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1183046

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2020
	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	Independent Case Examiner
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the average time taken for claimants to receive a decision from the Independent Case Examiner.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
	tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
	uin	25695
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2020 answer text <p>The table below provides details of the average time taken for complainants to receive a decision from the Independent Case Examiner’s (ICE) Office, in the current reporting year (April 2019 to February 2020).</p><p> </p><p>When the ICE Office accepts a complaint for investigation, it will consider whether it can be resolved by brokering a solution between the complainant and the relevant department or supplier, without having to request evidence to inform an investigation. If the complaint can’t be resolved, the evidence will be requested and the case will await allocation to an Investigation Case Manager (ICM). Cases are dealt with by dedicated teams and are usually brought into investigation in strict date order.</p><p> </p><p>Following an investigation of the evidence the complaint may be settled, if agreement can be reached on actions that satisfy the complainant. If the complaint cannot be settled, the Independent Case Examiner will issue a report detailing findings and any recommendations for redress.</p><p> </p><p>The cases that reach the Independent Case Examiner are the most complex and investigations will not be compromised in order to be completed within certain timescales. We keep people updated about the timings involved with their case and the vast majority of complainants are satisfied with the service they receive.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Description</p></td><td><p>Average time in weeks</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Resolution (from acceptance to case closure)</p></td><td><p>6 weeks (against a target of 8 weeks)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Time taken to allocate case to ICM (from date of acceptance)</p></td><td><p>59 weeks</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Settlement (from allocation to ICM to case closure)</p></td><td><p>8 weeks (against a target of 15 weeks)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>ICE Report (from allocation to ICM to case closure)</p></td><td><p>23.5 weeks (against a target of 20 weeks)</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 13/03/2020 12:07:59 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1178448

	registered interest
	date	13/02/2020
	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	Independent Case Examiner
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, further to her Answer of 14 January 2020 to Question 1734 on the Independent Case Examiner, what the average length of time taken was to (a) commence and (b) complete an investigation into a complaint against her Department in (i) July to September 2019 and (ii) October to December 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	1994
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>The information requested is provided in the table below. In order to provide some context, we have included details of the number of complaints received and accepted for examination by the Independent Case Examiner’s Office in the last two full reporting years.</p><p> </p><p>We want to make sure people can get the support they are entitled to if they have been treated unfairly and are hiring and training new staff as quickly as we can, clearing more complaints last year than in 2017/18.</p><p> </p><p>The cases that reach the Independent Case Examiner are the most complex and investigations will not be compromised in order to be completed within certain timescales.</p><p> </p><p>We keep people updated about the timings involved with their case and the vast majority of complainants are satisfied with the service they receive.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year (April to March)</p></td><td><p>Complaints received</p></td><td><p>Complaints accepted for examination</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>5,885</p></td><td><p>2,784</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>4,824</p></td><td><p>1,299</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Period</p></td><td><p>Average time taken to commence an investigation (from date complaint accepted for examination)</p></td><td><p>Average time taken to complete an investigation (from date case allocated to an investigation case manager)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July - September 2019</p></td><td><p>57 weeks</p></td><td><p>20 weeks</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October - December 2019</p></td><td><p>61 weeks</p></td><td><p>21 weeks</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p /> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 27/04/2020 16:32:46 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies previous answer version 8078 answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1178678

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2020
	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	Independent Case Examiner
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints against (a) the child maintenance service and child support agency and (b) her Department were accepted for investigation by the Independent Case Examiner in each year since 2014-15; and how many of those complaints were not investigated for at least 12 months after they were received.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	15041
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2020 answer text <p>The cases that reach the Independent Case Examiner are the most complex and investigations will not be compromised in order to be completed within certain timescales.</p><p> </p><p>We keep people updated about the timings involved with their case and the vast majority of complainants are satisfied with the service they receive.</p><p> </p><p>The table below provides information on the number of Child Maintenance Service (CMS) and Child Support Agency (CSA) complaints that were received and accepted for investigation by the Independent Case Examiners Office in each year since 2014-15, and the number of cases that took longer than 12 months to conclude, from the date they were accepted for examination.</p><p> </p><p>Please note, we are unable to provide information on the number of cases that waited longer than 12 months for an investigation to commence for each year since 2014-15, and have therefore provided details of those cases that took longer than 12 months to conclude, from the point at which they were accepted for investigation.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year April to March</p></td><td><p>CSA &amp; CMS complaints received</p></td><td><p>CSA &amp; CMS complaints accepted for investigation</p></td><td><p>CSA &amp; CMS complaints cleared</p></td><td><p>Cleared cases that took longer than 12 months to conclude (from date of acceptance)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>1169</p></td><td><p>495</p></td><td><p>490</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>936</p></td><td><p>448</p></td><td><p>352</p></td><td><p>113</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-17</p></td><td><p>869</p></td><td><p>333</p></td><td><p>380</p></td><td><p>279</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017-18</p></td><td><p>896</p></td><td><p>260</p></td><td><p>326</p></td><td><p>279</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018-19</p></td><td><p>1253</p></td><td><p>395</p></td><td><p>342</p></td><td><p>238</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019-20 (to the end of January 2020)</p></td><td><p>1099</p></td><td><p>395</p></td><td><p>233</p></td><td><p>160</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 28/02/2020 15:08:00 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1193704

	registered interest
	date	06/05/2020
	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	Independent Case Examiner
	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 14 January 2020 to Question 1734 on the Independent Case Examiner, what the average length of time taken was to (a) commence and (b) complete an investigation into a complaint against her Department between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	43913
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2020 answer text <p>The cases that reach the ICE Office are the most complex and investigations will not be compromised in order to be completed within certain timescales. Having accepted a complaint for examination, the ICE Office will initially try to broker a solution between the complainant and the relevant department or supplier, without having to request evidence to inform an investigation – this is known as “resolution”. If it’s not possible to resolve the complaint, the evidence will be requested and the case will await allocation to an Investigation Case Manager (ICM). Complainants are kept updated on the progression of their complaint and the vast majority are satisfied with the service they receive.</p><p> </p><p>During the period 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2020, it took the Independent Case Examiner’s Office an average of: 62 weeks to commence an investigation (from the point at which the complaint was accepted for examination); and 18 weeks to complete an investigation (from the point at which it was allocated to an ICM).</p><p> </p><p>The Independent Case Examiner’s Office began the process of recruiting additional ICMs, to help it reduce the time complaints wait to be brought into investigation, prior to the introduction of the Coronavirus lockdown measures. That process will recommence as soon as it is practicable to do so.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 15/05/2020 11:10:12 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1192815

	registered interest
	date	04/05/2020
	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	Independent Case Examiner
	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 27 April 2020 to Question 1994 on the Independent Case Examiner, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Independent Case Examiner's Office reduces the time taken to commence an investigation and allocate that investigation to an investigation case manager.
	tabling member constituency	Edmonton
	tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
	uin	43086
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2020 answer text <p>The Independent Case Examiner’s Office has begun the process of recruiting additional Investigation Case Managers, to help it reduce the time complaints wait to be brought into investigation, prior to the introduction of the Coronavirus lockdown measures.</p><p> </p><p>Due to the unprecedented number of benefit claims received since the start of the pandemic, we have refocused recruitment on staff needed to process and pay claims, taking the difficult decision to pause recruitment to ICE. We will recommence as soon as it is practicable to do so.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 20/05/2020 14:24:23 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies previous answer version 21190 answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor

1169845

	registered interest
	date	09/01/2020
	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	Independent Case Examiner
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Independent Case Examiner’s Annual Report for 2018-19 only includes data on the number of weeks taken for a full investigation to be completed from the date of commencement and not from the date on which the complaint was made.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	1733
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2020 answer text <p>The Independent Case Examiner (ICE) is an Office Holder, appointed under contract to review complaints about DWP and its contracted service providers. In addition to adjudicating on escalated complaints and making case specific findings and recommendations for redress, the ICE looks to identify wider systemic issues associated with service failures: one of their contractual requirements is to report annually on their work to the Permanent Secretary. DWP provides an Office to support the ICE discharge their contractual obligations, but they have no role in the management of that Office or its resources. Their Annual Report therefore has its focus on findings associated with case examinations and outcomes, rather than the wider administration of the ICE Office.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 14/01/2020 16:15:49 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1610327

	registered interest
	date	14/04/2023
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Independent Case Examiner
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Independent Case Examiner is taking steps to reduce the time between a complaint being accepted and the allocation of that complaint to an investigator.
	tabling member constituency	Glenrothes
	tabling member printed	Peter Grant
	uin	180460
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2023 answer text <p>The ICE process has several stages. When a referral is received the team initially considers whether, without undertaking a detailed examination of the evidence, a resolution can be brokered with the relevant department or its supplier. If resolution cannot be achieved, and the complaint is accepted, the case awaits allocation to an investigator who, following a review of the evidence, will first consider if settlement is appropriate. This requires the relevant department or its supplier to agree action with the complainant. Full investigation reports of detailed findings and any recommendations for redress are based on a thorough examination of case evidence.</p><p> </p><p>The ICE office continues to review its internal processes and structures to make the most efficient use of its investigative resource. Between 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023, the office has recruited an additional 18 Investigators and is seeking to recruit up to its agreed headcount.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 19/04/2023 10:15:48 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4466 label Biography information for Peter Grant

1169847

	registered interest
	date	09/01/2020
	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	Independent Case Examiner
	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 length of time taken was by the Independent Case Examiner to (a) begin and (b) complete an investigation into a complaint against her Department in the first six months of 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	1734
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2020 answer text <p>In the first six months of 2019 (January to June 2019) it took the Independent Case Examiner’s Office an average of: 59 weeks to commence an investigation (from the point at which the complaint was accepted for examination); and 23 weeks to complete an investigation (from the point at which it was allocated to an investigation case manager).</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 14/01/2020 16:08:45 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1198356

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2020
	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	Independent Case Examiner
	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 15 May 2020 to Question 43913 on the Independent Case Examiner, how many new Independent Case Examiners were recruited between 1 February 2020 and 31 March 2020 to help reduce the time complaints wait to be brought into investigation.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	51974
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2020 answer text <p>Funding has been made available in the 2020/21 financial year to allow the Independent Case Examiner’s (ICE) Office to help reduce the time complaints wait to be brought into investigation. Its headcount will increase from 89 to 112. The recruitment of additional Investigation Case Managers commenced in February 2020, but was paused following the introduction of the Coronavirus lockdown measures. That pause has now been lifted and the Office is currently concluding the recruitment exercise.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 05/06/2020 13:49:51 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies previous answer version 25872 answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1169844

	registered interest
	date	09/01/2020
	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	Independent Case Examiner
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints regarding quality of service were received by the Independent Case Examiner in 2018-19; and how many of those complaints related to delays in commencing or completing an investigation.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	1732
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2020 answer text <p>During the 2018/19 reporting year the Independent Case Examiner’s Office received 418 complaints about the service it provided; of which 289 concerned delays in commencing or completing an investigation (of those 164 took the form of a standard letter, from those complaining about communications associated with changes to women’s State Pension age).</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 14/01/2020 16:08:09 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali