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Dept for Education and Employment;Employment Service

Answer

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of reimbursing the travel costs of those people in rural areas who have had to travel to jobcentres to sign on and claim benefits in the last three years; [145135] (2) how much was spent in the most recent year for which figures are available on reimbursing those on jobseeker's allowance, travelling to an interview at the jobcentre other than on their normal day of attendance. [145126] Ms Jowell: [holding answer 15 January 2001]: Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from Leigh Lewis to Ms Roseanna Cunningham dated January 2001: As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the costs of reimbursement of travel expenses for people attending Jobcentres. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency. I am afraid that it is not possible to estimate the cost of reimbursing travel expenses for people living in rural areas who have to travel to Jobcentres to sign on and claim benefits. People are usually required to attend the Jobcentre fortnightly as part of maintaining their claim for Jobseeker's Allowance. There are, though, circumstances in which people may make their fortnightly declaration that they are available for and actively seeking work-- by post. These circumstances allow people who would have to spend an unreasonable amount of their time travelling to the Jobcentre, and those who have a mental or physical disability which restricts their mobility, to make their fortnightly declarations by post. You also ask how much was spent last year on reimbursing the travel expenses of people who had travelled to an interview at the Jobcentre other than on their normal day of attendance. The total amount paid to people to reimburse travel expenses in the operational year 1999-2000 was just over £447,000. That figure includes travel expenses reimbursed in a variety of circumstances, for example the fares incurred by people taking part in the New Deal programmes who have travelled to see their personal advisers or to attend work trials with employers. I hope this is helpful.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

361 c329W; 145135;145126

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Costs Jobseeker's allowance Jobcentres Interviews Travel Rural areas

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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