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45739

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many complaints about Atos Healthcare have been submitted or received through the Department for Work and Pensions, per year, since the commencement of the service provision contract.
	tabling member printed	Lord Morrow
	uin	HL6388
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department does not hold central records on the number of complaints received in regards to Atos Healthcare, this information could only be collated at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 01/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	3795 label Biography information for Lord Morrow

45726

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pensioners received winter fuel payments in each of the parliamentary constituencies in the city of Manchester in (1) 2010–11, (2) 2011–12, and (3) 2012–13.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL6375
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The information is available: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/winter-fuel-payments-caseload-and-household-figures" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/winter-fuel-payments-caseload-and-household-figures</a></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 31/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

43310

	registered interest
	date	17/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many persons received housing benefit in each of the last 10 years, broken down into those who were (1) pensioners, (2) of working age but not in employment, and (3) in work.
	tabling member printed	Lord Whitty
	uin	HL6063
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>Detailed statistics on Housing Benefit since 2008 can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a></p><p> </p><p>This includes the number of Housing Benefit (HB) recipients who a) are living in social or private rented accommodation b) those who are in employment and not on a passported benefit and c) those in receipt of HB by age. </p><p> </p><p>Please note: the economic status of all HB recipients is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The information is only available for HB recipients whose claim is not passported: that is for those who do not receive Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance (Income-Based), Employment and Support Allowance (Income-Based), or Pension Credit (Guaranteed Credit).</p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><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>Housing Benefit caseload by working age / pension age split prior to 2008 can be found in table 2c of the publication, Outturn and forecast: Autumn Statement 2013 available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2013" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2013</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL6066 HL6067 question first answered 24/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	2444 label Biography information for Lord Whitty

50280

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2014
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many staff were employed at Jobcentre Plus in each year from 2005 to 2013.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL6998
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The total number of staff employed by Jobcentre Plus in March of each year from 2005 to 2011 is shown in the table below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><p>Jobcentre Plus Staffing (Full Time Equivalents)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2004/2005</p></td><td><p>73,406</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2005/2006</p></td><td><p>71,222</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006/2007</p></td><td><p>67,946</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007/2008</p></td><td><p>66,416</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008/2009</p></td><td><p>69,479</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/2010</p></td><td><p>82,647</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/2011</p></td><td><p>72,939</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Jobcentre Plus was re-structured and absorbed into a revised Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Operations structure in October 2011. Since that point, it has no longer existed as a separate organisation.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

44598

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the recovery of benefits through the Mesothelioma Support Scheme will yield; and what assurances they can give that some of this money will be spent on research for a cure for mesothelioma.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL6255
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2014 answer text <p>Benefit and lump sum payments that were made in respect of mesothelioma will be recovered from the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS) payment in the same way as they would be recovered from other compensation payments. The latest Impact Assessment for the DMPS dated 10 March 2014 estimates that the recovery of benefits in the first 10 years of the Scheme, to 31 March 2024, will be £72m.</p><p> </p><p>The issue of research is not directly a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions; however we have worked closely with the Department of Health to make progress in this area. This work has included setting up a partnership to identify mesothelioma research priorities which will lead to the National Institute for Health Research turning priorities into fundable research questions and to encourage applications from the research community. In addition the National Cancer Research Institute has a workshop planned on 02 May 2014 to discuss and develop new proposals for mesothelioma studies. The Government has established robust systems to ensure that funding is provided to the highest quality research bids. The work that the Department of Health is taking forward will support researchers in producing these bids and ensure that funding is allocated in a way that best supports sufferers of this terrible condition.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 01/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

47775

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how they ensure that claimants of benefits who are subject to sanctions know that they may apply for hardship payments; and what is the median time between such applications being made and cash payments being received.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL6723
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>Where a benefit doubt is identified and the case is being referred to a decision maker, claimants are given information (verbally and in writing) about the doubt in question, what happens next, what they can do if a sanction is applied and the availability of hardship provision. Once a decision is made and a sanction applied, a formal notification is issued to the claimant, which includes information about how to apply for hardship.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not record information about the length of time it takes to make a Hardship payment following receipt of an application.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 16/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

46429

	registered interest
	date	01/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee's report (HL Paper 157) on the Housing Benefit (Habitual Residence) Amendment Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/539) noting that the measure was announced by the Prime Minister in the Financial Times, and that no consultation followed; and what steps they will take to prevent future practice of that kind and to ensure that measures are announced by the appropriate Secretary of State.
	tabling member printed	Lord Stoddart of Swindon
	uin	HL6526
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department for Work and Pensions has noted the report of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee. The Prime Minister covered a strategy to manage several aspects of migration at a national and international level. This inevitably engaged the work of a large number of Government Departments simultaneously. Follow up details have been announced by the relevant Secretaries of State. In particular, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced the detail as to how and when this Department would implement the measures to restrict access to Housing Benefit for EEA jobseekers in January 2014.</p><p> </p><p>Officials have engaged with a wide range of parties on the detail of policy and implementation since January. Although urgency procedures were used with both the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) and the Local Authority Associations (LAAs), the draft proposals were informally discussed with SSAC at their 5th March meeting <a href="http://ssac.independent.gov.uk/meetings/" target="_blank">http://ssac.independent.gov.uk/meetings/</a>. There has also been constructive engagement with Local Authorities on the detail of implementation and new procedures to be adopted. The Department will continue this engagement to monitor the implications and operation of this measure, including through formal SSAC consultation, which was announced on 7 April 2014 following formal referral to them on 2 April 2014. <a href="http://ssac.independent.gov.uk/news/press-releases/07-04-14.pdf" target="_blank">http://ssac.independent.gov.uk/news/press-releases/07-04-14.pdf</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 08/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	950 label Biography information for Lord Stoddart of Swindon

44615

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for large occupational defined benefit pension schemes to be active owners or stewards of their assets, in line with the definition of stewardship as highlighted in the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code.
	tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
	uin	HL6272
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Government supports the principles set out in the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) UK Stewardship Code including schemes becoming active stewards of their investments and reporting on that stewardship. The Code sets out a number of areas of good practice to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire, and operates on a 'comply or explain' basis. It includes guidance for pension schemes and other asset owners on steps they can take to protect and enhance the value that accrues to the ultimate beneficiary. The FCA requires UK authorised asset managers to report on whether or not they apply the Code.</p><p> </p><p>The UK stewardship code is voluntary, however we would encourage workplace pensions schemes to comply with the principles set out in the code. In addition we are developing governance standards of workplace defined contribution schemes, and have asked the Law Commission to investigate how fiduciary duties currently apply in the investment chain. The Pensions Regulator's defined contribution Code of Practice also sets out the legal requirements and standards they expect trustees of defined contribution schemes to attain. This includes a section on investment which also references the FRC Stewardship code. These initiatives are part of our on-going work to ensure schemes are governed and administered to deliver in members' interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL6270 HL6271 question first answered 31/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

44614

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for large occupational defined contribution pension schemes to be active owners or stewards of their assets, in line with the definition of stewardship as outlined in the Financial Reporting Council's Stewardship Code.
	tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
	uin	HL6271
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p /> <p>The Government supports the principles set out in the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) UK Stewardship Code including schemes becoming active stewards of their investments and reporting on that stewardship. The Code sets out a number of areas of good practice to which the FRC believes institutional investors should aspire, and operates on a 'comply or explain' basis. It includes guidance for pension schemes and other asset owners on steps they can take to protect and enhance the value that accrues to the ultimate beneficiary. The FCA requires UK authorised asset managers to report on whether or not they apply the Code.</p><p> </p><p>The UK stewardship code is voluntary, however we would encourage workplace pensions schemes to comply with the principles set out in the code. In addition we are developing governance standards of workplace defined contribution schemes, and have asked the Law Commission to investigate how fiduciary duties currently apply in the investment chain. The Pensions Regulator's defined contribution Code of Practice also sets out the legal requirements and standards they expect trustees of defined contribution schemes to attain. This includes a section on investment which also references the FRC Stewardship code. These initiatives are part of our on-going work to ensure schemes are governed and administered to deliver in members' interests.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL6270 HL6272 question first answered 31/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

49812

	registered interest
	date	06/05/2014
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial impact on people on low incomes of uprating most cash benefits and tax credits by one per cent from April 2013 rather than in line with inflation.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	uin	HL6828
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>For 2013/14, the main rates of working-age benefits, statutory payments and tax credits were up-rated by one per cent in the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2013. The Welfare Benefits Up-rating Act 2013 provided for the one per cent increase to apply for 2014/15 and 2015/16. Both of these were accompanied by Impact Assessments.</p><p> </p><p>As part of his ongoing public sector equality duty under the Equality Act 2010 to monitor impacts on ‘protected groups', the Secretary of State continues to monitor the impacts of the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Act 2013 in light of any changes to the underlying rate of inflation. The underlying rate of inflation for increases in 2014/15 is similar to that forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility and used in the Impact Assessment. It is therefore likely that the impacts on affected households will be broadly similar to those detailed in the Impact Assessment.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans