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1137460

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Wales on the roll-out of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
uin	274662
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The most recent detailed discussion took place on a visit to Wales on 4th April 2019, where the Secretary of State accompanied the Secretary of State for Wales to the Cardiff Charles Street Jobcentre Plus office, where they had a general discussion around Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>The roll out of Universal Credit (UC) is now complete and is available in every Jobcentre across the country.</p><p> </p><p>As planned, the testing of moving legacy claimants to Universal Credit will take place in Harrogate and will begin this month. The goal of the pilot is to learn as much as possible and to increase numbers as slowly and gradually as necessary. Testing the system and our processes will allow us to make sure we can provide the best possible service to those claimants who will need to move to Universal Credit from their legacy claim as planned, by the end of 2023.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 16/07/2019 09:57:07 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1137473

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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	State Retirement Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she will next review the state pension age.
tabling member constituency	Norwich South
tabling member printed	Clive Lewis
uin	274590
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The approach of the Labour Government 1997-2010, Coalition 2010-2015 and the Conservative Government has been the same in broad terms. State Pension age reform has focused on maintaining the right balance between sustainability of State Pension and fairness between generations in the face of demographic change. The Pensions Act 2014 requires governments to complete a structured review of State Pension age every 6 years in light of changes in life expectancy and other relevant factors. The Government’s first State Pension age review was published in July 2017.</p><p /><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-pension-age-review-final-report" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-pension-age-review-final-report</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 16/07/2019 12:26:49 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4500 label Biography information for Clive Lewis

1137474

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are being taken to protect the pensions of UK and EU citizens who have previously worked in the UK but now live overseas.
tabling member constituency	Norwich South
tabling member printed	Clive Lewis
uin	274591
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>Under existing domestic legislation, the UK State Pension can be claimed from and is payable worldwide to those who are entitled. This will continue to be the case whether the UK leaves the EU with or without a deal.</p><p> </p><p>As we have stated previously, we will continue to uprate the UK State Pension for those living in the EU in 2019-20, with a view to securing continued reciprocal social security arrangements in the future.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 16/07/2019 09:21:41 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4500 label Biography information for Clive Lewis

1137475

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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	State Retirement Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help people who have been severely affected by changes in the state pension age.
tabling member constituency	Norwich South
tabling member printed	Clive Lewis
uin	274592
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The number of older people in employment is at a record high. There are now 10.5 million workers aged 50 and over in the workforce compared to 9.1 million five years ago.</p><p> </p><p>To support women to remain and return to the labour market, the Government has removed the Default Retirement Age meaning most people can choose when to retire, and extended the right to request flexible working to all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer.</p><p> </p><p>We have appointed a Business Champion for Older Workers to engage and influence employers both strategically and in terms of practical advice.</p><p> </p><p>In February 2017, the UK Government published “Fuller Working Lives: a partnership approach” to set out the role employers, individuals and Government can play in supporting fuller working lives. <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/587654/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/587654/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>Through the National Retraining Partnership, a strategic partnership between Government, the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress, Government is developing the National Retraining Scheme. The National Retraining Scheme will help prepare adults for the future changes to the economy, including those brought about by automation, and help them retrain into better jobs.</p><p> </p><p>And in February this year, DWP launched an online web page which brings together money, job and health elements of the mid-life MOT. <a href="https://www.yourpension.gov.uk/mid-life-mot/" target="_blank">https://www.yourpension.gov.uk/mid-life-mot/</a></p><p> </p><p>To support employers, Business in The Community has also created MOT guides that support businesses. <a href="https://age.bitc.org.uk/tools-impact-stories/toolkits" target="_blank">https://age.bitc.org.uk/tools-impact-stories/toolkits</a></p><p> </p><p>For people who simply can’t work, our welfare system will continue to provide a strong safety net, as it does for people of all ages now. The Government is committed to supporting the vulnerable and spends over £50 billion a year on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p /> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 16/07/2019 09:40:23 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4500 label Biography information for Clive Lewis

1137476

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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	Pension Credit: Norwich South
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people of pension age are entitled to pension credit but do not receive it in Norwich South constituency.
tabling member constituency	Norwich South
tabling member printed	Clive Lewis
uin	274593
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The information requested on the number of people of pension age entitled to pension credit but do not receive is only available at national level.</p><p> </p><p>Official statistics on the take-up of income-related benefits at Great Britain level including Pension Credit, can be found in the ‘Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up in 2016 to 2017’ publication.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2016-to-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2016-to-2017</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 16/07/2019 09:34:54 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4500 label Biography information for Clive Lewis

1137478

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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	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 long on average it takes to (a) agree and (b) allocate pension credit to eligible claimants.
tabling member constituency	Norwich South
tabling member printed	Clive Lewis
uin	274594
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The specific information requested is not available.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/07/2019 15:49:35 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4500 label Biography information for Clive Lewis

1137479

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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	Pension Credit and 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 she is taking to improve accessibility to pension credit and universal credit for pensioners.
tabling member constituency	Norwich South
tabling member printed	Clive Lewis
uin	274595
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>Pension Credit is an important benefit specifically intended to help the poorest pensioners. There are over 1.6m pensioners already claiming Pension Credit worth over £5billion a year. However, the Government wants to ensure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled.</p><p> </p><p>We also welcome and encourage initiatives to promote take up of Pension Credit by national and local organisations who may often be best placed to understand the local circumstances and needs in the community. For this reason we have developed the Pension Credit toolkit, as an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up. It can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-<strong>credit</strong>-toolkit</a></p><p> </p><p>The toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The toolkit also provides links to information about disability and carers benefits.</p><p> </p><p>Organisations can use the Pension Credit calculator <a href="https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator</a> to help people check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances. The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about benefits to potential claimants; including information on <a href="https://gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://gov.uk/</a> but also in leaflets and by telephone. DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>People can telephone either the Pension Service helpline for general enquiries on 0800 731 0469 or those wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by calling 0800 99 1234.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is designed to target resources at those that need them most and to provide support for people who cannot work or need help moving towards the labour market.</p><p> </p><p>For those that are unable to access or use digital services, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 and face-to-face support is available in Jobcentres. In exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, claimants can access support with their Universal Credit application through the Citizen’s Advice Help to Claim service which, offers tailored, practical support online, over the phone, and face-to-face. You can contact an adviser through the free national Help to Claim phone service:</p><p>England: 0800 144 8 444</p><p>Wales: 08000 241 220</p><p>Scotland: 0800 023 2581</p><p>We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our own staff or via referrals from local services.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/07/2019 15:44:28 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4500 label Biography information for Clive Lewis

1137548

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the carer's allowance and for it to be paid for each person the carer is responsible for.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	274466
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring. It is also not intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.</p><p> </p><p>A National Insurance Class 1 credit is generally awarded for each week that Carer’s Allowance is paid to a working age carer. Class 1 credits can help towards the conditions of entitlement to all contributory benefits, as well as the new State Pension. In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises the invaluable contribution that unpaid and family carers make in all our communities, and is committed to doing more to support them. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published a Carers Action Plan in June 2018 setting out plans around support for carers, and in addition to this, carers will be a fundamental part of DHSC’s upcoming Green Paper. A sustainable settlement for social care will simply not be possible without focussing on how our society supports carers. The Government has committed to publishing the Green Paper at the earliest opportunity setting out its proposals for reform.</p><p> </p><p>Carers who provide professional caring services to multiple severely disabled people do so as a means of employment and are paid accordingly rather than relying on carers benefits.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/07/2019 09:11:56 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1137609

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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	Prisoners' release
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people leaving prison in England and Wales were released in the last 12 months with (a) a valid photo ID, (b) a bank account and (c) a JobCentre appointment for universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Delyn
tabling member printed	David Hanson
uin	274444
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department has dedicated Prison Work Coaches, who will support prisoners to complete their benefit claims and proceed to payment as quickly as possible. Our aim is to ensure claimants can access Universal Credit on the day of release in a bid to cut re-offending.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 16/07/2019 08:02:26 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	533 label Biography information for David Hanson

1137626

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment
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 Personal Independence Payment Administrative Exercise data release of 4 July 2019, what accounts for the difference between her Department’s original Equality Impact Assessment in 2017 of 14 per cent of claimants being affected following review, and the figures published by her Department showing that only 0.8 per cent of cases have received an increased award after being reviewed.
tabling member constituency	Battersea
tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
uin	274638
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>Our published estimates were produced before knowing the full detail of which claimants would be eligible for additional payments following the MH legal judgment.</p><p> </p><p>There was significant uncertainty around the estimates prior to the start of the administrative exercise in June 2018, from which point we had revised guidance in place to reflect the judgment, having consulted with key stakeholders. Our estimates remain subject to change as we monitor the outcomes of the exercise.</p><p> </p><p>We are intent on making sure everyone who is affected by the judgement is identified and are committed to ensuring that disabled people get the support they are entitled to.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 15/07/2019 16:27:06 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova