, was introduced in the Pension Service in April 2004. The results are used for internal improvement actions and are weighted according to pensioners' customer priorities. Copies of the Pension Service mystery shopping results for 2003–04 and the first three quarters of 2005–06 have been placed in the Library.The Child Support Agency has not conducted any national customer satisfaction surveys or mystery shopper exercises since 2001.The Disability and Carers Service conducted a customer survey in 2003–04. A copy of the disability and carers service—customer service survey 2003–04—final report has been placed in the Library.The Disability and Carers Service does not use mystery shopping, but has its own internal measurement checks known as Measurement of Customer Service (MCS). Copies of the annual reports of MCS results for 2004–05, 2003–04 and 2002–03 have been placed in the Library.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

35360; 442 c1191-2W;442 c1191-2W

Session

2005-06

Related items

Deposited Paper DEP 06/364
Wednesday, 8 February 2006
Deposited papers
House of Commons

Subjects

Department for Work and Pensions Child Support Agency Jobcentre Plus Public bodies Non-departmental public bodies Social security benefits Social services Surveys Pension Service Disability and Carers Service

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk