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1253W<br />
Written Answers<br />
6 JUNE 2013<br />
Written Answers<br />
1254W<br />
of the introduction of housing costs contributions under<br />
universal credit. [157630]<br />
Steve Webb: It has long been a feature of the benefits<br />
system that someone living in a claimant’s home should<br />
be expected to contribute towards the rent.<br />
It is not possible to isolate the impact of the housing<br />
cost contribution from the other constituent parts of<br />
universal credit. This means that no assessment is available<br />
on the potential impacts of the housing cost contribution<br />
in universal credit in respect of homelessness or youth<br />
unemployment. However, individuals aged under 21<br />
will not be expected to make a housing cost contribution,<br />
and so we do not anticipate this change to have a<br />
detrimental effect of homelessness on this group.<br />
While it is not possible to isolate the effects of the<br />
housing cost contribution, the impact of universal credit<br />
will be reviewed and monitored as roll out takes place,<br />
and a comprehensive evaluation programme is under<br />
development. The published impact assessment for universal<br />
credit can be found at:<br />
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-creditimpact-assessment<br />
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and<br />
Pensions how many people have successfully claimed<br />
universal credit in the pathfinder to date. [158212]<br />
Mr Hoban: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the<br />
reply I provided him with on 21 May 2013, Official<br />
Report, column 675W, on how many people have claimed<br />
universal credit in the pathfinder to date. The Department<br />
is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority<br />
to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high<br />
quality standards at the earliest opportunity. We intend<br />
to publish Official Statistics on pathfinder areas in<br />
autumn 2013.<br />
We expect around 7,000 claims to be processed in<br />
pathfinders.<br />
Work Capability Assessment<br />
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
Work and Pensions what steps a person undergoing a<br />
work capability assessment has to take in order to<br />
obtain an audio recording of their assessment. [158174]<br />
Mr Hoban: All requests for audio recorded assessments<br />
should be made to Atos Healthcare as part of the<br />
appointment booking process. This is to ensure adequate<br />
notice to make recording equipment available and ready<br />
for use.<br />
In the case of a claimant using their own equipment<br />
this will ensure that the Atos health care professional<br />
(HCP) conducting the assessment is aware and to make<br />
sure that the proposed recording equipment is compliant<br />
with the DWP/Atos Healthcare requirements.<br />
If Atos Healthcare has been unable to contact a<br />
claimant by phone and an appointment letter is issued,<br />
the claimant will need to telephone Atos Healthcare as<br />
soon as possible to notify them of their request for a<br />
recorded assessment.<br />
If a claimant makes a request for the recording<br />
service to a DWP Benefit Centre they will be advised to<br />
make their request to Atos Healthcare.<br />
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
Work and Pensions what items of equipment are<br />
available for the audio recording of the work capability<br />
assessments. [158187]<br />
Mr Hoban: Currently Atos Healthcare has 31 audio<br />
recording machines, three of which are in for repair.<br />
They also have access to 21 cassette machines on loan<br />
from DWP.<br />
Claimants who have requested to record their own<br />
assessment must use appropriate equipment that can<br />
provide two copies of the recording in such a way to<br />
ensure that the recording has not been tampered with<br />
and is a reliable and accurate record of the assessment.<br />
For this reason certain devices which are capable of<br />
real-time editing or live-streaming are not approved;<br />
such as computing devices, these include but are not<br />
limited to; PCs and laptops, tablets, smart phones, MP3<br />
players or devices which cannot provide a media copy<br />
that can be easily verified during the assessment. Media<br />
types that are acceptable at this time are standard CD<br />
and audio tapes only.<br />
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
Work and Pensions how many requests for an audio<br />
recording of the work capability assessment have been<br />
turned down to date; and for what reasons. [158188]<br />
Mr Hoban: Presently only nine requests for an audio<br />
recording have been turned down, this occurred in July<br />
2012. This was because they could not be accommodated<br />
within the four week timeframe for arranging assessments.<br />
DWP had previously asked Atos Healthcare to<br />
accommodate requests for recorded assessments within<br />
four weeks and w<strong>here</strong> this was not possible the assessment<br />
should go ahead without a recording.<br />
However, to help ensure claimant expectations can be<br />
met, the four week timeframe has currently been removed<br />
to enable us to gather a fuller picture of demand and<br />
capacity in order to inform a full and robust evaluation<br />
of the interim audio recording policy.<br />
Work Programme<br />
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for<br />
Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of<br />
whether the Work Programme budget will be<br />
underspent in 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.<br />
[158176]<br />
Mr Hoban: We are unable to comment on the 2013-14<br />
forecast expenditure against the Work programme budget<br />
as it is subject to change as the programme is payment<br />
by results.<br />
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work<br />
and Pensions what steps he has taken to support people<br />
leaving the Work Programme after two years without a<br />
successful job sustainment. [158211]<br />
Mr Hoban: Jobseeker’s allowance and employment<br />
and support allowance claimants returning from the<br />
Work programme will have a thorough assessment interview<br />
with Jobcentre Plus to understand how best to build on<br />
their time on the Work programme, and continue to<br />
move them closer to the labour market and towards