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1683107

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2024
	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	AEA Group: Pensions
	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 introduce legislation to allow the (a) Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and (b) Pensions Ombudsman to investigate complaints about the AEA Technology pension scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Warrington North
	tabling member printed	Charlotte Nichols
	uin	10297
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>Complaints about the AEAT scheme have previously been considered by relevant government bodies, including The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) and The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). Decisions on these complaints including whether they are able to investigate them have been taken according to the remits given to them by Parliament and other broader statutory constraints.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has no plans to bring forward new legislation for these bodies in relation to this scheme.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 22/01/2024 16:22:35 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4799 label Biography information for Charlotte Nichols

1682228

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2024
	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	Assistance Animals: Registration
	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 merits of creating a national register for trained service dogs.
	tabling member constituency	Putney
	tabling member printed	Fleur Anderson
	uin	9682
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>Standards for assistance dogs are currently and historically maintained on the basis of a voluntary regulatory framework. There is no specific legislation for the regulation of assistance dogs and no legislation is planned.</p><p>There are recognised standards for assistance dogs worldwide set by international bodies by which a number of UK charities and organisations are accredited. Assistance dogs are also provided by other charities and private sector organisations, including owner trainers, which are not accredited by international bodies.</p><p>Assistance dogs or other animals might be regarded as such, if they serve to mitigate disabilities, whether physical, mental or behavioural conditions, and they have sufficient training to warrant public access.</p><p>The Disability Action Plan consultation (DAP), which ran from July to October 2023, contained specific questions about assistance dogs and access to businesses and services. We have analysed the consultation responses carefully and we aim to publish the final Disability Action Plan as soon as possible.</p><p>The Disability Action Plan will set out the immediate action we will be taking in 2024 to improve disabled people’s lives, including to improve support for people with assistance dogs and reduce access refusals, as well as laying the foundations for longer term change. It will complement the National Disability Strategy, which sets out our long term vision for disabled people in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/01/2024 16:04:15 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4788 label Biography information for Fleur Anderson

1681770

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2024
	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	Bereavement Support Payment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to make unmarried long-term childless couples eligible for Bereavement Support Payment.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	9351
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>Bereavement Support Payment is currently only available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. We currently have no plans to change the eligibility criteria for Bereavement Support Payment.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 22/01/2024 15:45:17 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1682175

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2024
	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	Disability: Cost of Living
	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 the Government has made of the impact of increases in the cost of living on people with disabilities; and what recent steps his Department has taken to increase cost of living support for people with disabilities.
	tabling member constituency	Putney
	tabling member printed	Fleur Anderson
	uin	9676
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the most vulnerable by providing one of the largest support packages in Europe. Taken together, support to households to help with the high cost of living is worth £104 billion over 2022/23 to 2024/25.</p><p> </p><p>In April 2023, we uprated working-age and extra costs disability benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%. From this April, and subject to Parliamentary approval, we also intend to uprate working-age and extra costs disability benefit rates by 6.7%. The increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30<sup>th</sup> percentile of local market rates will give further help to 1.6 million low-income households.</p><p> </p><p>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 across the 2023/24 financial year, with the first two payments having already been made and the final payment of £299 being paid between 6 February and 22 February. A separate £150 payment was made to individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits, including PIP, from 20 June. In addition, more than eight million pensioner households across the UK received a £300 Cost of Living Payment during winter 2023-24. The Department estimates that over 2023/24 nearly 60% of individuals that receive a qualifying disability benefit will receive additional support through a means-tested benefit payment, and over 85% will receive either or both of the means-tested and Pensioner Cost of Living Payment.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/01/2024 16:08:50 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4788 label Biography information for Fleur Anderson

1681332

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2024
	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	Jobcentres: Staff
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for appointing specialist single parent work coaches within Jobcentre Plus to ensure that single parents can access tailored and relevant advice on childcare, benefits and appropriate flexible job opportunities that are available in the local area.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL1447
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>The department keeps the Work Coach role under regular review, to ensure they are well equipped to support a range of claimants, including single parents.</p><p> </p><p>All Work Coaches undergo a learning journey that equips them with the tools, knowledge, skills, and behaviours to enable them to support individuals moving closer to work. This includes childcare modules to support working single parents.</p><p> </p><p>All claimants are set requirements that take into account their circumstances and capability, including caring responsibilities, health conditions and disabilities. These requirements will be tailored by the Work Coach and will be achievable and realistic, and agreed within the Claimant Commitment.</p><p> </p><p>Work Coaches are also signposted to tools, guidance, and websites (internal and external), so that they have access to the most up to date advice and expertise to help them better support claimants, including single parents.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 22/01/2024 15:59:39 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1682635

	registered interest
	date	16/01/2024
	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: Eligibility
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of eligible people claiming Pension Credit.
	tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
	tabling member printed	Andrew Western
	uin	9970
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>We continue to maximise opportunities to raise awareness of Pension Credit which provides vital financial support to households on a low income. Our Pension Credit Communications campaign, ongoing since April 2022, has included advertising on national TV, newspapers, broadcast radio, on social media and via internet search engines as well as on screens in Post Offices and GP surgeries. We have also used sponsored advertising on targeted websites that pensioners, their family, and friends are likely to visit.</p><p>Our latest campaign messaging highlighted that Pension Credit can be worth up to £3,900 on average and is a passport to a range of other help and benefits – including Cost of Living payments. <br></p><p>There is a strong indication that the campaign has had a positive impact and has resulted in an unprecedented number of Pension Credit applications. The number of claims received in the financial 2022-23 was more than 80% higher than over the same period the year before.</p><p>The latest available figures covering the three months to May 2023 show an increase in the Pension Credit caseload. More households were receiving Pension Credit in May 2023 than in May 2022 at the beginning of the campaign. The recent quarterly increases in the caseload in August, November 2022 and now May 2023 – the first increases since 2009 - are very welcome and significant.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 22/01/2024 16:16:47 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4979 label Biography information for Andrew Western

1682095

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2024
	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: Single People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) financial and (b) social assistance support available for single pensioners.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	9605
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>No such assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has announced plans to increase the basic State Pension, the new State Pension and the Standard Minimum Guarantee in Pension Credit by 8.5% in April 2024. This follows last year’s largest ever cash increase in the State Pension.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also provides additional support to older people. The Winter Fuel Payment, which this year also includes the £300 pensioner Cost of Living Payment, is paid on a household basis meaning a single pensioner will receive £500 or £600 depending on their age.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding social assistance support, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to ensure a diverse range of high quality, sustainable, person-centred care and support services are provided.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 22/01/2024 15:55:47 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1681318

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2024
	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	Poverty: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps are they taking to prevent children falling into poverty during future economic crises, in response to the conclusions of the UNICEF report Child Poverty in the Midst of Wealth, published on 6 December 2023.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
	uin	HL1410
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>The most recent available data, covering 2021/22, shows that relative poverty rates for children remain unchanged since 2009/10. On an absolute basis, which better represents changes to actual living standards, the rate after housing costs has fallen by 5 percentage points across the same period. There were 400,000 fewer children in absolute poverty after housing costs in 2021/22 compared to 2009/10.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to reducing poverty, including child poverty, and supporting low-income families. From April, and subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by a further 6.7% in line with inflation and the increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30<sup>th</sup> percentile of local market rates will give further help to 1.6 million low-income households.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has always believed that work is the best way to help families improve their financial circumstances. This approach is based on clear evidence about the important role that work - particularly full-time – can play in reducing the risks of poverty. In the financial year 2021 to 2022, children living in households where all adults work were around 5 times less likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than those living in workless households.</p><p> </p><p>This is why, with over 900,000 vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on providing parents with the support they need to move into and progress in work. Parents on Universal Credit who are moving into work or increasing their hours can now get additional support with upfront childcare costs, and we have also increased the childcare costs that they can claim back by nearly 50%, up to £951 a month for one child and £1,630 for two or more children.</p><p>To support those who are in work, on 1 April 2024, the Government will increase the National Living Wage (NLW) for people aged 21 and over by 9.8% to £11.44 an hour, an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earning of a full-time worker on the NLW.</p><p>The Government is providing support worth £104 billion over 2022-23 to 2024-25 to help households with the high cost of living, this clearly shows that we will always act to ensure that the most vulnerable get the support they need, and we will continue to keep all our existing programmes under review in the usual way.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie grouped question UIN HL1412 question first answered 22/01/2024 15:57:55 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

1681320

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2024
	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	Poverty: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the UNICEF report Child Poverty in the Midst of Wealth, published on 6 December 2023, and its finding that the UK has seen the greatest increase in child poverty out of the 40 countries featured in the report; and what steps they are taking to prevent a further increase.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
	uin	HL1412
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>The most recent available data, covering 2021/22, shows that relative poverty rates for children remain unchanged since 2009/10. On an absolute basis, which better represents changes to actual living standards, the rate after housing costs has fallen by 5 percentage points across the same period. There were 400,000 fewer children in absolute poverty after housing costs in 2021/22 compared to 2009/10.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to reducing poverty, including child poverty, and supporting low-income families. From April, and subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by a further 6.7% in line with inflation and the increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30<sup>th</sup> percentile of local market rates will give further help to 1.6 million low-income households.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has always believed that work is the best way to help families improve their financial circumstances. This approach is based on clear evidence about the important role that work - particularly full-time – can play in reducing the risks of poverty. In the financial year 2021 to 2022, children living in households where all adults work were around 5 times less likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than those living in workless households.</p><p> </p><p>This is why, with over 900,000 vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on providing parents with the support they need to move into and progress in work. Parents on Universal Credit who are moving into work or increasing their hours can now get additional support with upfront childcare costs, and we have also increased the childcare costs that they can claim back by nearly 50%, up to £951 a month for one child and £1,630 for two or more children.</p><p>To support those who are in work, on 1 April 2024, the Government will increase the National Living Wage (NLW) for people aged 21 and over by 9.8% to £11.44 an hour, an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earning of a full-time worker on the NLW.</p><p>The Government is providing support worth £104 billion over 2022-23 to 2024-25 to help households with the high cost of living, this clearly shows that we will always act to ensure that the most vulnerable get the support they need, and we will continue to keep all our existing programmes under review in the usual way.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie grouped question UIN HL1410 question first answered 22/01/2024 15:57:55 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

1681869

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2024
	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: Disqualification
	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 ensure that people who are unable to (a) attend appointments at their local Jobcentre and (b) meet the requirements for receiving benefits as a result of underlying health conditions issues are not sanctioned.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	9551
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>All work-related requirements are set in discussion with claimants, who take ownership of planning how they will meet their requirements and ultimately secure employment, if they are able to do so. Generally, work coaches have the discretion to adjust how often the claimant meets with them and how these meetings take place, in light of the claimant’s needs, circumstances and capability.</p><p> </p><p>Should a claimant fail to carry out a mandatory work-related activity that has been agreed and set out in their Claimant Commitment or Work plan, we will ask them why. We will take into account any reasons they provide, including any health conditions, before referring for consideration of a sanction. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take into account all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good reason, before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.</p><p> </p><p>We also have a well-established system of hardship payments, available as a safeguard if a claimant demonstrates that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs as a result of their sanction, including accommodation, heating, food and hygiene. All claimants will retain the right to mandatory reconsideration or appeal a decision should they disagree.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/01/2024 16:00:17 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell