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101248

	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	Disability Living Allowance: Appeals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, who the decision maker is in the case of a DLA review; and what the assessment process is.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	212004
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>A Case Manager, the term for a DWP DLA decision maker, will conduct the review. In conducting the review, DLA Case Managers are instructed, through training and guidance, to ensure they have all the necessary information before making their decision. They will consider the evidence held and/or received, sending out for more evidence as appropriate, and only then make their decision.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 03/11/2014 17:47:22 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

114961

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2014
	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	Employment and Support Allowance: 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, whether it is possible for an unemployed person refused employment and support allowance because a work capability assessment found them fit for work to be refused jobseeker's allowance on the grounds of not being fit for work; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	213596
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>A person found fit for work following their Work Capability Assessment may claim Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). They will receive a benefit so long as entitlement conditions for JSA are satisfied. These include being available for and actively seeking.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 10/11/2014 14:16:52 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

100548

	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	Social Security Benefits: Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on bank transfer transactions for each type of benefit and pension payment in the last financial year; and what the total cost was of those transfers.
	tabling member constituency	Redcar
	tabling member printed	Ian Swales
	uin	211429
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>DWP can provide a total figure for UK benefit bank transfers for 2013/14 (including pensions) by BACS, broken down by benefit as follows:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Benefit</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Volume</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Banking Costs</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE (AA) (inc Overseas)</p></td><td><p>14,914,870</p></td><td><p>£65,625.43</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE (DLA) (inc Overseas)</p></td><td><p>47,522,463</p></td><td><p>£209,098.84</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND (ESF)</p></td><td><p>288</p></td><td><p>£1.27</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>CARERS ALLOWANCE (CA) (inc Overseas)</p></td><td><p>27,066,880</p></td><td><p>£119,094.27</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>INCAPACITY BENEFIT (INCAP)</p></td><td><p>10,093,974</p></td><td><p>£44,413.49</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>INCOME SUPPORT (IS)</p></td><td><p>146,845,498</p></td><td><p>£646,120.19</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>INDUSTRIAL INJURIES (IIDB)</p></td><td><p>11,975,719</p></td><td><p>£52,693.16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>OVERSEAS DIVISION (ODIIDB)</p></td><td><p>73,828</p></td><td><p>£324.84</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>JSA</p></td><td><p>30,546,139</p></td><td><p>£134,403.01</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>MORTGAGE DIRECT (JSA MD)</p></td><td><p>239,080</p></td><td><p>£1,051.95</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>LPS</p></td><td><p>71,171</p></td><td><p>£313.15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>LPS MID</p></td><td><p>1,900</p></td><td><p>£8.36</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>MORTGAGE DIRECT (MI)</p></td><td><p>1,299,364</p></td><td><p>£5,717.20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>RETIREMENT PENSIONS</p></td><td><p>339,855,838</p></td><td><p>£1,495,365.69</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>THIRD PARTY PAYMENTS (TPP)</p></td><td><p>44,715</p></td><td><p>£196.75</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>WINTER FUEL NEW RULE (WFNR)</p></td><td><p>953,886</p></td><td><p>£4,197.10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>SOCIAL FUND (SF)</p></td><td><p>1,157,008</p></td><td><p>£5,090.84</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>DWP ESA MID</p></td><td><p>617,369</p></td><td><p>£2,716.42</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>DWP ESA</p></td><td><p>44,349,674</p></td><td><p>£195,138.57</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>DWP CPS LOCAL PAYMENTS</p></td><td><p>1,930,311</p></td><td><p>£8,493.37</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PIP</p></td><td><p>282,631</p></td><td><p>£1,243.58</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Universal Credit</p></td><td><p>13,556</p></td><td><p>£59.65</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Benefits Total</p></td><td><p>679,559,975</p></td><td><p>£2,990,063.89</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Excluding CSA/SPVA/CMS</p></td><td><p>686,118,046</p></td><td><p>£3,018,919.40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>TOTAL BACS</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>699,386,621</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£3,077,301.13</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department does not have the breakdown for Faster Payments by benefit type, however the total volume figure of payments is 3,261,640 and a transaction value of £526,273.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 29/10/2014 14:27:34 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	4045 label Biography information for Ian Swales

169047

	registered interest
	date	09/12/2014
	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	Funeral Payments: Motherwell and Wishaw
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for funeral payments were awarded by his Department in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency in each of the last three years; and what the average such award was in each of those years.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Roy
	uin	217930
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>DWP does not hold data on Funeral Payments at constituency level.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 11/12/2014 12:20:38 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	626 label Biography information for Mr Frank Roy

100913

	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	Discretionary Housing Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much each local authority in (a) Wales and (b) the UK returned to his Department in unused discretionary housing payment funding in 2013-14.
	tabling member constituency	Aberconwy
	tabling member printed	Guto Bebb
	uin	221891
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Five local authorities in Wales spent less than their 2013-14 Government contribution in Discretionary Housing Payments. These were:</p><p> </p><p><strong>Local Authority Government Contribution Amount Unspent</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Ceredigion</p></td><td><p>£324,933</p></td><td><p>£290</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Conwy</p></td><td><p>£267,700</p></td><td><p>£1,498</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gwynedd</p></td><td><p>£605,141</p></td><td><p>£20,072</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Newport</p></td><td><p>£343,870</p></td><td><p>£1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pembrokeshire</p></td><td><p>£193,940</p></td><td><p>£4,176</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Details for all 240 local authorities in Great Britain which spent less than their 2013-14 Government contribution in DHP are provided in the attached annex.</p><p /> <p /> <p>For the remaining 140 local authorities across Great Britain, of which 17 were in Wales, DHP expenditure in 2013-14 either matched or exceeded the Government contribution.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 29/10/2014 16:10:27 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb attachment 1 file name UnspentDHPGB.PDF title Unspent DHP GB
	tabling member	3910 label Biography information for Guto Bebb

167612

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2014
	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	Poverty: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the comments by Lord Freud in the Grand Committee debate on the Child Poverty Act 2010 (Persistent Poverty Targets) Regulations 2014, that the facts Lord McAvoy had quoted were "simply not true" (HL Deb, 25 November, col GC 263), how they were not true.
	tabling member printed	Lord McAvoy
	uin	HL3387
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>I wrote to the Noble Peer on this issue on 4<sup>th</sup> December 2014. I have placed a copy of this letter in the library of the House and have also attached it to this response.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 08/12/2014 15:43:27 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud attachment 1 file name Letter to Lord McAvoy 4.12.14.PDF title Letter to Lord McAvoy 4th Dec 2014
	tabling member	4158 label Biography information for Lord McAvoy

93366

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	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	Income Support: Telephones
	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 commission survey research to make an estimate of the proportion of income support claimants who are aware of social tariffs available to help them access landlines.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	210290
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Income Support provides extra money to help people on a low income. There are no plans to commission a survey to estimate the proportion of claimants who are aware of social tariffs available to help them access landlines.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 21/10/2014 14:29:17 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

100277

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	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	Winter Fuel Payment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many in-work working-age households received winter fuel payments in 2013-14; what estimate he has made of how many such households will be claiming winter fuel payments in each of the next four financial years; and what assessment he has made of the effect of equalising the state pension age for men and women on the take-up of winter fuel payments.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	211255
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Information about how many in-work working-age households received Winter Fuel Payments in 2013-14 is not available.</p><p> </p><p>The table below shows the number of people aged under 65 receiving a Winter Fuel Payment and the associated expenditure in years 2009-10 to 2018-19 inclusive:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Caseload (000s)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/10</p></td><td><p>640.8</p></td><td><p>3,358</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>624.1</p></td><td><p>3,265</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>451.5</p></td><td><p>2,927</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>385.4</p></td><td><p>2,484</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>324.1</p></td><td><p>2,056</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>268.2</p></td><td><p>1,714</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>215.8</p></td><td><p>1,389</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>157.1</p></td><td><p>1,019</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>85.8</p></td><td><p>563</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>14.8</p></td><td><p>95</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p /> <p> </p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p>Numbers are for Winter Fuel Payments made to those eligible in Great Britain, European Economic Area and Switzerland aged 60-64: outturn to 2013-14; forecast 2014/15 onwards.</p><p>Winter Fuel Payments in 2009-10 and 2010-11 included one-off £50 payments for the under 80s.</p><p>One of the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility criteria is a person’s age in the qualifying week (the third full week in September). This age has been rising in line with the increase to the female State Pension age.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 24/10/2014 13:51:22 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

155583

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2014
	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	Personal Independence Payment: Motherwell and Wishaw
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Motherwell and Wishaw constituency have been migrated from disability living allowance to personal independence payments to date.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Roy
	uin	214296
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Information on the number of existing disability living allowance claimants who have been reassessed for and awarded personal independence payment, at parliamentary constituency level, has been published and can be found at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a>. Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: <a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm</a>.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 17/11/2014 13:54:14 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	626 label Biography information for Mr Frank Roy

93373

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	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	Employment and Support Allowance: 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, how many people stopped claiming employment and support allowance (ESA) in 2013 after gaining insufficient points in a Work Capability Assessment; and how many such people were claiming jobseeker's allowance within four weeks of their ESA claim ending.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	210472
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>It is possible to qualify for ESA through the application of Regulations 29(2)(b) and 35(2)(b) where insufficient points have been allocated in a Work Capability Assessment. It is thus not possible to answer the first part of this question.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested in the second part is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 17/10/2014 10:40:27 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

166611

	registered interest
	date	27/11/2014
	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	Public Health Funerals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of pauper's funerals in each of the last three years; and what steps his Department is taking to support families on low incomes with the costs of funerals.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
	uin	216270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>My department does not collect data on the number of Local Authority funerals.</p><p> </p><p>The Social Fund Funeral Payment scheme continues to provide help towards a simple, respectful, low-cost funeral and in 2013/14, over 33,000 awards were made worth £44.7 million, with an average award of £1,347.</p><p> </p><p>Social Fund Budgeting Loans are also available to those on income related benefits to cover costs relating to funeral expenses.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 02/12/2014 11:44:12 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

166089

	registered interest
	date	25/11/2014
	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	Workplace Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review the basis on which projections of potential returns are used by the investment management industry in communications with pension holders.
	tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
	uin	HL3147
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Since 6 April 2003, certain money purchase pension arrangements have been required to provide members with Statutory Money Purchase Illustrations (SMPIs). Legislation requires that statutory illustrations are produced in accordance with guidance prepared by a prescribed body approved by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and by the Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland.</p><p>The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is the prescribed body and has been since 6 April 2007. The FRC fulfils its obligations through the publication of Actuarial Standard Technical Memorandum AS TM1: Statutory Money Purchase Illustrations (AS TM1). It reviews AS TM1 regularly and the last completed review was carried out in 2013 following the introduction of the Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/2734) which came into force on 6 April 2014. The AS TM1 specifies that the investment return should take into account the current and anticipated future investment strategy of the member’s funds over the period to retirement and be consistent from year to year, with the rationale documented and made available to members on request.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require a projection at point of sale for contract based pensions. The investment return must reflect the investment potential of the (expected) underlying assets, subject to an overall cap of 5%pa. Flanking projections must be provided using returns which vary by +/- 3%. The FCA has a public commitment to review the basis every 4 years and the next review is due in 2015. The FCA do not require further projections during the lifetime of the contract as pension scheme members will receive statutory statements prepared under DWP legislation. However, where a provider chooses to provide additional projections, they must follow the same basis as point of sale projections.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 08/12/2014 12:26:30 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

92326

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2014
	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	Employment and Support Allowance: 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, what estimate he has made of the number of applicants for employment and support allowance who have had their benefit stopped for failing to attend a work capability assessment and who claim not to have received an appointment letter from Atos; and how many such cases have been submitted to a tribunal.
	tabling member constituency	Warrington North
	tabling member printed	Helen Jones
	uin	209588
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Department does not hold the information described and therefore I cannot provide an estimate.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 15/10/2014 11:12:03 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	432 label Biography information for Helen Jones

156113

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2014
	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	Employment and Support Allowance: 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, whether his Department has lifted the deferral imposed in January 2014 of reassessments for employment and support allowance claimants following the appointment of a new work capability assessment provider.
	tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
	tabling member printed	Kate Green
	uin	214751
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Department has temporarily deferred routine repeat assessments for those already in the Work-Related Activity Group or the Support Group of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), in order to focus on new claims.</p><p>Assessments are continuing for new ESA claimants and all those already referred to Atos. Repeat assessments will also continue for people who report a change in their circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has agreed a contract with a new provider, Maximus, to deliver the new assessment service from March 2015. We are working with Maximus to increase the number of assessments and resume repeat assessments once they have the capacity to do so.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 20/11/2014 12:11:03 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green

99949

	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	Discretionary Housing Payments: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much discretionary housing payment award he plans to give to each local authority in Scotland in 2014-15.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Roy
	uin	211061
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Government contribution towards Discretionary Housing Payments that has been made available to each local authority in Scotland for 2014/15 is shown in the table below. Local authorities will inform us as to how much of this they will claim at the end of the financial year.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Local Authority</p></td><td colspan="2"><p>Government contribution towards Discretionary Housing Payments for 2014/15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aberdeen</p></td><td><p>£308,438</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aberdeenshire</p></td><td><p>£480,948</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Angus</p></td><td><p>£357,857</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Argyll and Bute</p></td><td><p>£409,580</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Clackmannanshire</p></td><td><p>£176,383</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Comhairle nan Eilean Siar</p></td><td><p>£109,743</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dumfries and Galloway</p></td><td><p>£732,662</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dundee</p></td><td><p>£484,174</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Ayrshire</p></td><td><p>£322,608</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Dunbartonshire</p></td><td><p>£102,435</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Lothian</p></td><td><p>£122,558</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Renfrewshire</p></td><td><p>£67,736</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Edinburgh</p></td><td><p>£1,533,120</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Falkirk</p></td><td><p>£258,058</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Fife</p></td><td><p>£693,077</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Glasgow</p></td><td><p>£2,724,843</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Highland</p></td><td><p>£1,178,903</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Inverclyde</p></td><td><p>£210,794</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Midlothian</p></td><td><p>£183,798</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Moray</p></td><td><p>£228,368</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North Ayrshire</p></td><td><p>£408,703</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North Lanarkshire</p></td><td><p>£692,677</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Orkney</p></td><td><p>£50,592</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Perth and Kinross</p></td><td><p>£380,620</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Renfrewshire</p></td><td><p>£369,000</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Scottish Borders</p></td><td><p>£464,841</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Shetland</p></td><td><p>£71,267</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Ayrshire</p></td><td><p>£305,618</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Lanarkshire</p></td><td><p>£638,098</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Stirling</p></td><td><p>£420,609</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Dunbartonshire</p></td><td><p>£339,751</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Lothian</p></td><td><p>£402,484</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 23/10/2014 13:12:51 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	626 label Biography information for Mr Frank Roy

99950

	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	Discretionary Housing Payments: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much discretionary housing payment award was made to each local authority in Scotland in 2013-14.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Roy
	uin	211062
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Government contribution towards Discretionary Housing Payments that was made available to each local authority in Scotland for 2013/14, alongside the amount of that funding claimed by each authority at the end of the year, is shown in the table below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Government contribution towards Discretionary Housing Payments for 2013/14</p></td><td><p>Government contribution towards Discretionary Housing Payments claimed in 2013/14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aberdeen</p></td><td><p>£369,125</p></td><td><p>£369,125</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aberdeenshire</p></td><td><p>£594,825</p></td><td><p>£463,374</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Angus</p></td><td><p>£413,506</p></td><td><p>£413,506</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Argyll and Bute</p></td><td><p>£370,656</p></td><td><p>£370,656</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Clackmannanshire</p></td><td><p>£258,323</p></td><td><p>£258,323</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Comhairle nan Eilean Siar</p></td><td><p>£107,388</p></td><td><p>£91,177</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dumfries and Galloway</p></td><td><p>£658,354</p></td><td><p>£658,354</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dundee</p></td><td><p>£457,506</p></td><td><p>£457,506</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Ayrshire</p></td><td><p>£171,570</p></td><td><p>£171,570</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Dunbartonshire</p></td><td><p>£107,919</p></td><td><p>£107,919</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Lothian</p></td><td><p>£137,196</p></td><td><p>£137,196</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Renfrewshire</p></td><td><p>£83,222</p></td><td><p>£83,222</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Edinburgh</p></td><td><p>£1,430,709</p></td><td><p>£1,430,709</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Falkirk</p></td><td><p>£179,720</p></td><td><p>£179,720</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Fife</p></td><td><p>£974,985</p></td><td><p>£974,985</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Glasgow</p></td><td><p>£2,892,818</p></td><td><p>£2,892,818</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Highland</p></td><td><p>£1,077,115</p></td><td><p>£1,077,115</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Inverclyde</p></td><td><p>£213,174</p></td><td><p>£213,174</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Midlothian</p></td><td><p>£231,483</p></td><td><p>£231,483</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Moray</p></td><td><p>£252,230</p></td><td><p>£181,444</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North Ayrshire</p></td><td><p>£429,823</p></td><td><p>£429,823</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North Lanarkshire</p></td><td><p>£587,526</p></td><td><p>£587,526</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Orkney</p></td><td><p>£64,359</p></td><td><p>£64,359</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Perth and Kinross</p></td><td><p>£523,618</p></td><td><p>£260,198</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Renfrewshire</p></td><td><p>£517,351</p></td><td><p>£517,351</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Scottish Borders</p></td><td><p>£450,553</p></td><td><p>£450,553</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Shetland</p></td><td><p>£72,457</p></td><td><p>£72,457</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Ayrshire</p></td><td><p>£262,150</p></td><td><p>£262,150</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Lanarkshire</p></td><td><p>£742,570</p></td><td><p>£742,570</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Stirling</p></td><td><p>£400,324</p></td><td><p>£400,324</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Dunbartonshire</p></td><td><p>£872,472</p></td><td><p>£872,472</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Lothian</p></td><td><p>£364,648</p></td><td><p>£364,648</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 23/10/2014 13:23:33 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	626 label Biography information for Mr Frank Roy

166639

	registered interest
	date	27/11/2014
	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	Poverty: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have carried out any forecasts of the level of child poverty between now and 2020; and if so, whether they will be made public.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	uin	HL3230
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Government does not produce forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty as the number of children in poverty is dependent on factors which cannot be reliably predicted, such as the median income.</p><p> </p><p>The Government does measure annual child poverty statistics through the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income in the UK have consistently been reported since 1998/99; these are available for each financial year up to 2012/13, the latest period for which estimates are available.</p><p> </p><p>There has been no assessment of the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit changes announced since May 2010. Available survey data does not allow the Government to robustly assess the combined effects of tax and benefit policy on households with children.</p><p> </p><p>However, this Government has taken unprecedented steps to assess the effects of its policy decisions across the distribution of household income, by publishing analysis of the cumulative effects of the tax and welfare measures announced at each fiscal event since the June Budget 2010. The latest analysis can be found in Chapter 2 of the attached report.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL3231 question first answered 11/12/2014 16:55:04 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

157057

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2014
	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	Winter Fuel Payment: British Nationals Abroad
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2014 to Question 213491, how many representations he has received on the future of the winter fuel allowance claimed by UK citizens living in mainland France on a UK state pension.
	tabling member constituency	Mid Dorset and North Poole
	tabling member printed	Annette Brooke
	uin	215482
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Government intends to bring in an eligibility criterion derived from average winter temperatures, with payments going only to eligible people living in EEA countries with cold climates. The regulations establishing Winter Fuel Payments for 2015/16 will include the new eligibility condition. These regulations are made annually under the Social Security Contributions &amp; Benefits Act 1992, and those for winter 2015/16 will be made in the current Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>Since 1 June 2014, we have received two Parliamentary Questions, twenty one items of Ministerial or official correspondence and four Freedom of Information requests relating to the future of Winter Fuel Payments in France. Following the European Court ruling in the Stewart case, Winter Fuel Payments are made to those with a “genuine and sufficient link” to the UK, rather than – as previously – being restricted to those who had previously received a Payment in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb grouped question UIN 215483 question first answered 25/11/2014 12:14:23 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1431 label Biography information for Annette Brooke

166087

	registered interest
	date	25/11/2014
	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	Workplace Pensions: Fees and Charges
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are measuring the impact of auto-enrolment on fees charged by the investment management industry; and what plans they have to track any changes.
	tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
	uin	HL3145
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Government’s Command Paper, ‘Better Workplace Pensions: Further measures for savers’, published in March, set out a range of measures including a cap on charges in default fund arrangements, a ban on inappropriate charges and proposals to introduce minimum governance standards and improve transparency across workplace defined contribution schemes.</p><p> </p><p>Following this, Government launched its consultation on draft regulations on governance and charges in occupational pension schemes in October 2014. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the majority of this legislation will come into force from April 2015, alongside Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules in relation to workplace personal pension schemes where appropriate. From April 2015, the Government intends to introduce a charge cap on the default funds of qualifying schemes, set at 0.75 per cent of funds under management and the first phase of enhanced transparency with trustees and Independent Governance Committees (IGCs) being required to report on costs and charges for the first time.</p><p> </p><p>In 2015 Government will consult on regulations under duties in the Pensions Act 2014 requiring information about transaction costs to be disclosed to members and others, and the publication of costs and charges information. The FCA also intends to consult on amending their own rules to introduce equivalent enhanced transparency provisions for workplace personal pension schemes during 2015. The Government has also set out its plans to review the level of the default fund charge cap, to see if it should be lowered, and also whether it should include some or all of the transaction costs that are ultimately borne by members within a cap. This review will take place in 2017.</p><p> </p><p>Taken together the combined effect of these measures on charges, governance and transparency and the Government’s commitment to a review should ensure that savers are being enrolled into workplace schemes that are well run and in members’ interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 08/12/2014 12:19:52 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

93049

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2014
	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	Employment and Support Allowance: 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, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West on 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 655W, on employment and support allowance: work capability assessment, what the average wait was for an employment and support allowance applicant between completing the ESA 50 questionnaire and undergoing the work capability assessment in the most recent year for which data are available.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh East
	tabling member printed	Sheila Gilmore
	uin	210064
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The average time from receipt of an ESA50 to the completion of face to face work capability assessment (for both Employment and Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit Reassessment), for the period from January 2014 to September 2014, was 102 working days.</p><p> </p><p>Maximus Health and Human Services Ltd. has been awarded the contract to succeed Atos Healthcare from March 2015, to undertake Work Capability Assessments. The priority for MAXIMUS Health and Human Services Ltd will be to transition the service smoothly from the current provider, stabilise the operation to deliver the best service possible for claimants, increase the volume of assessments carried out and reduce waiting times without compromising quality.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to work closely with Atos under the current contract and process claims as quickly as possible.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 17/11/2014 13:23:39 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	3965 label Biography information for Sheila Gilmore

100275

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2014
	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: Payment Methods
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost is to the Government for each transaction for (a) pension payments and (b) benefit payments paid into a (i) Post Office card account, (ii) bank account and (iii) simple payment scheme.
	tabling member constituency	East Lothian
	tabling member printed	Fiona O'Donnell
	uin	211235
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The cost to Government for making payments into a Post Office Card Account are £0.50, into a bank account £0.04497 and by Simple Payment £3.60. These costs are applicable to both pension and benefit payments.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 27/10/2014 14:05:05 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	3964 label Biography information for Fiona O'Donnell

106138

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2014
	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	Jobcentres: Motherwell
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were employed at Motherwell Jobcentre Plus (a) full and (b) part-time in each year since 2012.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Mr Frank Roy
	uin	212909
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The following tables show the number of full-time and part-time employees in Motherwell Jobcentre, Bellshill Jobcentre, and Motherwell Pensions Centre at March 2012, March 2013 and March 2014.</p><p> </p><p>Motherwell Jobcentre</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Period</p></td><td><p>Full time</p></td><td><p>Part time</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2012</p></td><td><p>76</p></td><td><p>37</p></td><td><p>113</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2013</p></td><td><p>62</p></td><td><p>46</p></td><td><p>108</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2014</p></td><td><p>48</p></td><td><p>57</p></td><td><p>105</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Bellshill Jobcentre</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Period</p></td><td><p>Full time</p></td><td><p>Part time</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2012</p></td><td><p>75</p></td><td><p>44</p></td><td><p>119</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2013</p></td><td><p>62</p></td><td><p>42</p></td><td><p>104</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2014</p></td><td><p>46</p></td><td><p>53</p></td><td><p>99</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Motherwell Pensions Centre</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Period</p></td><td><p>Full time</p></td><td><p>Part time</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2012</p></td><td><p>365</p></td><td><p>207</p></td><td><p>572</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2013</p></td><td><p>338</p></td><td><p>221</p></td><td><p>559</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2014</p></td><td><p>296</p></td><td><p>236</p></td><td><p>532</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb grouped question UIN 212910 212911 question first answered 07/11/2014 14:29:10 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	626 label Biography information for Mr Frank Roy

167856

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2014
	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	Employment and Support Allowance: 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, how many people who have been found fit for work following a work capability assessment have reapplied for employment and support allowance within (a) 12, (b) 24 and (c) 36 months.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Teresa Pearce
	uin	217123
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The information as requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 08/12/2014 12:48:54 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	4003 label Biography information for Teresa Pearce

101235

	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	Workplace Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people enrolled under automatic workplace pension schemes have chosen to opt out after (a) six, (b) nine and (c) 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Fareham
	tabling member printed	Mr Mark Hoban
	uin	212140
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The information requested is not available.</p><p> </p><p>Findings from qualitative research with large employers show the overall opt out rate was around 9 per cent. Most individual employers had an opt out rate between 5 and 15 per cent. Opt out is only possible within the opt out window which is one month after being automatically enrolled.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 03/11/2014 15:39:46 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1414 label Biography information for Mr Mark Hoban

101233

	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	Workplace Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who had no prior pension savings have been enrolled under automatic enrolment into workplace pension schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Fareham
	tabling member printed	Mr Mark Hoban
	uin	212139
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The information requested is not available.</p><p> </p><p>The latest information published by The Pensions Regulator shows that over 4.7 million eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension. It is not possible to identify how many of these jobholders had no prior pension savings.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 03/11/2014 15:37:32 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1414 label Biography information for Mr Mark Hoban

93459

	registered interest
	date	15/10/2014
	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	Workplace Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been enrolled under automatic enrolment into workplace pensions scheme since the inception of that scheme.
	tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
	tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
	uin	210625
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The latest information published by the Pensions Regulator on 9 October 2014 showed that more than 33,660 employers have completed the automatic enrolment process and 4.75 million eligible workers have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 20/10/2014 11:45:21 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

91777

	registered interest
	date	12/09/2014
	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	Discretionary Housing Payments
	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 local housing allowance claimants receive discretionary housing payments; what proportion of such claimants on the shared accommodation rate receive discretionary housing payments; and how many such shared accommodation rate claimants who were (a) female, (b) male and (c) persons aged over 25 years receive discretionary housing payments.
	tabling member constituency	Blaydon
	tabling member printed	Mr David Anderson
	uin	209233
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p /> <p>This information is not available.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 13/10/2014 10:32:48 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1486 label Biography information for Mr David Anderson

114950

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2014
	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	Winter Fuel Payment: British Nationals Abroad
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has received on the future of the winter fuel allowance for UK citizens living in mainland France on a state pension; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Mid Dorset and North Poole
	tabling member printed	Annette Brooke
	uin	213491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>We have received correspondence relating to Winter Fuel Payments, to which we have replied.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government intends to bring in an eligibility criterion derived from average winter temperatures with payments going only to eligible people living in EEA countries with cold climates. Legislation will need to be passed before any change can be made.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 10/11/2014 14:24:58 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1431 label Biography information for Annette Brooke

106463

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2014
	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	Widowed Parent's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claimants of the widowed parent's allowance claimed that allowance for less than one year in each year from 2001 to 2014.
	tabling member constituency	North Ayrshire and Arran
	tabling member printed	Katy Clark
	uin	213371
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Widowed Parents’ Allowance (WPA) is one of DWP bereavement benefits and provides financial support to bereaved parents eligible to Child Benefit on behalf of their child. Questions can be answered from analysing data the Department publishes every quarter via the Tabulation Tool – see link: <a href="http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/bb/tabtool_bb.html" target="_blank">http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/bb/tabtool_bb.html</a></p><p> </p><p>For example, in February 2014, about 15% of WPA claimants have been claiming for less than a year and half of them between two and five years; claimants receive on average about £108 per week.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb grouped question UIN 213372 213373 question first answered 11/11/2014 14:48:05 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1590 label Biography information for Baroness Clark of Kilwinning

93375

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	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	Motability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many scooters have been allocated under the mobility element of personal independence payments in the last year.
	tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
	tabling member printed	John Mann
	uin	210519
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2014 answer text <p>Motability is an independent registered charity. The Department works closely with Motability and facilitates the transfer of benefit to Motability on behalf of those claimants who have chosen to join the Motability schemes.</p><p>Responsibility for the charity’s policies and operational strategy falls to the Governors and Director of Motability. Motability is wholly responsible for the administration of the Motability scheme including collating its own management information. Questions about the number of cars and scooters allocated by Motability can be sent to: Declan O'Mahony, Director, Motability, Warwick House, Roydon Road, Harlow, Essex CM19 5PX.</p><p>Information about complaints received about Motability is not available and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper grouped question UIN 210520 210550 question first answered 17/10/2014 10:39:24 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

93376

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2014
	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	Motability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cars have been allocated under the mobility element of personal independence payments in the last year.
	tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
	tabling member printed	John Mann
	uin	210520
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2014 answer text <p>Motability is an independent registered charity. The Department works closely with Motability and facilitates the transfer of benefit to Motability on behalf of those claimants who have chosen to join the Motability schemes.</p><p>Responsibility for the charity’s policies and operational strategy falls to the Governors and Director of Motability. Motability is wholly responsible for the administration of the Motability scheme including collating its own management information. Questions about the number of cars and scooters allocated by Motability can be sent to: Declan O'Mahony, Director, Motability, Warwick House, Roydon Road, Harlow, Essex CM19 5PX.</p><p>Information about complaints received about Motability is not available and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper grouped question UIN 210519 210550 question first answered 17/10/2014 10:39:24 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

166640

	registered interest
	date	27/11/2014
	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	Poverty: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have calculated the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit policy changes announced to date since May 2010.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	uin	HL3231
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government does not produce forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty as the number of children in poverty is dependent on factors which cannot be reliably predicted, such as the median income.</p><p> </p><p>The Government does measure annual child poverty statistics through the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income in the UK have consistently been reported since 1998/99; these are available for each financial year up to 2012/13, the latest period for which estimates are available.</p><p> </p><p>There has been no assessment of the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit changes announced since May 2010. Available survey data does not allow the Government to robustly assess the combined effects of tax and benefit policy on households with children.</p><p> </p><p>However, this Government has taken unprecedented steps to assess the effects of its policy decisions across the distribution of household income, by publishing analysis of the cumulative effects of the tax and welfare measures announced at each fiscal event since the June Budget 2010. The latest analysis can be found in Chapter 2 of the attached report.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL3230 question first answered 11/12/2014 16:55:04 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

157059

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2014
	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	Winter Fuel Payment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2014 to Question 213491, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on amending the eligibility criterion derived from average winter temperatures.
	tabling member constituency	Mid Dorset and North Poole
	tabling member printed	Annette Brooke
	uin	215483
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2014 answer text <p>The Government intends to bring in an eligibility criterion derived from average winter temperatures, with payments going only to eligible people living in EEA countries with cold climates. The regulations establishing Winter Fuel Payments for 2015/16 will include the new eligibility condition. These regulations are made annually under the Social Security Contributions &amp; Benefits Act 1992, and those for winter 2015/16 will be made in the current Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>Since 1 June 2014, we have received two Parliamentary Questions, twenty one items of Ministerial or official correspondence and four Freedom of Information requests relating to the future of Winter Fuel Payments in France. Following the European Court ruling in the Stewart case, Winter Fuel Payments are made to those with a “genuine and sufficient link” to the UK, rather than – as previously – being restricted to those who had previously received a Payment in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb grouped question UIN 215482 question first answered 25/11/2014 12:14:24 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1431 label Biography information for Annette Brooke

91779

	registered interest
	date	12/09/2014
	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	Discretionary Housing Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will provide longer-term discretionary housing payments to those affected by the extension of the shared accommodation rate who have not found suitable alternative accommodation to help with their housing costs.
	tabling member constituency	Blaydon
	tabling member printed	Mr David Anderson
	uin	209262
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2014 answer text <p>The start and end dates of a discretionary housing payment are decided by local authorities on a case by case basis. The Government has allocated extra funding in 2014/15 to give local authorities the confidence to make long-term awards in any cases where they consider this is appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 13/10/2014 11:00:15 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1486 label Biography information for Mr David Anderson

155621

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2014
	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: Banff and Buchan
	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 housing benefit there are in Banff and Buchan constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Banff and Buchan
	tabling member printed	Dr Eilidh Whiteford
	uin	214374
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>This information is published and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a></p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb grouped question UIN 214366 214370 214379 214383 question first answered 17/11/2014 14:51:25 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	3911 label Biography information for Dr Eilidh Whiteford

106464

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2014
	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	Widowed Parent's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average number of years is which claimants of the widowed parent's allowance have received payments for.
	tabling member constituency	North Ayrshire and Arran
	tabling member printed	Katy Clark
	uin	213372
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>Widowed Parents’ Allowance (WPA) is one of DWP bereavement benefits and provides financial support to bereaved parents eligible to Child Benefit on behalf of their child. Questions can be answered from analysing data the Department publishes every quarter via the Tabulation Tool – see link: <a href="http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/bb/tabtool_bb.html" target="_blank">http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/bb/tabtool_bb.html</a></p><p> </p><p>For example, in February 2014, about 15% of WPA claimants have been claiming for less than a year and half of them between two and five years; claimants receive on average about £108 per week.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb grouped question UIN 213371 213373 question first answered 11/11/2014 14:48:05 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1590 label Biography information for Baroness Clark of Kilwinning

106465

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2014
	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	Widowed Parent's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average weekly amount received by claimants of the widowed parent's allowance was in each year from 2001 to 2014.
	tabling member constituency	North Ayrshire and Arran
	tabling member printed	Katy Clark
	uin	213373
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>Widowed Parents’ Allowance (WPA) is one of DWP bereavement benefits and provides financial support to bereaved parents eligible to Child Benefit on behalf of their child. Questions can be answered from analysing data the Department publishes every quarter via the Tabulation Tool – see link: <a href="http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/bb/tabtool_bb.html" target="_blank">http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/bb/tabtool_bb.html</a></p><p> </p><p>For example, in February 2014, about 15% of WPA claimants have been claiming for less than a year and half of them between two and five years; claimants receive on average about £108 per week.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb grouped question UIN 213371 213372 question first answered 11/11/2014 14:48:06 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	1590 label Biography information for Baroness Clark of Kilwinning

43581

	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how disputed child tax credits claims will be managed under the universal credit system.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh West
	tabling member printed	Mike Crockart
	uin	192385
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>Currently the child element will be awarded to the parent with whom the child or qualifying young person normally lives. Where separated parents both share the care of a child or qualifying young person they are expected to jointly nominate which of them has the main responsibility.</p><p>Where parents are unable to come to an agreement themselves, a determination will be made. This will take account of where the child normally lives and who has the main day to day responsibility. </p><p>The proposed approach to Universal Credit was set out in a White Paper &quot;Universal Credit: Welfare that Works&quot; and in draft Regulations upon which a wide range of organisations responded to in the consultation exercise carried out by the Social Security Advisory Committee.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey grouped question UIN 192380 question first answered 24/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
	tabling member	3967 label Biography information for Mike Crockart

43582

	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consultation his Department has had with groups representing separated parents on steps to ensure universal credit makes shared parenting a financially viable option for parents who do not have family-based financial arrangements in place.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh West
	tabling member printed	Mike Crockart
	uin	192380
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>Currently the child element will be awarded to the parent with whom the child or qualifying young person normally lives. Where separated parents both share the care of a child or qualifying young person they are expected to jointly nominate which of them has the main responsibility.</p><p>Where parents are unable to come to an agreement themselves, a determination will be made. This will take account of where the child normally lives and who has the main day to day responsibility. </p><p>The proposed approach to Universal Credit was set out in a White Paper &quot;Universal Credit: Welfare that Works&quot; and in draft Regulations upon which a wide range of organisations responded to in the consultation exercise carried out by the Social Security Advisory Committee.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey grouped question UIN 192385 question first answered 24/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
	tabling member	3967 label Biography information for Mike Crockart

90882

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2014
	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	Written Questions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of named day written questions were answered by his Department within the prescribed period in the (a) 2012-13 session, (b) 2013-14 session and (c) 2014-15 session to date.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
	tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
	uin	208435
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>In the 2014-15 session, as at the end of August 2014, the department had answered 89% of named day questions on the named day</p><p> </p><p>Departmental performance information, for ordinary and named day Parliamentary Questions, is collated by the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons and submitted to the Procedure Committee. This is published on a sessional basis by the committee, and includes evidence regarding departmental performance. The monitoring report relating to the 2012-13 session was published on 13 February 2014 as HC1046. The report covering statistics relating to performance during the 2013-14 session will be published very shortly by the Procedure Committee.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 10/09/2014 12:19:46 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

50373

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2014
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to ensure that a claimant suffers no financial hardship as a result of paperwork lost by a jobcentre.
	tabling member constituency	Alyn and Deeside
	tabling member printed	Mark Tami
	uin	198186
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>In the event of maladministration, the Department provides for a special payment scheme. The scheme is designed to allow us to restore the claimant to the financial position they would have been in, had there been no maladministration. Information about the scheme can be found on gov.uk.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
	tabling member	1383 label Biography information for Mark Tami

57887

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2014
	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	Access to Work Programme
	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 amend the access to work scheme to enable deaf people to employ a full-time salaried support worker.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	198733
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Access to Work programme currently allows for support to be organised in this way if it offers the most cost effective and practical solution and there is clear customer need for that level of support. We are taking a close look at the Access to Work programme over the next three months, focussing on how we can assist the largest number of disabled paople in work. We will incude in that process a consideration of how best to address the needs of customers requiring support for a large number of hours each week on an on-going basis.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 11/06/2014 16:50:29 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

60641

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2014
	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	Children: Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of children in poverty in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow, (c) Scotland and (d) the UK in each year until 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North West
	tabling member printed	John Robertson
	uin	199577
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Government does not produce forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty either locally or nationally. The number of children in poverty is dependent on a number of factors which cannot be reliably predicted, including the median income.</p><p> </p><p>The Government does not believe it is possible to accurately project child poverty to 2020. Poverty projections are rarely accurate. For example, IFS projections in October 2011 suggested the number of children in relative poverty would fall by 100,000 in 2010/11, whereas in fact it fell by 300,000.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 16/06/2014 16:37:54 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
	tabling member	605 label Biography information for John Robertson

79791

	registered interest
	date	30/07/2014
	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	Children: Day Care
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Deighton on 28 July (WA 247) what specific estimates they have made of the expected "positive impact" of the childcare element of Universal Credit on work incentives for mothers and corresponding employment rates and tax receipts from mothers paying income tax and national insurance.
	tabling member printed	Lord Sutherland of Houndwood
	uin	HL1680
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The announced measures mean from April 2016, families with children who have childcare costs below the defined limits will see an improved financial incentive to work and to work more hours.</p><p>Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out many working families will face an improved incentive to work, including 100,000 families who will get childcare support for the first time under Universal Credit. The precise improvement an individual faces will vary according to circumstance.</p><p>We have not made a specific estimate of how this feeds through into employment rates and tax receipts.</p><p><br></p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 11/08/2014 12:29:40 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	2173 label Biography information for Lord Sutherland of Houndwood

90227

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2014
	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: Greater Manchester
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit sanctions on the grounds of (a) not actively seeking employment, (b) refusal of employment, (c) failure to attend a mandatory interview, (d) failure to participate in work-related activity and (e) non-compliance with a Jobseeker's Direction were received by claimants in (i) Denton and Reddish constituency, (ii) Tameside local authority and (iii) Stockport local authority between (A) April 2011 and March 2012 and (B) April 2013 and March 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
	tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
	uin	207769
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The available information as requested is shown in the table below.</p><p> </p><p>Number of adverse benefit sanctions applied in Denton and Reddish parliamentary constituency, Tameside Local Authority, Stockport Local Authority by referral reason:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Denton and Reddish</p></td><td><p>April 2011 to March 2012</p></td><td><p>April 2013 to March 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Failure to attend a mandatory interview</p></td><td><p>390</p></td><td><p>410</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Non-compliance with a Jobseekers Direction</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Not actively seeking employment</p></td><td><p>160</p></td><td><p>520</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Failure to participate in Work-related activity</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>110</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Refusal of employment</p></td><td><p>60</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Stockport</p></td><td><p>April 2011 to March 2012</p></td><td><p>April 2013 to March 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Failure to attend a mandatory interview</p></td><td><p>1,080</p></td><td><p>800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Non-compliance with a Jobseekers Direction</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>70</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Not actively seeking employment</p></td><td><p>430</p></td><td><p>920</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Failure to participate in Work-related activity</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>280</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Refusal of employment</p></td><td><p>150</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tameside</p></td><td><p>April 2011 to March 2012</p></td><td><p>April 2013 to March 2014</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>Failure to attend a mandatory interview</p></td><td><p>1,240</p></td><td><p>1,110</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Non-compliance with a Jobseekers Direction</p></td><td><p>150</p></td><td><p>60</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Not actively seeking employment</p></td><td><p>530</p></td><td><p>1,790</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Failure to participate in Work-related activity</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>280</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Refusal of employment</p></td><td><p>250</p></td><td><p>80</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source (JSA and ESA): DWP Statistical Services: Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database.</p><p>Source (IS): Income Support Computer System</p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest ten.</p><p>2. Data provided is up to March 2014 which is the latest available.</p><p>3. The number of benefit sanctions applied is the number of sanction or disallowance referrals where the decision was found against the claimant for those in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) in the work related activity group, or Income Support (Lone Parents).</p><p>4. The following reasons for referral apply to JSA only: Not actively seeking employment; Refusal of employment; Non-compliance with a Jobseekers Direction.</p><p>5. Refusal of employment is defined as follows: Refusal or failure to apply for, or accept if offered, a job which an employment officer has informed him/her is vacant or about to become vacant without good reason.</p><p>6. Failure to attend a mandatory interview includes: Failure to attend a mandatory interview for ESA claimants, failure to attend/participate in a work focused interview for ISLP claimants and failure to attend an adviser interview for JSA claimants.</p><p>7. Failure to participate in Work-related activity applies to ESA claimants in the work related activity group only.</p><p>8. New sanctions rules came into force for JSA from 22 October 2012 and for ESA from 3 December 2012. The number of JSA sanctions applied for the new regime is the number of low, intermediate, and high level referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. Further information can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-overview-of-sanctions-rules" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-overview-of-sanctions-rules</a></p><p>9. New regulations for ISLP claimants came into force on 28 April 2014.</p><p>An explanation of the full regulations is provided below can be found at: <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1097/contents/made" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1097/contents/made</a></p><p>10. This information for JSA and ESA sanctions is published at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 09/09/2014 12:36:15 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

45379

	registered interest
	date	26/03/2014
	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	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 planned changes to pensions on the investment strategy of the National Employment Savings Trust.
	tabling member constituency	Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
	tabling member printed	Gregg McClymont
	uin	193950
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The investment strategy for the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) is the responsibility of the NEST Trustees who will consider, if in the best interests of their members, there needs to be any change in NEST's investment approach.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 01/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	3949 label Biography information for Gregg McClymont

60464

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2014
	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	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, how many people have made claims for personal independence payment following a stroke in the UK since April 2013; and how many have received a decision from his Department.
	tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
	tabling member printed	Kate Green
	uin	199453
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p> </p><p /> <p>The available data on claims to Personal Independence Payment was published on 5 June 2014 and is available here - <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-official-statistics-june-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-official-statistics-june-2014</a>. Information on the numbers of successful new claimants is available against a range of conditions, including neurological conditions which will include those who have had a stroke. The information is published and can be found at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a></p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: <a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm</a>.</p><p /> <p /> <p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 16/06/2014 15:02:15 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green

89857

	registered interest
	date	29/08/2014
	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: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people with mental health conditions may be refused disability benefits on the grounds that their condition does not require the use of aides.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	uin	207471
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>Eligibility for the two main working age disability benefits – Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – is assessed through two separate assessments. However, common to both is that they look at disabled people as individuals, and do not label them by their health condition, impairment or disability.</p><p>The PIP assessment considers the impact of an individual’s condition on their ability to carry out some key everyday activities. Similarly ESA looks to determine not what condition an individual has but rather how that condition impacts on the individual’s functional capacity to work.</p><p>Both assessments include descriptors which take account of physical, sensory, mental, intellectual and cognitive impairments. Claimants for either benefit – whether with a mental health condition, physical condition or both – will not be refused benefit simply because they do not require an aide, advocate or appointee.</p> answering member constituency Forest of Dean answering member printed Mr Mark Harper question first answered 03/09/2014 14:01:20 answering member 1520 label Biography information for Mr Mark Harper
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

60968

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2014
	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	Personal Independence Payment: North East
	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 personal independence payments claims not made under the special rules for terminally ill people, by claimants resident in (a) Washington and Sunderland West constituency, (b) the Sunderland local authority area and (c) the North East region were successful in each month for which records are available.
	tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
	tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
	uin	199855
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>Information on claims to Personal Independence Payment is only available at national level. Provisional data was published on 5 June 2014 and is available here - <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-official-statistics-june-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-official-statistics-june-2014</a>. Information on the numbers of successful new claimants is available across a range of geographical breakdowns, including Parliamentary constituency. The information is published and can be found at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a> . Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: <strong><a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm</a> </strong></p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning grouped question UIN 199857 question first answered 12/06/2014 15:52:46 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

60969

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2014
	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	Personal Independence Payment: North East
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payments claims, not under the special rules for terminally ill people, have been made by residents of (a) Washington and Sunderland West constituency, (b) the Sunderland local authority area and (c) the North East region in each month for which records are available.
	tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
	tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
	uin	199857
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>Information on claims to Personal Independence Payment is only available at national level. Provisional data was published on 5 June 2014 and is available here - <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-official-statistics-june-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-official-statistics-june-2014</a>. Information on the numbers of successful new claimants is available across a range of geographical breakdowns, including Parliamentary constituency. The information is published and can be found at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a> . Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: <strong><a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm</a> </strong></p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning grouped question UIN 199855 question first answered 12/06/2014 15:52:46 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson