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1354327

registered interest
date	09/09/2021
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	Kickstart Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the timescale and average speed of a submission to the government approved gateway to the publication of the job advert at the job centre under the Kickstart scheme.
tabling member constituency	Gower
tabling member printed	Tonia Antoniazzi
uin	45903
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2021 answer text <p>The Department of Work and Pensions works closely with employers participating in the Kickstart Scheme to ensure that jobs are created for young people as quickly as possible. A Kickstart job can start at any time over the lifetime of the scheme and some employers choose to delay the commencement of roles for a variety of reasons.</p><p> </p><p>Our data indicates that between the 27/07/2021 and 08/09/2021 the average time between receipt of an application by DWP to confirmation of its approval was 14 days. Within the same period the average time between receipt of an application and the job being made available for young people to apply for was 43 days. A significant portion of this time includes engagement with employers to return grant funding agreements and job description templates promptly so that applications can be progressed.</p><p> </p><p>Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.</p><p> </p><p>The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics, but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 16/09/2021 13:33:37 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies previous answer version 21418 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4623 label Biography information for Tonia Antoniazzi

1353841

registered interest
date	08/09/2021
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 steps her Department is taking to inform claimants of the planned removal of the £20 per week uplift to the standard allowance of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
uin	45135
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2021 answer text <p>We have always been clear the uplift for Universal Credit was a temporary measure, responding to extraordinary circumstances and ensuring the welfare safety net was there for those encountering financial hardship. Now with record vacancies and the successful vaccination rollout, it’s right that we switch our focus to getting people back into work and improving their prospects.</p><p>In July 2021, DWP updated around 6 million Universal Credit statements to show claimants that they have been receiving an additional £20 a week in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>Further messages are being sent this month and in October as the temporary uplift comes to an end, and as Work Coaches interact with their claimants they will be highlighting this change. We will continue to communicate with people via both their statement and their journal to inform them when their assessment period ends. These messages will also link to the page in the claimant’s account that signposts to organisations that can help with managing money and budgeting.</p><p>We are also issuing a bespoke communication to offer advice to those with phone claims prior to the removal. We advise claimants to speak to their Work Coach if they need particular help.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 14/09/2021 15:57:56 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 21109 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1352788

registered interest
date	06/09/2021
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	Social Security Benefits: Fraud
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of cases referred through the benefit fraud portal were found to be fraudulent claims in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	43390
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>DWP takes fraud and error very seriously and values the part played by members of the public in reporting potential benefit fraud.</p><p>Between 1<sup>st</sup> September 2020 and 31<sup>st</sup> August 2021, we estimate that around 6% of allegations received through the GOV.UK on-line reporting tool found evidence of benefit incorrectness that resulted in a range of outcomes, including prosecution, the imposition of an Administrative Penalty, benefit correction and recovery of overpaid monies. This figure is calculated as a proportion of allegations reported via the GOV.UK on-line fraud reporting tool that contained sufficient information for our referral management team to record them on our systems and progress them.</p><p>All allegations of fraud are corroborated by DWP in the first instance to decide on the appropriate course of action where there is a concern about entitlement. Where fraud is proven, we are committed to the use of appropriate penalties.</p><p>We are increasingly focussed on preventing fraud and error entering the benefit system, with the Chancellor announcing £44m at the Spring Budget to support the expansion of both our Integrated Risk and Intelligence Service and our new Enhanced Checking Service, with the development of Transaction Risking as a means of identifying high risk claims.</p><p>Our work with other Government departments and law enforcement agencies, both nationally and across borders, helps ensure appropriate intelligence and resources are shared, enabling the totality of any criminality to be identified and investigated.</p><p>Our Annual Report and Accounts published on 15 July 2021 provides more information on what we are doing to prevent fraud from occurring: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021" target="_blank">DWP annual report and accounts 2020 to 2021(opens in a new tab)</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/09/2021 07:35:02 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 19919 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

1350825

registered interest
date	18/08/2021
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: Deductions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit claimants had deductions made to their monthly payment (a) in March 2020 and (b) in the most recent month for which figures are available, by (i) categories of third party debt deductions, (ii) advance payments and (iii) benefit overpayments and (iv) other types of deductions.
tabling member constituency	Waveney
tabling member printed	Peter Aldous
uin	40869
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>We carefully balance our duty to the taxpayer to recover overpayments, with support for claimants. Safeguards are in place to ensure deductions are manageable. From 12 April 2021, we further reduced the cap on deductions from Universal Credit awards to 25 per cent and lengthened the period from 12 to 24 months, meaning in effect someone can receive 25 payments over 24 months, giving them more flexibility over the payments of their Universal Credit award. This will also allow claimants to retain more of their award, giving additional financial security, and follows a previous change in October 2019 that reduced the cap from 40% to 30%.</p><p> </p><p>Customers can contact the Department if they are experiencing financial hardship to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment, depending on their financial circumstances, whilst work coaches can also signpost claimants to other financial support.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested is provided in the attached spreadsheet.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/09/2021 12:50:22 question first ministerially corrected 15/10/2021 12:33:48 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince attachment 1 file name Spreadsheet 40869.xlsx title Spreadsheet previous answer version 20231 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4069 label Biography information for Peter Aldous

1351556

registered interest
date	18/08/2021
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	Social Security Benefits: Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the authorisation of regulations defining safe accommodation under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, what her planned timeframe is for delivering an exemption from the spare room subsidy to victims of domestic abuse with sanctuary scheme properties.
tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
uin	40902
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>The Domestic Abuse Support (Relevant Accommodation and Housing Benefit and Universal Credit Sanctuary Schemes) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 were laid on 9 September 2021 and the sanctuary scheme exemption from the removal of the spare room subsidy will come in to force on 1 October 2021.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/09/2021 07:16:35 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 18932 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

1346841

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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 assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of removing the uplift to the universal credit standard allowance on food bank usage.
tabling member constituency	Stalybridge and Hyde
tabling member printed	Jonathan Reynolds
uin	33221
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2021 answer text <p>No assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and we announced the temporary uplift as part of a £400 billion package of measures put in place that will last well beyond the end of the roadmap. Our focus now is on our multi-billion Plan for Jobs, which will support people in the long-term by helping them learn new skills and increase their hours or find new work.</p><p> </p><p>Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation. There is no consistent and accurate measure of food bank usage at a constituency or national level.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the data limitations in this area, so from April 2021 have introduced a set of questions into the Family Resources Survey (FRS) on food bank usage. The first results of these questions are expected to be published in March 2023 subject to usual quality assurance.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 20/07/2021 16:23:58 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 15292 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4119 label Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds

1346334

registered interest
date	13/07/2021
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 assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of removing the £20 uplift to the universal credit standard allowance on the in-work progression of universal credit claimants.
tabling member constituency	Stalybridge and Hyde
tabling member printed	Jonathan Reynolds
uin	32385
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2021 answer text <p>No such assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and we announced the temporary uplift as part of a £400 billion package of measures put in place that will last well beyond the end of the roadmap. Our focus now is on our multi-billion Plan for Jobs, which will support people in the long-term by helping them learn new skills and increase their hours or find new work.</p><p> </p><p>To note further, we will consider the recommendations of the In-Work Progression Commission’s report and respond later in the year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 19/07/2021 17:27:48 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 15291 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4119 label Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds

1342295

registered interest
date	30/06/2021
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	Poverty: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Local indicators of child poverty after housing costs, 2019-20, published by Loughborough University Centre for Research and Social Policy in May 2021, if she will commission a report to identify the reasons for the North East experiencing the largest increase in England in child poverty from 2014-15 to 2019-20.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	24947
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2021 answer text <p>No.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Loughborough University Centre for Research and Social Policy report ‘Local indicators of child poverty after housing costs, 2019/20’ makes an assessment of poverty figures based on relative poverty. This Government believes, and has always believed, that absolute poverty is a better measure of living standards than relative poverty which can provide counter-intuitive results. In particular, relative poverty tends to fall when median income shrinks, such as during economic downturns, which is particularly relevant in the current circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>To monitor poverty for different groups and regions the Department publishes the annual Households Below Average Incomes (HBAI) publication which can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2020</a></p><p> </p><p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, including by increasing the living wage, and by spending £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2020/21. This included around £7.4 billion of Covid-related welfare policy measures.</p><p> </p><p>As the economy recovers, our ambition is to help parents move into, and progress in, work as quickly as possible, based on clear evidence around the importance of parental employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty. The In Work Progression Commission published their report on the barriers to progression for those in persistent low pay on 1 July 2021. Government will consider the recommendations and respond later in the year.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 07/07/2021 14:42:05 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 11616 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1342312

registered interest
date	30/06/2021
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	Employment: Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people in employment that are living in poverty in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the levels of in-work poverty in those areas; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the welfare system in helping to alleviate levels of in-work poverty in those areas.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	24993
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2021 answer text <p>National Statistics on the number and percentage of individuals in low income are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Data for Coventry North East constituency and Coventry is unavailable due to insufficient sample size.</p><p> </p><p>HBAI does not publish estimates of low income by an individual’s work status but estimates of low income for working age adults by the employment status of all working age adults in the household are available on Stat-Xplore (<a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a>). Guidance in the use of Stat-Xplore is available here: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>In the three years to 2019/20, the number of working age adults in a working household in absolute poverty, before housing costs, in the West Midlands was 400,000.</p><p> </p><p>In the three years to 2019/20, the number of working age adults in a working household in absolute poverty, before housing costs, in England was 2,800,000.</p><p> </p><p>No assessment has been made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on in-work poverty in those areas, nor the adequacy of the welfare system in helping alleviate in-work poverty in those areas.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 06/07/2021 16:49:09 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 11618 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1342313

registered interest
date	30/06/2021
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	Food Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the numbers of people living in food poverty in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the levels of food poverty in those areas; and what steps her Department is taking to alleviate food poverty levels in those areas of England during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	24994
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2021 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>National and regional statistics on the number of food insecure households are published annually in the “Family Resources Survey” publication.</p><p> </p><p>Statistics on levels of food insecure households in England and the West Midlands, covering 2019/20, can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-2019-to-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-2019-to-2020</a></p><p> </p><p>Data for Coventry and the Coventry North East constituency is unavailable due to insufficient sample size.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, including by increasing the living wage, and by spending £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2020/21. This included around £7.4 billion of Covid-related welfare policy measures.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to these measures, our Covid Local Support Grant is ensuring that families across England get help with food and essential utility bills. We have now extended this temporary scheme for a final time with an additional £160 million in funding between 21 June and 30 September, taking total funding under the scheme to £429 million. This funding recognises that while restrictions are planned to end in July, families might need additional help to get back on their feet as the vaccine rollout continues and our economy recovers. This year, we are also investing up to £220m in the Holiday Activities and Food programme which has been expanded to every local authority across England and we have increased the value of Healthy Start Vouchers from £3.10 to £4.25 in April.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 06/07/2021 15:10:19 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 11621 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher