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1581656

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
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	Access to Work Programme
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what the average length of time taken to process claims under the Access to Work Scheme was from 1 January to 31 December 2022.
tabling member printed	Lord Blunkett
uin	HL5193
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2023 answer text <p>The average length of time taken to process claims under the Access to Work Scheme for the period 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022 was 52.1 days</p><p>The time taken to process different application types can vary, some can be cleared very quickly, and decisions made in a day, whereas others, if complex, may take longer and require a Workplace Assessment to recommend a tailored package of support for individual customers.</p><p>Access to Work has received a significant increase in applications over the last year. In response, we have recruited new staff to meet the increased demand and reduce the time it takes to make decisions, and we are continuing with this over the year. We are also transforming the Access to Work service through increased digitalisation, that will make the service more efficient, make the application process easier, and improve the time taken from application through to decision.</p><p><em>Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution. </em></p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 14/02/2023 12:37:43 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	395 label Biography information for Lord Blunkett

1581673

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
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	Pesticides: Safety
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when they will report on the outcome of the Government Oversight Group review of the stewardship regime for professional use of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides in the UK after five years of operation; and what steps they are taking to end the use of previously banned substances still being deployed in the countryside to poison wildlife.
tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
uin	HL5214
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2023 answer text <p>The detailed work of the review of the stewardship scheme for anticoagulant rodenticides is ongoing.</p><p> </p><p>The Government Oversight Group for Rodenticides, chaired by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the industry’s representative body, the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use met in December 2022 to discuss the existing stewardship regime and agree areas of focus for its review. Discussions also included establishing a timetable for the work required to take the review forward during 2023.</p><p> </p><p>With respect to the issue of wildlife poisoning, there are robust, multi-agency arrangements in place for enforcing the illegal supply and use of chemicals; with the illegal poisoning of protected species investigated by a dedicated Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/02/2023 14:51:15 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1581682

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
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	Cost of Living
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support households facing hardship and debt as a result of the increased cost of living.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL5230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2023 answer text <p>The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living this winter and is taking action to help. The Government's Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical British household around £900 this winter, based on what energy prices would have been under the current price cap - reducing bills by roughly a third. This is in addition to the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, paid over six months starting in October 2022.</p><p> </p><p>For those who require additional support the current Household Support Fund, running in England from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, is providing £421 million of funding. The devolved administrations have been allocated £79 million through the Barnett formula.  The Household Support Fund will continue until March 2024. This year long extension allows Local Authorities in England to continue to provide discretionary support to those most in need with the significantly rising cost of living. The Devolved Administrations will receive consequential funding as usual to spend at their discretion.</p><p> </p><p>In 2023/24, subject to parliamentary approval, we are uprating all benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%, in order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap levels are also increasing by the same amount.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the 2023/24 financial year. A separate £300 payment will be made to pensioner households on top of their Winter Fuel Payments and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Further to this, the amended Energy Price Guarantee will save the average UK household £500 in 2023/24.</p><p> </p><p>To further support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023 subject to parliamentary approval, the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to ensuring staff who engage with customers identify and signpost customers to the financial support they require. We continue to work closely with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), which is an Arm’s Length Body of DWP, to identify and maximise all the touchpoints where it may be appropriate to signpost our customers to the expert financial help they need.</p><p> </p><p>We have also been working with MaPS to upskill some of our frontline staff to give them the confidence and skills to have those difficult and sensitive conversations with customers regarding their finances before signposting them to the most suitable organisation. This may be for help with budgeting and money management, or with debt. Customers contacting the Department’s Debt Management Team are routinely referred to this service.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has a well-established process for working with individuals to support them to manage repayment of Government debt to DWP. Our priority is to negotiate affordable and sustainable repayment plans that do not cause undue financial hardship. For overpayment deductions specifically, where a person feels they cannot afford the proposed rate of deduction for an overpayment recovery they are encouraged to contact the Department’s Debt Management Team to discuss a temporary reduction in their rate of repayment or, if necessary, a temporary cessation of the deduction may be considered. When a customer is notified of an overpayment, they are advised to contact us if they would struggle to make their repayment. Customers are also notified of deductions, giving them a further opportunity to contact us to negotiate a more affordable rate.</p><p> </p><p>There is no minimum amount that a customer has to pay, and we have recently extended the time period for any reduced payment to remain in place.</p><p> </p><p>We also remain committed to His Majesty’s Treasury’s Breathing Space policy, which provides those with problem debt the right to legal protections from creditor action for a period of 60 days to enable them to receive debt advice and enter into an appropriate debt solution.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/02/2023 14:50:31 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1581718

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
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	Health and Safety Executive: Recruitment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which body is the legal employer of staff at the Health and Safety Executive.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	135243
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2023 answer text <p>The Crown is the legal employer of employees at the Health and Safety Executive.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 02/02/2023 10:28:08 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1581730

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
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	Workplace Pensions: EU Law
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 Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, what estimate his Department has made of the number of laws that will be need to be reviewed relating to workplace pensions.
tabling member constituency	Reading East
tabling member printed	Matt Rodda
uin	135372
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2023 answer text <p>A public facing dashboard lists all legislation that falls within the scope of the Retained EU law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, including for my department. This dashboard will be updated on a quarterly basis and can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/retained-eu-law-dashboard" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/retained-eu-law-dashboard</a></p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 07/02/2023 14:54:19 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4654 label Biography information for Matt Rodda

1581731

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
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	Workplace Pensions: EU Law
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill on existing case law relating to workplace pensions.
tabling member constituency	Reading East
tabling member printed	Matt Rodda
uin	135373
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2023 answer text <p>We are considering how best to seamlessly implement the measures in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill whilst minimising the impact on the pension industry and members of occupational pension schemes.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 07/02/2023 15:02:36 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4654 label Biography information for Matt Rodda

1581732

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
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	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of people (a) eligible for and (b) claiming Pensions Credit as of 30 January 2023; and if he will publish this information.
tabling member constituency	Reading East
tabling member printed	Matt Rodda
uin	135374
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2023 answer text <p>The latest estimates for Pension Credit take-up in a financial year are available in the “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up” publication, which can be accessed on the statistics section of gov.uk:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2019-to-2020" target="_blank">Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2019 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>The latest available data for those claiming Pension Credit relates to May 2022. As of May 2022, the Pension Credit caseload was 1,369,990.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 07/02/2023 14:56:11 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4654 label Biography information for Matt Rodda

1581733

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
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	Pension Credit
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 those eligible for Pension Credit in each region were claiming it in the most recent period for which data are available.
tabling member constituency	Reading East
tabling member printed	Matt Rodda
uin	135375
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2023 answer text <p>Estimates for Pension Credit take-up in a financial year are only available at the Great Britain level and are available in the “Income-related benefits: estimates or take-up” publication, which can be accessed on the statistics section of gov.uk. The latest publication relates to the financial year 2019 to 2020.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2019-to-2020" target="_blank">Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2019 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 07/02/2023 14:59:27 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4654 label Biography information for Matt Rodda

1581734

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
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	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish statistics on Pensions Credit uptake for the financial years (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23.
tabling member constituency	Reading East
tabling member printed	Matt Rodda
uin	135376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2023 answer text <p>In March we will publish the Family Resource Survey for 2021/22. Following this, work will begin to assess whether the data can produce new take-up estimates. In line with the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice for Statistics I will provide an update at this stage. 2022/23 take up will be published as normal in Autumn 2024. Due to the impacts of the pandemic it will not be possible to publish estimates for 2020/21.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 07/02/2023 17:18:13 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4654 label Biography information for Matt Rodda

1581761

registered interest
date	30/01/2023
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 Banks
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number of households that received a food bank parcel in (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	135378
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2023 answer text <p>Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation.</p><p> </p><p>There is no consistent and accurate measure of foodbank usage at a constituency or national level. We understand the data limitations in this area, and therefore from April 2021 we introduced a set of questions into the Family Resources Survey (FRS) to measure and track foodbank usage. The first results of these questions are due to be published in March 2023 subject to usual quality assurance. Our commitment to include questions in the Family Resources Survey shows how seriously we take this issue; the data is vital to ensure we understand the full picture.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling poverty and supporting people on lower incomes and we will spend £245bn through the welfare system in 2022/23.</p><p> </p><p>The Government's Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical British household around £900 this winter, based on what energy prices would have been under the current price cap - reducing bills by roughly a third.</p><p> </p><p>All benefit rates and State Pensions will increase in line with the Consumer Prices Index for the year to September 2022. This will mean that, subject to parliamentary approval, they will increase by 10.1% in April. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap will also be increased by 10.1% subject to parliamentary approval.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the 2023/24 financial year. A separate £300 payment will be made to over eight million pensioner households on top of their Winter Fuel Payments and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Further to this, the amended Energy Price Guarantee will save the average UK household £500 in 2023/24.</p><p> </p><p>To further support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023 subject to parliamentary approval, the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW.</p><p> </p><p>For those who require additional support the current Household Support Fund, running in England from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, is providing £421 million of funding. The devolved administrations have been allocated £79 million through the Barnett formula. The Household Support Fund will continue until March 2024. This year long extension allows Local Authorities in England to continue to provide discretionary support to those most in need to help with global inflationary challenges and the significantly rising cost of living. The Devolved Administrations will receive consequential funding as usual to spend at their discretion.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 135380 135381 question first answered 02/02/2023 10:23:08 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi