Jobseeker’s Allowance: Kent

Damian Green
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the percentage change is in the number of jobseeker’s allowance claimants resident in (a) Ashford and (b) Kent between 1997 and the latest period for which figures are available.

Angela E. Smith
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated January 2010:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the percentage change is in the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants resident in (a) Ashford and (b) Kent between 1997 and the latest period for which figures are available. (313508).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.

Figures have been provided for those people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance resident in the Ashford constituency and Kent local authority using figures for December 2009, the latest date for which data is available, and December 1997. The percentage change in the number of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants, are increases for both (a) Ashford 15.7 per cent and (b) Kent 2.9 per cent.

National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk