---

Jobcentre Plus: Telephone Services

Answer

[holding answer 4 June 2007]: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.Letter from Mel Groves, dated 20 June 2007:"The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many telephone calls to Jobcentre Plus Contact Centres were engaged and lost across the call centre network and to each call centre in each of the last 12 months. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to Lesley Strathie as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus. I am replying on her behalf as Acting Chief Executive.""When a customer calls a Jobcentre Plus Contact Centre, they are placed into a queue either until the call is answered or they choose to abandon the call. Customers do not get an engaged tone.""We collate data by the type of service the customer calls and each Contact Centre deals with one or a mixture of the following services:""First Contact: for customers making a new or repeat claim to benefit.""Jobseeker Direct: for jobseeker to enquire about and place applications for advertised vacancies.""Employer Direct: for employers to post vacancies using our facilities.""National Benefit Fraud Hotline: for anyone to report alleged benefit theft.""NINO: for anyone wishing to apply for a National Insurance Number.""The national statistics across these service lines for the 12 months ending April 2007 are set out in the attached tables. Copies of which have been placed in the House of Commons library.""These figures are against 2006/07 targets of 90% of calls answered for First Contact and Jobseeker Direct. The target for calls answered for Employer Direct, National Benefit Fraud Hotline and NINO was 95%.""I Hope this is helpful."

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

140395; 461 c1867W;461 c1867-8W

Session

2006-07

Related items

Deposited Paper DEP 07/1478
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Deposited papers
House of Commons

Subjects

Jobcentres Jobcentre Plus Telephone services

Link

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