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1673725

	registered interest
	date	28/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Pensions Ombudsman: Standards
	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 has made an assessment of the adequacy of (a) financial and (b) staffing support for the Pensions Ombudsman in (i) 2020, (ii) 2021, (iii) 2022 and (iv) 2023 to date.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	4292
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>DWP have increased the financial support to The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO), with an additional £750,000 of funding provided in 2022/23 towards tackling the case backlog and an additional £1,698,347 in 2023/24 towards the case backlog and waiting times, enabling TPO to create a new casework support team. This has significantly increased case clearances.</p><p> </p><p>The Department also provide support, when necessary, in the areas of digital, commercial, security and HR alongside continuing stewardship support and advice.</p><p> </p><p>The TPO 2022/23 annual report and accounts are due to be laid in Parliament and will provide further detail.</p><p /> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 04/12/2023 14:33:28 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1698003

	registered interest
	date	21/03/2024
	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	Employment: Mental Health
	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 Health and Safety Executive employees are dedicated to mental health related workplace matters.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	19978
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2024 answer text <p>Information on the work and resourcing within Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not available in the format requested.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 26/03/2024 15:23:59 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1673723

	registered interest
	date	28/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Pensions Ombudsman: Standards
	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 reduce the waiting times for the Pensions Ombudsman to respond to enquiries that the Early Resolution Team have escalated.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	4291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>TPO’s Early Resolution team (ERT) investigates complaints where TPO believes the complaint may be resolved informally. Over 80% of cases that go to ERT are resolved there, but where this is not possible, the complaint is passed to TPO’s Adjudication Team. Cases may then be escalated to the Pensions Ombudsman where the complainant does not agree with the adjudicator’s decision.</p><p> </p><p>DWP have recently provided additional funding to TPO towards reducing waiting times. This funding has been used to create a new casework support team. This has significantly increased case clearances.</p><p> </p><p>Due to variation in the complexity of cases, TPO does not currently hold validated data on the average time for cases to pass through the Adjudication Team and Ombudsman.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 04/12/2023 14:28:37 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1673728

	registered interest
	date	28/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Pensions Ombudsman: Complaints
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints the Pensions Ombudsman Early Resolution Team escalated to the Pensions Ombudsman in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and how much funding his Department provided the Pensions Ombudsman in those years.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	4293
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) is reviewing its Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and data as part of its business planning for 2024/25.</p><p> </p><p>TPO does not hold data in a format that could produce a validated response as the information requested does not form part of TPO’s current KPI’s. It will consider this as a metric in the work between the department and TPO when agreeing 2024/25 KPI’s.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions provided TPO with funding of £8,870,000 in 2020/21, £7,931,195 in 2021/22, £10,413,705 in 2022/23, and £11,268,672 in 2023/24.</p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 04/12/2023 14:31:11 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1700390

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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	Health and Safety: Mental Health
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many improvement and prohibition notices the Health and Safety Executive has issued on (a) workplace stress and (b) other mental health problems at work in each year since it took responsibility for this area.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	21277
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2024 answer text <p>There are no specific regulations relating to work-related stress or mental health and any enforcement action taken by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in those areas would use general health and safety legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act or the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.</p><p> </p><p>As a result, HSE can not provide the numbers of notices as the information is not held in the format requested so is not easily retrievable or statistically robust.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 17/04/2024 13:08:32 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1667629

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Artificial Intelligence
	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 potential impact of AI on the functioning of the welfare system.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	133
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2023 answer text <p>DWP is continually exploring the use of all types of Artificial Intelligence and its potential to support the provision of more digital services with a human touch in a safe, ethical, and considered way. Artificial Intelligence will never replace the role of our colleagues in supporting customers throughout their journey.</p><p>We are using Artificial Intelligence to undertake administrative or repetitive tasks, freeing up our colleagues to spend more time with claimants.</p><p>As part of our approach, and in-line with the Prime Minister’s Foundation Model Taskforce, DWP has created a Generative Artificial Intelligence Lighthouse Programme which will safely guide our innovation in emerging Artificial Intelligence technology. The role of this programme is to ‘test and learn’ in a safe and governed environment where all types of AI can be used to assist us in the delivery of our customer outcomes and department efficiencies. Following this test and learn approach will help us to build more certainty on the potential benefits that can be realised.</p><p>Where Artificial Intelligence is used to assist its activities in prevention and detection of fraud within UC applications, DWP always ensures appropriate safeguards are in place for the proportionate, ethical, and legal use of data with internal monitoring protocols adhered to. Through the work of departmental governance, we can always explain how the AI reaches conclusions using data.</p><p>DWP does not use AI to replace human judgement in determining or denying a payment to a claimant. Where appropriate, Equality and Data Protection Impact Assessments have been carried out.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/personal-information-charter" target="_blank">DWP's Personal Information Charter</a> explains how and why we use personal information and citizen’s rights and responsibilities.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 15/11/2023 11:30:26 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

1672178

	registered interest
	date	22/11/2023
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Workplace Pensions
	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 requiring (a) pension companies to hold a consultation when considering closing a defined benefit pension scheme and (b) independent assessment of the potential closure of such a scheme.
	tabling member constituency	South Leicestershire
	tabling member printed	Alberto Costa
	uin	3263
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2023 answer text <p>The legal requirements for employers on certain changes to occupational pension schemes are detailed in The Pensions Act of 2004. This states that larger employers with 50 or more workers are required to consult with affected members or their representatives about proposed significant changes to their pension scheme, including closure, before implementing the change.</p><p> </p><p>These requirements ensure that scheme members are aware of the change and the impact on their future pension, and that they have an opportunity to comment. The Pensions Regulator provides information for employers on closing a pension scheme to new members or future accruals and winding up a scheme at their website including detailed regulatory guidance and can be found at <a href="https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/employers/managing-a-scheme/closing-your-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/employers/managing-a-scheme/closing-your-scheme</a>.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 27/11/2023 16:44:21 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4439 label Biography information for Alberto Costa

1693490

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	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	Offshore Industry: Helicopters
	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 received recent representations from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers on safety risks in the offshore helicopter supply chain.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16765
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>The responsibility for safety risks in the offshore helicopter supply chain lies with the Civil Aviation Authority. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not aware that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has received recent representations from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers on this matter.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 12/03/2024 14:00:10 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1701413

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance: Overpayments
	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 paragraph 3.18 of the National Audit Office report entitled Investigation into overpayments of Carer’s Allowance, published on 26 April 2019, what changes were made to the business rules of the Verify Earnings and Pensions Service that revised downwards the number of alerts that were forecast to be generated from 380,000 to 75,000.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	21980
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>A review of rules has provided a streamlined approach to the identification of VEP rules, enabling alignment with the latest HMRC data that feeds into DWP Real Time Earnings (RTE) system.</p><p>Examples of improvements include benefit specific rules, such as details of fluctuations in income, one off payments and irregular payments revision.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is constantly reviewing available resources against priorities.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 24/04/2024 13:01:33 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1701411

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Carer’s Allowance overpayments have been referred to HM Courts and Tribunals Service since February 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	21978
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>Since February 2022, there have been 119 cases accepted for prosecution for benefit fraud that were so serious they met the threshold for prosecution by The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) where Carer’s Allowance was the primary overpayment.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Note that this this figure only represents those cases accepted by CPS and does not indicate prosecution outcome. Data is for the period 1/2/2022 to 17/4/2024.</p><p> </p><p>The data has been sourced from internal DWP management information, which is intended only to help the Department to manage its business. It is not intended for publication and has not been subject to the same quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 24/04/2024 12:44:21 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern