---

Dept for Work and Pensions;Jobcentre Plus

Answer

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken in (a) Eston Jobcentre Plus and (b) Redcar Jobcentre Plus was for a jobseekers allowance claimant to go from the initial phone call to their appointment with the personal adviser and the financial adviser, in the most recent period for which figures are available. [206693] Jane Kennedy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member. Letter from David Anderson to Ms Baird, dated 21 December 2004: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the average time taken in Eston Jobcentre Plus and Redcar Jobcentre Plus between a Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) claimant's initial phone call, to their appointment with the personal adviser and the financial adviser, in the most recent period for which figures are available. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. Under Jobcentre Plus operations, a claim to JSA or Income Support usually starts with a telephone call to the Contact Centre. After obtaining initial details, Contact Centre staff call the customer back to obtain the necessary information to complete a claim to benefit. They also arrange an appointment for the customer to attend their local office to see both a Financial Assessor and a Personal Adviser. The Contact Centre in Middlesbrough collects locally gathered information on a weekly basis. They have a target of 5 days to book an appointment from the initial point of contact. The latest figures available are for week commencing 4 December 2004: For Eston, 89.74 per cent. of all appointments were booked within 5 days of their initial contact (year to date 94.94 per cent) For Redcar, 87.65 per cent. of all appointments were booked within 5 days of their initial contact (year to date 93.96 per cent) I hope this is helpful.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

206693; 428 c1731W;428 c1729W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Advisory services Jobseeker's allowance Jobcentres Jobcentre Plus Meetings Unemployed people Redcar Eston

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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