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100009

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2014
	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: Travel
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial assistance is given to help young people on benefits with the travel costs associated with attending job interviews.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL2224
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>All Jobcentre Plus District Managers have access to the Flexible Support Fund, that they can use to supplement mainstream services and to tailor support to the needs of individuals and the local area. A proportion of this fund will be spent by their Work Services Teams on discretionary awards to individual claimants, which could include helping with travel costs to attend job interviews.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 23/10/2014 15:06:09 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

100567

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their decision not to contest the judicial review of the decision to cease funding for Local Welfare Assistance, whether they will reinstate that funding for 2015–16.
	tabling member printed	Baroness King of Bow
	uin	HL2304
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p>From April 2015 it was intended funding for local welfare provision would be funded from the general grant to Local Government. The general grant took this into account.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has agreed to look again at how funding is provided for in 2015/16. Any decisions will be taken after we have reviewed how the current funds have been used and the on-going consultation and equality analysis on 2015/16 funding being co-ordinated by the Department for Communities and Local Government.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 29/10/2014 15:16:01 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	143 label Biography information for Baroness King of Bow

100645

	registered interest
	date	23/10/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government why housing benefit overpayments increased to £1.4 billion in 2013–14 and how they are addressing the issue.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Manzoor
	uin	HL2376
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Housing Benefit is a complex benefit administered by 380 Local Authorities. It has a high proportion of in-work claimants and this caseload is more likely to undergo changes in circumstances than out-of-work claimants. If claimants fail to report changes in circumstances correctly and in a timely manner then overpayments will occur.</p><p>The rate of fraud in Housing Benefit has been stable for many years at 1.4% since 2008-09. Official error has also remained relatively stable over the last six years, currently standing at 0.6% which is the same level as in 2008-09. Claimant error has increased from 2.7% in 2008-09 to 3.8% in 2013-14.</p><p>The rise in HB claimant error is primarily earnings related and a consequence of failure to report these changes. DWP is taking action to deal with this issue through better data sharing with Local Authorities, such as the introduction of real time information (RTI) on earnings, so that local authorities are alerted to changes quickly and do not have to rely on the claimant informing them of changes.</p><p>Longer term, Housing Benefit for working age claimants will be replaced by the housing cost element of Universal Credit and will be paid as a single monthly payment with the other elements. This will reduce the opportunity for Fraud and Error and prevent overpayments from occurring.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 04/11/2014 15:11:36 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4289 label Biography information for Baroness Manzoor

100930

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the steps they are taking to reduce the cost of benefit fraud, what they propose to do, and how much they plan to spend, to reduce underpayments to claimants due to mistakes by officials or claimants.
	tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
	uin	HL2398
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Department takes both under and overpayments seriously and has in place a number of initiatives to address the errors that cause them. These activities address fraud as well as error, and both under and overpayments. It is therefore not possible to separate out the cost of activities focused exclusively on underpayments as a result of error.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit will make the welfare system simpler by replacing six benefits and credits with a single monthly payment. This simplification is expected to lead to a reduction in fraud and error due to the fact that information about claimants will be held in one place and updated more frequently and easily.</p><p> </p><p>For claimants that have income taxed under PAYE, Universal Credit will be linked to HMRC’s Real Time Information system, which will provide an automatic monthly update of their income thus reducing the potential for both error and fraud.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has invested in compliance activity, so that case correctness is maintained and fraud and error entering the system are detected and resolved quickly. Across all delivery arms there is a focus on accuracy and quality, including a continuous quality checking regime to review claims and check processing accuracy.</p><p> </p><p>We constantly review claims by checking them against data coming into our systems, in order to highlight potential anomalies. We do this by using business rules which focus on potential error to identify both under and overpayments.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is taking steps to encourage claimants to ensure that the information provided to us is accurate and up-to-date. This includes a fraud and error communications campaign about driving behaviour change and emphasising that claimants must report any change of circumstances.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 07/11/2014 13:39:35 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

100946

	registered interest
	date	24/10/2014
	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	Industrial Health and Safety: Agriculture
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the latest figures they have of the number of fatal and serious accidents occurring in the farming industry.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL2414
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>These figures are published on the Health and Safety Executive’s website: <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/agriculture/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/agriculture/index.htm</a>. They can also be found in the published report attached, “Health and safety in agriculture in Great Britain, 2014” on pages 6 and 7.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 04/11/2014 15:42:22 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud attachment 1 file name HSE Agri Stats.pdf title Health and Safety in agriculture in Great Britain
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

