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1366478

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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	What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of universal credit payments.
tabling member constituency	East Renfrewshire
tabling member printed	Kirsten Oswald
uin	904068
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The Secretary of State is legally required to conduct an annual review of working age benefits rates to determine whether they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices.</p><p> </p><p>The up-rating process for working age benefits has traditionally relied on the September CPI figure and in April 2021 Universal Credit was increased by CPI of 0.5%.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/11/2021 17:52:24 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4413 label Biography information for Kirsten Oswald

1366479

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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: Terminal Illnesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	When her Department will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a 12 month eligibility definition for the Special Rules for Terminal Illness.
tabling member constituency	Waveney
tabling member printed	Peter Aldous
uin	904069
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The Department plans to implement the 12-month end-of-life approach across five DWP benefits, beginning in Universal Credit alongside Employment and Support Allowance next year. This will be followed by Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment subject to Parliamentary processes.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 08/11/2021 17:57:11 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4069 label Biography information for Peter Aldous

1366480

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent assessment she has made of the contractual performance of Serco plc in delivering call-handling services for her Department.
tabling member constituency	Hayes and Harlington
tabling member printed	John McDonnell
uin	904070
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>DWP regularly reviews performance with Serco to ensure they are meeting contractual responsibilities. During the term of the contract Serco have largely met their Key Performance Indicators, though more recently, competitive labour market conditions and subsequent challenges recruiting agents have led to some short-term performance impacts.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 08/11/2021 17:50:03 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	178 label Biography information for John McDonnell

1366481

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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	What assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of ending the universal credit uplift on levels of in-work relative poverty.
tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
uin	904071
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The uplift to Universal Credit was a temporary measure, that is why an assessment has not been completed on its withdrawal.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continues to do so through many measures. We expect to spend over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit recipients in work will soon benefit from a reduction in the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, and increasing the work allowance by £500 per year means that 1.9m working households will be able to keep substantially more of what they earn. These changes represent an effective tax cut for low income working households in receipt of UC worth £2.2 billion a year in 2022-23, for the lowest paid in society, and are combined with a rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/11/2021 17:47:47 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1366482

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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	What assessment she has made of the potential effect of ending the uplift to universal credit on (a) household budgets and (b) levels of poverty.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	904072
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The uplift to Universal Credit was a temporary measure, that is why an assessment has not been completed on its withdrawal.</p><p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continues to do so through many measures. We expect to spend over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.</p><p>Universal Credit recipients in work will soon benefit from a reduction in the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, and increasing the work allowance by £500 per year means that 1.9m working households will be able to keep substantially more of what they earn. These changes represent an effective tax cut for low income working households in receipt of UC worth £2.2 billion a year in 2022-23, for the lowest paid in society, and are combined with a rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour.</p><p>We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/11/2021 17:47:39 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1366483

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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	Children: Disadvantaged
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on support for vulnerable children.
tabling member constituency	Harlow
tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
uin	904073
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>DWP supports DfE’s Family Hubs work, backed by £82m of £300m announced in the Spending Review to transform services for parents and babies, carers and children.</p><p>At least 50% of the new Household Support Fund will be spent on support for vulnerable households with children this winter.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/11/2021 17:51:55 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1366485

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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	Unemployment: Older People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What support her Department provides to older jobseekers to reskill or change careers.
tabling member constituency	Broxtowe
tabling member printed	Darren Henry
uin	904075
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The Department’s plan for jobs provides funding to ensure that more jobseekers of all ages get tailored support, including to reskill or pivot sectors. This includes programmes such as the Job Finding Support service, Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) and the Restart scheme, to help them find work. The JETS scheme in particular helps jobseekers update their digital skills, job searching tools and to identify transferrable skills, which has been extended to September 2022.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, as part of the £500m Plan for Jobs expansion, we are funding a new enhanced support package for workers over the age of 50 to help them to stay in and return to work. This offer has two strands – Older workers will receive better information and guidance on later life planning, helping them make informed choices and supporting them to plan their career and remain in work. For those who have lost their jobs, this funding will ensure that older job seekers on Universal Credit receive more intensive, tailored support as they look to take the next step in their career. A network of 50 Plus Champions across all 37 Jobcentre Plus districts will enable and encourage work coaches to direct suitable Plan for Jobs and local support to claimants aged 50 and over</p><p> </p><p>The UK government are also investing £2.5 billion in the National Skills Fund in England to aid The Lifetime Skills Guarantee. From April 2021, adults of any age over 24 who are looking to achieve their first full Level 3 will be able to access fully funded courses which will give them new skills and greater prospects in the labour market. The free online Skills Toolkit also provides online learning focused on digital, numeracy and employability skills.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 08/11/2021 18:05:23 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4794 label Biography information for Darren Henry

1365377

registered interest
date	02/11/2021
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, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2021 to Question 60405, on Universal Credit, what proportion of Government debt resulting in deductions taken from universal credit entitlements is as a result of advances.
tabling member constituency	Stalybridge and Hyde
tabling member printed	Jonathan Reynolds
uin	68249
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>To clarify, Advances are not Government debt. They are a claimant’s benefit entitlement paid early, allowing claimants to access 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. They ensure nobody has to wait for a payment in Universal Credit and those who need it are able to receive financial support as soon as possible. Claimants can receive up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit award if required, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period.</p><p> </p><p>For Universal Credit claims with a payment due during May 2021:</p><p> </p><ul><li>£71.6m was deducted for repayment of Advances</li><li>£67.8m was deducted for Government debt.</li></ul><p> </p><p>1) Government debt includes: DWP Benefit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Tax Credit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Housing Benefit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Social Fund Loan, Recoverable Hardship Payment, Administrative Penalty, Civil Penalty, Eligible Loan Deductions, Integration Loan.</p><p>2) Claims may have a deduction for both a Government debt and a repayment of an advance.</p><p>3) The above figures exclude deductions for Third Party debt; they also exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.</p><p>4) Data for May 2021 has been provided in line with the latest available Universal Credit Household Statistics.</p><p>5) Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As noted in PQ 60405, on average, claimants with these deductions paid 15% of their Standard Allowance towards them. We have reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 30% to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance, enabling claimants to take home more of the award.</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> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/11/2021 17:58:28 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4119 label Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds

1365428

registered interest
date	02/11/2021
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: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of food insecurity amongst (a) primary and (b) secondary school children in (i) Coventry North East constituency, (ii) Coventry, (iii) the West Midlands and (iv) England (A) in each of the last five years and (B) during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	68299
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>We have not made an assessment of this kind. Issues of food insecurity amongst school children fall within the remit of the Department for Education so assessments such as this would be their responsibility.</p><p>We take the issue of food security seriously, which is why we added internationally used food security questions to the Family Resources Survey in 19/20 and published the data in March this year. These questions remain in the survey and will allow us to track food security over time. Statistics on Household Food Security from the Family Resources Survey for financial year 20/21 have a provisional release date of March 2022, subject to the usual quality assurance.</p><p>National and regional statistics on the number of food insecure households are published annually in the “Family Resources Survey” publication. Statistics on levels of food insecure households in the UK , 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> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/11/2021 17:59:17 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1365520

registered interest
date	02/11/2021
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	Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: 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 impact the end of the furlough scheme on the number of people claiming Universal Credit in (a) the UK, (b) Yorkshire and Humber and (c) Kingston upon Hull North.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	68149
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>No such assessment has been made. The Covid-19 Job Retention Scheme ended on 30 September 2021.</p><p>With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that our focus is on helping people back into work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty.</p><p>Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; we have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job; and introduced Restart which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to Universal Credit claimants who are unemployed for a year. Our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people</p><p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continues to do so through many measures, including by spending over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22. This government is continuing to take action to support living standards by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 effective from April 1st 2022, as well as reducing the taper rate in Universal Credit from 63% to 55% and increasing the value of work allowances by £500 per year, meaning Universal Credit claimants will be able to keep more of their benefit payments when they increase their earnings.</p><p> </p><p>The latest Universal Credit statistics are available to 9 September 2021 and the next release on 16 November 2021 will provide the statistics to 14 October 2021.</p><p> </p><p>The number of people who are on Universal Credit in Great Britain each month, broken down by Region and Westminster Parliamentary Constituency, are published monthly, and can be found on Stat-Xplore: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p><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> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/11/2021 17:56:58 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson