ROLL OUT OF “IN AND OUT OF WORK” IN STAFFORD

26 June 2009

This week Jobcentre Plus has started a new service for people who frequently move in to and out of work and who claim benefits and credits.

The “In and Out of Work” project sees the Department of Work & Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs and local authorities working together to provide a better service.

Stafford’s MP David Kidney welcomes the arrival of this new service in Stafford:

“This new service has been successfully piloted in six areas and now it is being rolled out everywhere. For Stafford, the service started on 24^th June. The pilots have demonstrated improvements for people who rely on benefits and credits in between jobs. Payments have been made more quickly – on average 15% faster. This has led  people to have increased confidence in taking up offers of work which may only be short-term.”

The initiative involves:

·         Providing a single point of contact for jobseekers through Jobcentre Plus where all relevant information for calculating benefit and tax credit payments is gathered;

·         Securely sharing information with colleagues in HM Revenue & Customs and the local authority, avoiding duplication and enabling simultaneous calculation of entitlements; and

·         Integrating systems and processes to reduce the time taken to make adjustments to benefit and tax credit entitlements, reducing the likelihood of under or overpayments.