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448448

	registered interest
	date	27/01/2016
	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	Pensioners: Poverty
	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 effect of the triple lock pension policy of the number of pensioners living in poverty in (a) Windsor, (b) the South East and (c) the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	24574
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>While we can’t draw a direct link between the triple lock and pensioner poverty, pensioner poverty is at one of the lowest rates since records began. Pensioners are less likely to be in relative and absolute low income after housing costs than the population as a whole. The Government continues to support the poorest pensioners and from April 2016, Pension Credit will top up income to a guaranteed minimum level of £155.60 for a single person and £237.55 for couples.</p><p>The Government wants all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement. We are committed to the triple lock, the guarantee that the basic State Pension will increase by the highest of the growth in average earnings, price increase or 2.5%. From April 2016, the basic State Pension will be over £1,100 a year higher than at the start of the last Parliament. This will benefit many of the 18,000 recipients of State Pension in Windsor, the 1.7 million recipients in the South East and the 13 million recipients in the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 04/02/2016 17:06:54 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

523664

	registered interest
	date	07/06/2016
	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 Income
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to increase the range of statistics that his Department collects on income mobility.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	39725
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2016 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (as well as the Office for National Statistics) publishes a wide range of information looking at the income distribution. We have announced we will be producing a new publication, Income Dynamics in February/March 2017, which will look at income mobility, including a measure of persistent low income, based on new data from the Understanding Society survey.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 14/06/2016 14:46:57 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

427297

	registered interest
	date	09/11/2015
	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	Unemployed People: Training
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional support and training his Department offers to unemployed people in order for them to fill long-term vacancies in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	15380
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2015 answer text <p>The support provided by Jobcentre Plus work coaches is not dependant on the duration of a vacancy. Work Coaches deliver a personalised service to best meet the needs of the claimant and the local labour market across the UK.</p><p>The flexible model of support available through Jobcentre Plus includes Work Experience, training and work placements through sector-based work academies, and support to become self-employed through the New Enterprise Allowance. In addition, the Work Programme offers tailored support to those people who are at risk of becoming long-term unemployed.</p><p>Further education and skills policy in Scotland, including training for unemployed people, is the responsibility of Scottish Government. Jobcentres in Scotland work in partnership with Skills Development Scotland to ensure that benefit claimants who require training to find work can access the support they need.</p> answering member constituency Witham answering member printed Priti Patel question first answered 16/11/2015 11:55:21 answering member 4066 label Biography information for Priti Patel
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

427298

	registered interest
	date	09/11/2015
	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	Vacancies: Advertising
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that job vacancy statistics do not double-count jobs advertised through multiple agencies on the job vacancy portal.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	15379
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2015 answer text <p>The official vacancy statistics are national statistics, produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and not DWP. ONS is the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics and is the recognised national statistical institute for the UK.</p><p><strong></strong></p><p>The ONS is overseen by the UK Statistics Authority, which is an independent body operating at arm's length from government as a non-ministerial department, directly accountable to Parliament. The UK Statistics authority provides independent scrutiny (monitoring and assessment) of all official statistics produced in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Witham answering member printed Priti Patel question first answered 16/11/2015 14:06:11 answering member 4066 label Biography information for Priti Patel
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

506768

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2016
	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	National Insurance Contributions
	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 estimate (a) the number of employers who have passed the full increase in national insurance contributions associated with the Pensions Act 2014 on to their employees, (b) the number of employees who have been affected by those changes, (c) the change in real terms to the take-home pay of such staff as a result of those changes and (d) the number of employers who are making profits to a sufficient level that there is no need to use the override facility incorporated within that Act.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	33090
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2016 answer text <p>The Department does not hold the information requested in parts (a),(b) and (d) of the question. In relation to part (c), the Pension Act 2014 Impact Assessment (May 2014) contains relevant information:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/311316/pensions-act-ia-annex-a-single-tier-state-pension.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/311316/pensions-act-ia-annex-a-single-tier-state-pension.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>In particular, table 5.2 shows the monthly increase in individual National Insurance contributions as a result of ending DB contracting-out, expressed in 2013/14 earnings terms on the assumption that the increased cost to the employer is passed on in full.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 15/04/2016 12:13:50 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

506770

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2016
	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, if he will take steps to introduce lifetime awards for people assessed as requiring the upper personal independence payment allowance mobility component who have been diagnosed with muscle degenerative diseases or conditions.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	32963
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/04/2016 answer text <p>Personal Independence Payment is specifically designed to ensure that the benefit is awarded to those with the greatest need and the award review process is integral to ensuring this happens. Under Disability Living Allowance over 70% of all claims had no review built-in, meaning that claimants could have been receiving too much or too little in benefit.</p><p> </p><p>We take a personalised approach to setting the length of awards, varying the frequency and format of awards and reviews depending on the individual’s needs and the likelihood of their health condition or impairment changing.</p><p> </p><p>Where the claimant has high levels of functional impairment which are only likely to increase or not improve, it is likely that the claimant will receive an enhanced rate of benefit and a longer term award.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that it is important to ensure that the review process is applied sensitively and appropriately. As such, it is likely that the awards of such claimants would also go through a less intensive review process which may not, if all the necessary information is held, include a face-to-face assessment.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 13/04/2016 16:21:01 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

513758

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2016
	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, if he will take steps to modify the universal credit online application system to allow an application to be saved and returned to by applicants.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	34466
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2016 answer text <p>The universal credit full service online application system does have this functionality but the full service is currently only available in a limited number of areas. National expansion of the Universal Credit full service will begin from May 2016, completing in June 2018.</p> answering member constituency Witham answering member printed Priti Patel question first answered 21/04/2016 07:37:49 answering member 4066 label Biography information for Priti Patel
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

514830

	registered interest
	date	21/04/2016
	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	Funeral Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has considered measures to expedite the current five to six week processing time for applications to the Department for Work and Pensions Funeral Fund; and what the target processing time is for applications to that Fund.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	35018
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2016 answer text <p>If all the necessary information is received with the Funeral Expenses Payments claim form the application is processed straight away. The department is committed to ensuring that communications on eligibility for Funeral Payments are improved. This will in turn help claims to be processed and decisions to be made more quickly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For 2016/17 DWP aims to clear Funeral Expenses Payments claims within 15 working days. In 2014/15 of the 51,000 applications, over 55% were cleared within target; and over 69% cleared within 21 working days.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/04/2016 14:44:39 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

514831

	registered interest
	date	21/04/2016
	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 Fund
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employees there were in the Social Fund and Specialist Benefits Team on 1 April (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013, (e) 2014, (f) 2015 and (e) 2016.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	35019
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2016 answer text <p>Management Information is held only since 2013 and is provided here:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2013 - 2014</p></td><td><p>2014 - 2015</p></td><td><p>2015 - 2016</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bereavement Benefit</p></td><td><p>94.33</p></td><td><p>83.87</p></td><td><p>78.49</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maternity Allowance</p></td><td><p>70.21</p></td><td><p>66.19</p></td><td><p>72.46</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit</p></td><td><p>191.97</p></td><td><p>165.63</p></td><td><p>149.40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Social Fund</p></td><td><p>798.46</p></td><td><p>411.34</p></td><td><p>349.78</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans were previously part of the Social Fund and staff that were previously doing this work have been re-assigned to other work.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/04/2016 14:57:41 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

515024

	registered interest
	date	22/04/2016
	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	Work Capability Assessment
	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 review the language and terminology used in written communications to people attending personal independence payment or work capability assessments to ensure that those communications are readily understood by recipients.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	35152
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2016 answer text <p>We are undertaking a full review of PIP and ESA communication products and messages. This work includes customer testing to ensure that the language and terminology used is clearly understood by recipients.</p><p> </p><p>As part of our work to review claimant communications we are working with our Health Assessment Providers for PIP and ESA, to align the notifications sent to claimants invited to attend a face-to-face consultation with content produced by the Department.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 27/04/2016 09:08:49 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown