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1129994

registered interest
date	05/06/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances the repayment period of an advance that has been agreed with a universal credit claimant can be amended.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	260654
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit new claim and benefit transfer advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due ensuring no one has to be left without means of financial support. Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments. In the Autumn Budget 2018, we announced that from October 2021, the repayment period for these advances will be extended to 16 monthly instalments.</p><p> </p><p>Other advances are available for where a claimant has a substantial increase in the amount of their Universal Credit payment, due to a change in their circumstances, in which case they can have an advance of up to 50% of the increase and can be repaid over up to 6 monthly instalments. Also a Budgeting advance is available for one off unexpected financial events that the claimant is unable to meet and is repayable over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that exceptional circumstances may occur to claimants that were not foreseen when the advance was taken out and if this means the claimant is facing unexpected financial hardship they can ask the Department for a deferral of the repayment of any advance they have taken out. The deferral periods are up to 3 months for a new claim, benefit transfer or change of circumstances advance and up to 6 months for a Budgeting advance.</p><p> </p><p>Where a claimant has a reduction in benefit due to a Fraud Penalty or Conditionally Sanction that equals or exceeds 40% of their Universal Credit standard allowance then no advance repayment will be taken.</p><p> </p><p>If there is insufficient Universal Credit in payment due to reductions such as earnings, other income and capital yield to take the full amount of advances repayment, a lesser amount will be taken.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/06/2019 12:55:12 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1129719

registered interest
date	04/06/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to amend the income assessment periods for universal credit for claimants with flexible incomes.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	260013
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit takes earnings into account in a way that is fair and transparent. The amount of Universal Credit paid reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period, including any earnings reported by the employer during the assessment period, regardless of when they were paid, or which month they relate to.</p><p>Assessment periods allow for Universal Credit awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if claimants’ incomes fall, they do not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit award.</p><p>Claimants can discuss queries about how fluctuating income effects Universal Credit with their case managers and work coaches, who can also signpost to services appropriate to individual circumstances.</p><p>The Government is working with employers to ensure that they use the most appropriate payment practices and comply with RTI guidelines in order to minimise the incidence of erroneous or late reporting by employers. HMRC have updated the guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles.</p><p>More guidance on this is available at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles</a></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/06/2019 14:06:38 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1129339

registered interest
date	03/06/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances her Department refers universal credit claimants to contact their Member of Parliament.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	259247
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>Information is available via Gov.uk regarding the Department’s complaints procedure and what steps people can take if at any stage they disagree with the response they have received from the Department.</p><p>If after following the Department’s complaints procedure a claimant remains unsatisfied with the Departments final response, they can ask the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) to review the Departments handling of the complaint.</p><p>If the claimant is unhappy with the response they receive from ICE we would then advise the claimant to contact their Member of Parliament (MP) to request the complaint is sent to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman for further review.</p><p>In addition, the Department will respond to all complaints regarding current Policy/Legislation providing a full explanation of the Policy and how it is applied. However, if the claimant disagrees with the actual Policy/Legislation rather than its application they may be advised to contact their local MP to raise their concerns.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure</a></p><p>Prior to the roll-out of Universal Credit Full Service in their constituency, both Ministers and Service Leaders (formally District managers) wrote to each Hon. Member. The letter explained the implicit consent arrangements for MPs and also provided the telephone number and email address of the Service Leader in the constituency, so that MPs can contact Service Leaders if there are urgent constituent cases that need attention. This is the best route to raise issues on behalf of constituents and works well because MPs’ offices can establish local relationships.</p><p>We have recently written to hon. Members to confirm named contacts and local telephone numbers to allow local constituency related Universal Credit cases to be raised directly. The letters also extend an invitation for MPs to visit their local Jobcentre to see the work they are doing.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 11/06/2019 14:46:22 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1001921

registered interest
date	05/11/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will set out the timeframe for implementing her Department's response to the court judgement of June 2018 on the payment of Severe Disability Premium to claimants who are already in receipt of Universal Credit.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	188119
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>Written statement HCWS745 on 7 June 2018 , which preceded the Court judgment of 14 June, set out our plans to make provision for claimants already in receipt of Universal Credit, to receive a Severe Disability Premium backdated.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The ‘Universal Credit (Managed Migration) Amendment Regulations 2018’, which contain these provisions, were laid in Parliament on 5 November 2018 and will now be scrutinised and voted on by Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 12/11/2018 18:08:45 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

932290

registered interest
date	28/06/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Unemployed People: Voluntary Work
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2018 to Question 157171 on Unemployed People: Voluntary Work, what steps she is taking to ensure that Jobcentre Plus staff apply that definition of volunteering.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	158759
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2018 answer text <p>DWP recognises the value of voluntary work in developing skills which can be transferred into the world of paid work, as well as benefitting local communities and wider society.</p><p>Work coaches will discuss and promote the benefits of voluntary work during all interventions with claimants. The definition is considered when reviewing the Claimant Commitment.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 03/07/2018 16:26:27 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

931151

registered interest
date	25/06/2018
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Unemployed People: Voluntary Work
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what definition Jobcentre Plus uses for volunteering when it encourages jobseekers to take up volunteering roles.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	157171
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2018 answer text <p>A volunteer is defined as a person:</p><p> </p><p>1. who is engaged in voluntary work for someone who is not a relative; and</p><p>2. where the only payment that person receives or is due to be paid to that</p><p>person is in respect of expenses they have reasonably incurred in connection</p><p>with that work.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>Source:</p><p> </p><p>Advice for Decision Makers Guide (Chapter R2) - <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/687088/admr2.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/687088/admr2.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/06/2018 13:49:33 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed