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1146693

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Food Banks
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Government plans to publish its report into the factors driving the use of food banks.
	tabling member constituency	Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford
	tabling member printed	Yvette Cooper
	uin	291234
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The Department is currently working on the literature review and a release date is yet to be determined.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 01/10/2019 13:47:23 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	420 label Biography information for Yvette Cooper

1182614

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2020
	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	Local Housing Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of local housing allowance rates in (a) the London Borough of Lewisham, (b) London and (c) England.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	25160
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2020 answer text <p>Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum financial support available for renters in the private rented sector. In response to COVID-19, this Department has increased LHA rates to the 30<sup>th</sup> percentile of local market rents from April for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants, giving additional financial support for private renters.</p><p> </p><p>All LHA rates are now at the 30<sup>th</sup> percentile including those in the London Borough of Lewisham, with the exception of 15 LHA rates in Central and Inner London where the national maximum caps continue to apply. The national caps have also been increased and are now based on the Outer London LHA rate plus 20%.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 01/05/2020 13:42:10 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1188304

	registered interest
	date	20/04/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional resources her Department is allocating to ensure the timely processing of new claims for universal credit during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	37774
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2020 answer text <p>The Department is doing all we can to deal with exceptional levels of demand. Our priority is ensuring people get their benefit payments and that we can continue to support those who need them most. The Department has mobilised robust business continuity plans to ensure we can do just that. We are already redeploying 10,000 staff from other parts of DWP and are also recruiting additional staff to assist with the processing of claims, including support from other government departments and the private sector.</p><p> </p><p>We have also introduced new processes to ease pressure on waiting times for identity verification over the phone and other processes. People making new claims for Universal Credit no longer need to call the Department as part of the process. Once they have completed their online application we will call them if we need to check any of the information they have given us</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit system is facing extraordinary pressures exerted by the unprecedented volume of new claims, but it is standing up to this challenge. The agility of the system means that capacity can be built rapidly and this has enabled it to cope in the face of demand which would have overwhelmed the complex legacy benefit regime.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 28/04/2020 16:40:28 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1188389

	registered interest
	date	20/04/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit: Students
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government plans to extend eligibility for universal credit to full-time students in higher education during the covid-19 pandemic.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	37828
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2020 answer text <p>Students who do not ordinarily have entitlement to Universal Credit (UC) and who receive a maintenance loan or grant through the student finance system, will continue to be able to draw upon this financial support until the end of this academic year.</p><p>Those who do not receive student finance and who would ordinarily not have entitlement to UC, such as those undertaking a part-time course which would otherwise not be considered as compatible with the requirements for them to look for and be available for work, will have entitlement to UC. We have disapplied UC and both legacy and new style JSA work preparation, work search and availability requirements and related sanctions. This will initially be for a three-month period. After three months, consideration will be given as to whether a further extension is required.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 30815 34925 question first answered 23/04/2020 15:37:16 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1196329

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2020
	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: Underpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the under-payment errors in benefits.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	47373
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2020 answer text <p>The Department understands the importance of paying the right money to each of its customers and will continue to tackle the causes of underpayments, as part of the wider approach to ensure claimants are paid the amount that they are entitled to.</p><p> </p><p>The majority of underpayments arise through claimants failing to correctly report their circumstances to the Department. We work hard to make it as easy as possible for claimants to understand their obligations.</p><p> </p><p>We also make use of data matching which allows us to identify potential discrepancies in claims. This allows us to ensure these claims are updated, and that claimants receive their correct entitlement.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Department is focused on reducing Departmental error. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, the Department’s Quality Assurance Team reviewed a sample of all cases to help better understand the cause of Departmental error and identify the highest risk errors so action could be taken. However, in order to deal with the significant increase in the number of claims being made for Universal Credit and other benefits, many of these staff were redeployed to support benefit paying operations. This work will recommence as soon as resources allow.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 20/05/2020 17:05:36 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1197518

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2020
	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: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what mitigation her Department has put in place to ensure that hospital stays during the covid-19 outbreak period do not affect a person's benefits.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	49768
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>When a person aged 18 or over is admitted to hospital, any benefits and allowances they are receiving continue to be paid for 28 days.</p><p> </p><p>At that stage, payment of certain benefits and additions may be suspended on the basis that the NHS is responsible for the person’s disability-related extra costs and to pay certain benefits in addition would be a duplication of public funds intended for the same purpose. Provided the person’s circumstances are unchanged, payment of the benefits and additions in question are reinstated as soon as the person is discharged. There is no need for the person to re-apply for the benefits.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/06/2020 12:31:35 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1176168

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have moved into employment since the roll out-of universal credit in each year for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Chelmsford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Ford
	uin	12440
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2020 answer text <p>The latest caseload data shows Universal Credit is supporting 2.8 million claimants across the country to more easily start work and access smoother incentives, such as the work allowance and taper, to increase hours. We have scrapped the cliff edges and complicated hours’ rules of the legacy benefit system to ensure claimants have flexibility to access the opportunities offered in the labour market.</p><p> </p><p>There are a record number of people in work at 32.9 million – up by over 3.8 million since 2010. During August 2019 and September 2019, the latest information available, just over 200,000 Universal Credit claimants have succeeded in getting into jobs.</p><p> </p><p>Monthly information surrounding the volumes of Universal Credit claimants who have moved into work is shown in the table below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2019/20</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>April</strong></p></td><td><p>320</p></td><td><p>5,150</p></td><td><p>25,000</p></td><td><p>79,900</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>May</strong></p></td><td><p>550</p></td><td><p>5,900</p></td><td><p>26,800</p></td><td><p>87,400</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>June</strong></p></td><td><p>650</p></td><td><p>6,310</p></td><td><p>29,200</p></td><td><p>81,600</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>July</strong></p></td><td><p>1,010</p></td><td><p>6,500</p></td><td><p>31,600</p></td><td><p>87,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>August</strong></p></td><td><p>1,290</p></td><td><p>7,630</p></td><td><p>38,900</p></td><td><p>94,200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>September</strong></p></td><td><p>1,890</p></td><td><p>10,100</p></td><td><p>47,300</p></td><td><p>106,300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>October</strong></p></td><td><p>2,150</p></td><td><p>10,800</p></td><td><p>52,600</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>November</strong></p></td><td><p>2,600</p></td><td><p>11,700</p></td><td><p>59,900</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>December</strong></p></td><td><p>2,320</p></td><td><p>9,600</p></td><td><p>44,300</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>January</strong></p></td><td><p>3,230</p></td><td><p>14,700</p></td><td><p>61,400</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>February</strong></p></td><td><p>3,940</p></td><td><p>16,600</p></td><td><p>68,800</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>March</strong></p></td><td><p>5,070</p></td><td><p>22,100</p></td><td><p>84,200</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p>1. Figures are for Universal Credit Full Service only</p><p>2. Figures are at household level. In some cases both members of a household may have entered work in the same month, but only one job entry would be counted in our response.</p><p>3. Figures are based upon situations when a household reports no earnings in one Assessment Period but then has earnings in the next.</p><p>4. Self-employed jobs are not included in the table.</p><p>5. Figures also include instances of a household moving out of work and at a later date moving back into work.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/02/2020 11:53:21 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford

1129599

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Ministerial Policy Advisers
	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 1 April 2019 to Question 237786 on Department for Work and Pensions: Ministerial Policy Advisers, for what reason her Department has no plans to publish the number of alleged breaches of the Special Advisers’ Code of Conduct by her Department's Special Advisers in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	260085
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not routinely publish this information.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/06/2019 11:33:22 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1131000

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Ministerial Policy Advisers
	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 June 2019 to Question 260085 on Department for Work and Pensions: Ministerial Policy Advisers, for what reason her Department does not routinely publish the number of alleged breaches of the Special Advisers’ Code of Conduct by her Department's Special Advisers.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	262446
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>In line with standard departmental practice, we are mindful of our data protection obligations when considering what information should be part of our publication scheme.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 13/06/2019 11:53:26 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1138864

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of enabling childcare costs to be paid directly to providers through universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	277240
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government recently submitted its response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s follow-up report into Universal Credit: Childcare which sets out an assessment of the position in relation to payments direct to childcare providers. The response will be published in due course.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is paid in a single monthly amount directly into people’s bank accounts, giving them control over their own money and making the move into work easier.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to supporting parents with moving into work and, as part of this, we have increased the level of support for childcare costs from 70 per cent in legacy benefits to up to 85 per cent in Universal Credit. The Universal Credit childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes free childcare hours and tax free childcare. This offer means that reasonable childcare costs should not form a barrier to work.</p><p> </p><p>Where upfront childcare costs or deposits may prevent a claimant from starting work, jobcentres will use the Flexible Support Fund to support the transition into work. When parents have good reason for late reporting of their childcare costs, the Department is piloting a more flexible approach to enable parents to be reimbursed at a later point.</p><p> </p><p>Since February 2018, Universal Credit claimants have been able to upload digital copies of their childcare cost receipts or invoices through their online Universal Credit account.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 18/07/2019 15:39:49 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq