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1142684

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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: Appeals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit appeals are awaiting allocation of a hearing date because her Department has not yet sent an appeal response to HMCTS.
	tabling member constituency	Glenrothes
	tabling member printed	Peter Grant
	uin	284154
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>When a customer appeals a DWP decision this is made directly to HMCTS, who will schedule a tribunal date. Any question on waiting times would need to be answered by the MoJ.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 16:47:43 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4466 label Biography information for Peter Grant

1145098

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	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: Fraud
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many third parties who have allegedly scammed people into making a universal credit claim have been identified and investigated; and how many of those third parties have been referred for prosecution.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	287639
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:40:49 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145100

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	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: Fraud
	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 has taken to prevent third-party universal credit fraud.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	287641
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:40:30 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145099

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	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: Fraud
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, at what point during the universal credit claim process her Department checks claims for potentially fraudulent details.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	287640
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:40:23 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145101

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	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: Fraud
	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 prevent cases of third-party universal credit fraud taking place during managed migration.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	287642
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:39:39 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145097

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	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: Fraud
	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 her oral contribution to the Work and Pensions Committee of 24 July 2019, how many of the 1,400 cases to have undergone interview under caution due to third-party universal credit fraud have been referred for prosecution.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	287638
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:39:36 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145096

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	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: Fraud
	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 oral contribution of the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work of 8 July 2019, Official Report, Column 321, if she will provide details of the successful third-party universal credit fraud prosecution.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	287637
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:38:35 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145116

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	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	Workplace Pensions: Neath
	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 people in Neath constituency have (a) opted out after being auto-enrolled into a workplace pension and (b) saved more than the auto-enrolment minimum contribution.
	tabling member constituency	Neath
	tabling member printed	Christina Rees
	uin	287651
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Workplace pension participation rates are being transformed with 87% of eligible employees saving into one in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.</p><p> </p><p>The DWP does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017, approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019 minimum contribution rates.</p><p> </p><p>In the Neath constituency, since 2012, approximately 3,000 eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 860 employers have met their duties.</p><p> </p><p>Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by constituency, available via the following weblink: <a href="https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests" target="_blank">https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:38:16 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4525 label Biography information for Christina Rees

1145095

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	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: Fraud
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the legal basis is for her department to ask claimants who are victims of third-party universal credit fraud to attend an interview under caution at a Jobcentre rather than provide a witness statement.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	287636
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:37:38 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1145118

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	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	Workplace Pensions: Twickenham
	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 people in Twickenham constituency have (a) opted out after being auto-enrolled into a workplace pension and (b) saved more than the auto-enrolment minimum contribution.
	tabling member constituency	Twickenham
	tabling member printed	Sir Vince Cable
	uin	287442
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:37:00 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	207 label Biography information for Sir Vince Cable

1143364

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
	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 households in (a) Birkenhead constituency and (b) England that were subject to the under occupancy penalty contained one or more (i) person in employment (ii) child and (iii) person who is disabled in the most recent month for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	284641
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The Government has provided easements to allow an additional bedroom for couples and children who are unable to share a bedroom due to their disability or medical condition and are in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit, or where a non-resident overnight carer (or group of carers) is required for an adult, child or non-dependant adult on a regular basis.</p><p> </p><p>As at April 2019, there were:</p><p> </p><p>a) 970 households in Birkenhead constituency who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, 130 (13%) had at least one person in employment and 190 (20%) had at least one dependent child. Additionally, in 730 (75%) the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Incapacity Benefit (IB), or Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA). It is not possible to ascertain the number of disabled people in each of these households.</p><p> </p><p>b) 240,350 households in England who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, 37,350 (16%) had at least one person in employment and 48,350 (20%) had at least one dependent child. Additionally, in 170,360 cases (71%) the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Incapacity Benefit (IB), or Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA). It is not possible to ascertain the number of disabled people in each of these households.</p><p> </p><p>Figures do not include claimants on Universal Credit (UC) with a removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) deduction, as these data are not currently available.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 16:36:41 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1144797

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	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, how many claimants of universal credit received a (a) budgeting loan and (b) deferral period in the latest period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	286624
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 16:36:31 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1144425

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	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: Pilot Schemes
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to her oral contribution on 22 July 2019 on Unviersal Credit managed migration, Official Report, column 1149-1150, on what date her Department received advice from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments on the use of a negative Statutory Instrument for a pilot of managed migration and payments to severely disabled people who lost out in transferring to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	286364
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 16:35:46 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1144424

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	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: Pilot Schemes
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to her oral contribution of 22 July 2019 on Universal Credit managed migration, Official Report, column 1149-1150, if she will publish the advice she received from the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments on the use of a negative Statutory Instrument for a pilot of managed migration and payments to severely disabled people who lost out in transferring to Universal Credit.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	286363
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 16:35:05 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1143871

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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	Post Office Card Account
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason her Department decided to close the Post Office Card Account; and whether her Department has plans to introduce a replacement for that account.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	285337
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:34:52 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1144472

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	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	Credit Unions
	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 recent talks between the Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion and credit unions in Northern Ireland, what lessons have been learned by his Department on the expansion of credit unions for the England, Wales and Scotland.
	tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
	tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
	uin	286141
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:34:17 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1144292

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	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 recent assessment she has made of the effect of the benefits freeze on the wellbeing of universal credit claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
	tabling member printed	Hugh Gaffney
	uin	286335
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>An Impact Assessment of the benefit freeze was published in 2015, this is available in the link below.</p><p><a href="https://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006C.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006C.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 16:33:35 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4614 label Biography information for Hugh Gaffney

1143460

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Travel
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	285105
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/09/2019 16:30:48 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1142861

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Travel
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) first class, (b) second class and (c) in total in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	284362
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/09/2019 16:30:43 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1142841

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Catering
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department spent on refreshments in (a) 2017 and (b) 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	284305
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 09/09/2019 16:29:27 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1144434

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	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	Low Incomes
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who will fall into the relative low income bracket if the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
	tabling member printed	Luciana Berger
	uin	286195
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 16:29:15 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4036 label Biography information for Luciana Berger

1143874

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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	Social Security Benefits: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what processes her Department uses to agree a repayment rate with claimants for over-payments of welfare payments before making collections.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	285023
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The Department seeks to recover benefit overpayments as quickly as possible without creating any undue financial hardship to the claimant. The initial rate of repayment applied for the recovery of a benefit overpayment is calculated based on three factors:</p><p> </p><ul><li>How the overpayment occurred (through either fraud or error).</li><li>Whether the claimant is in work.</li><li>Whether any other deductions are applied to their Universal Credit award which might affect the amount that can be deducted.</li></ul><p>The Department understands that claimants’ individual circumstances can vary widely. If a claimant contacts the Department to say that they cannot afford the proposed rate of repayment, we will discuss this with the claimant and can re-evaluate their repayment rate. This re-evaluation will be based on income and expenditure, alongside internal data and the industry standard credit information we can access, with the aim of agreeing a sustainable rate of repayment.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:29:06 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1145137

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	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	Workplace Pensions: North Durham
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the proportion of people in North Durham constituency who have (a) opted out after being automatically enrolled into a workplace pension and (b) saved more than the auto-enrolment minimum contribution.
	tabling member constituency	North Durham
	tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
	uin	287563
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Workplace pension participation rates are being transformed with 87% of eligible employees saving into one in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.</p><p> </p><p>The DWP does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017, approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019 minimum contribution rates.</p><p> </p><p>In the North Durham constituency, since 2012, approximately 6,000 eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 1,090 employers have met their duties.</p><p> </p><p>Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by constituency, available via the following weblink: https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:27:17 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

1144375

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2019
	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	Social Security Benefits: Uprating
	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 potential merits of uprating benefits by CPI plus 2 per cent over the next four years, and will she make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	286085
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>The Secretary of State is bound by law to complete an annual review of benefit and pension rates to determine whether they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices or - in the case of the full rate of the new State Pension, basic State Pension and Standard Minimum Guarantee (SMG) in Pension Credit - earnings.</p><p> </p><p>Where prices and earnings have increased relative to the value of those benefits or pensions, the Secretary of State must increase non-contributory benefits for additional disability needs and for carers, as well as Additional Pension, at least in line with the increase in prices. In the case of the basic and the full rate of the new State Pension, the triple lock guarantees that rates will be raised by the highest of the rise in prices, the rise in earnings, or 2.5% for the duration of this Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State must also consider the rates of other benefits including working age benefits, and may decide to increase those at her discretion taking into account considerations such as the prevailing national economic circumstances and Government priorities at that time. She will make her assessment later this year and announce it ahead of the up-rating of benefits in April 2020. From that date she is able to implement a discretionary decision since the four-year freeze set by the Welfare Reform &amp; Work Act 2016 will have lapsed.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:23:56 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1144650

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	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, if she will publicise to eligible pensioners their right to claim pension credit.
	tabling member constituency	Warrington South
	tabling member printed	Faisal Rashid
	uin	286869
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>It is important to highlight that there are over 1.6 million people already claiming some £5.4 billion in Pension Credit but the Government wants to ensure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled.</p><p> </p><p>On a national basis the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to Pension Credit 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 including Pension Credit to potential customers; including information on <a href="https://gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://gov.uk/</a>, in leaflets and by telephone.</p><p> </p><p>We know that often the best ways to reach eligible customers is through trusted stakeholders working in the community. That is why we have developed and resourced the Pension Credit toolkit which can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit</a> and 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.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Pension Credit calculator <a href="https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator</a> enables potential customer to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive; and of course the easiest way to make a Pension Credit claim is via the Freephone number 0800 99 1234.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 09/09/2019 16:23:02 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4670 label Biography information for Faisal Rashid