Explanation of Targets 2004-5

The Job Entry Target Points System (Job Entry Target 2004/5 7,295,100points)

For each person Jobcentre Plus helps into work, points are allocated according to the employment or benefit status of the customer. The higher the priority of the client group, the more points are earned for the job entry. Altogether there are five different point categories covering the range of Jobcentre Plus customers, these are:

Priority Client Group 1 - Job entry point score 12

• Jobless Lone Parents including people on the New Deal for Lone Parents
• Those on the New Deal for Disabled People
• People in receipt of a specified primary benefit (Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carers Allowance and Bereavement Benefit)

Priority Client Group 2 - Job entry point score 8

• People on the New Deal 50 plus
• People on the New Deal 25 plus
• Those on the New Deal For Young People
• Partners of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA), for 6 months or more.
• Employment Zones
• People with Disabilities not included in Priority Client Group 1
• People claiming JSA for 6 months or more

Priority Client Group 3 - Job entry point score 4

• People claiming JSA for under 6 months

Priority Client Group 4 - Job entry point score 2

• People who are unemployed but not claiming benefits

Priority Client Group 5 - Job entry point score 1

• Employed people

Additional points:

One of the priorities for Jobcentre Plus is to help people in the most disadvantaged groups and areas to compete for and retain jobs. Therefore additional points are allocated:

One retention point will be awarded for each JSA customer who has been claiming Jobseekers Allowance and is placed into work by Jobcentre Plus providing they remain off JSA for at least 4 weeks.

For each job entry achieved by Jobcentre Plus for unemployed customers who live:

• in the specified 30 Local Authority Districts (LADs) with the poorest initial labour market position additional points will equal - 50% of original score or 2 points whichever is the higher.
• in the 258 Local Authority Wards (LAWS) with both unemployment at one and a half times the national average and ethnic minority population three times the national average, additional points will equal - 50% of original score or 2 points whichever is the higher.

Note – if customers fall into both a LAD and a LAW they will attract both sets of additional points thereby doubling the original points per outcome

The Monetary Value of Fraud and Error Target (6% by March 2005)

The aim of this target is to reduce the money lost in Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance payments caused by:

• mistakes made by customers
• mistakes made by staff
• customer fraud

The target is to reduce the losses from fraud and error in working age Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance to no more than 6% of the monetary value of the benefits paid by March 2005.

Progress toward this target is published in March and September each year.

The Customer Service Target (81%)

The Customer Service target measures our performance in meeting the standards and commitments in the Jobcentre Plus Customer’s Charter and Employer’s Charter – it therefore helps us measure our service to all our customers, whether they are employed, unemployed or employers.

Our customer service is measured under 4 key elements. These are Speed, Accuracy, Proactivity and Environment:

• Speed - how quickly we answer the telephone, greet a customer and deal with customers on the telephone and face to face;
• Accuracy - the accuracy of information we give on the telephone and face to face;
• Proactivity - how well we understand customers’ requests, anticipate their needs and how successfully we tailor our services to meet their individual needs;
• Environment - the quality, facilities, accessibility and physical condition of our premises.

Each element contributes equally into the overall target of achieving at least an 81% customer service level.

The Employer Outcome Target (84%)

Jobcentre Plus cannot achieve its objectives without close partnership with employers and we need therefore to offer them the best possible service. The target measures how quickly and effectively employers recruitment needs are met and is measured under 3 key elements

• Resolution - was the vacancy filled?
• Responsiveness – was the vacancy filled in a timescale that met their needs?
• Matching - did they think that the people sent for the job matched their vacancy/job detail?

Each element contributes equally into the overall target, which is that at least 84% of employers placing their vacancies with Jobcentre Plus will have a positive outcome.

The Business Delivery Target (89.6%)

The purpose of this target is to make sure we deliver our key business processes efficiently, accurately and to the agreed standards. The target measures our performance in five of the most important Jobcentre Plus processes:

• The accurate processing of claims for Income Support
• The accurate processing of claims for Jobseeker’s Allowance
• The accurate processing of claims for Incapacity Benefit.
• Booking appointments, holding interviews with clients, and following up any cases where clients have failed to attend interviews.
• Starts on basic skills independent assessment as a percentage of those referred.

Each element contributes equally into the overall target that specified key Jobcentre Plus business processes are delivered efficiently, accurately and to specified standards in 89.6% of cases checked.