100959

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	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	Food Banks
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of people using food banks who also receive benefits; and whether they have any plans to discuss the matter with the organisers of food banks or to adapt benefits to take account of the situation.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Gould of Potternewton
	uin	HL2415
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>DWP does not monitor or estimate the percentage of people using food banks.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the extremely valuable work of civil society in supporting local communities. Government officials and Ministers routinely meet with a range of civil society organisations, some of which may be connected to foodbanks.</p><p> </p><p>DWP reforms are already making the benefits system simpler and helping claimants to move into work.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 04/11/2014 14:50:14 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	3573 label Biography information for Baroness Gould of Potternewton

100980

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	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	Jobseeker's Allowance Sanctions Independent Review
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government further to the remarks by Lord Freud on 21 October that they were "taking forward all recommendations" of the Oakley Report on Jobseeker's Allowance sanctions (HL Deb, col 547), whether they will provide an implementation date for each of the recommendations.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL2436
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>We have already published our response to the Oakley Report and a copy can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/332137/jsa-sanctions-independent-review-government-response.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/332137/jsa-sanctions-independent-review-government-response.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>We are considering all recommendations made by the Oakley Report and we have already implemented a number of improvements. Our response sets out a number of target completion dates for recommendations made by the Oakley Report.</p><p> </p><p>We will look at the remaining recommendations and will keep the House informed on progress and implementation.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 04/11/2014 16:26:08 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

42897

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 3 March (WA 278), what evidence they have that Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans were "poorly targeted and failed to help those most in need".
	tabling member printed	Baroness King of Bow
	uin	HL5962
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The coalition Government outlined the evidence in <em>Local support to replace Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for living expenses in England, Government response to the call for evidence June 2011.</em> A copy was placed in the House library and it can be found online at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-support-to-replace-community-care-grants-and-crisis-loans-for-living-expenses-call-for-evidence" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-support-to-replace-community-care-grants-and-crisis-loans-for-living-expenses-call-for-evidence</a> </p><p> </p><p>Nottinghamshire County Council have consulted on their plans to wind down their dedicated scheme and provide support by other means. Information on other authorities will be provided by the review my Department will shortly be carrying out about the way local authorities have used the funding provided following the abolition of the discretionary Social Fund. We are making arrangements with local authorities regarding this. A copy of the findings will be placed in the House Library.</p><p> </p><p>There has never been a commitment to provide specific funding beyond 2014/15. On the basis of experience on the ground since support was localised, central government believes that it makes most sense for councils to choose how much funding to allocate to these services in their areas in future - according to local priorities and needs - and how to provide such support.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL5963 HL5964 question first answered 19/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	143 label Biography information for Baroness King of Bow

42898

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 3 March (WA 278), which authorities have decided to "wind-down their local Discretionary Social Fund replacement schemes following underspends this year".
	tabling member printed	Baroness King of Bow
	uin	HL5963
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The coalition Government outlined the evidence in <em>Local support to replace Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for living expenses in England, Government response to the call for evidence June 2011.</em> A copy was placed in the House library and it can be found online at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-support-to-replace-community-care-grants-and-crisis-loans-for-living-expenses-call-for-evidence" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-support-to-replace-community-care-grants-and-crisis-loans-for-living-expenses-call-for-evidence</a> </p><p> </p><p>Nottinghamshire County Council have consulted on their plans to wind down their dedicated scheme and provide support by other means. Information on other authorities will be provided by the review my Department will shortly be carrying out about the way local authorities have used the funding provided following the abolition of the discretionary Social Fund. We are making arrangements with local authorities regarding this. A copy of the findings will be placed in the House Library.</p><p> </p><p>There has never been a commitment to provide specific funding beyond 2014/15. On the basis of experience on the ground since support was localised, central government believes that it makes most sense for councils to choose how much funding to allocate to these services in their areas in future - according to local priorities and needs - and how to provide such support.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL5962 HL5964 question first answered 19/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	143 label Biography information for Baroness King of Bow

43300

	registered interest
	date	17/03/2014
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what investigations they are undertaking into the nutrition and health of children and vulnerable adults when sanctions are imposed on individuals who lose their benefits.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL6053
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department does not monitor nutrition.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 24/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton