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1000260

	registered interest
	date	02/11/2018
	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, for what reason the taper that is applied to wages is not applied to pensions in relation to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	187333
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>The taper is the rate at which Universal Credit is reduced to take account of earnings. It is specifically for in work claimants and linked to earnings to incentivise work, and those in work to earn more. Universal Credit has a single taper of 63 per cent so payments reduce in a transparent and predictable way as earnings increase. Universal Credit is a means tested benefit, and income other than earnings, such as pensions, is taken fully into account in the assessment of Universal Credit. This is consistent with how legacy means tested benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support treat pension income. Therefore it would not be consistent to extend the earnings taper to pensions income and doing so would also undermine the incentives to work for people of working age.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 12/11/2018 18:05:06 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1000268

	registered interest
	date	02/11/2018
	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	State Retirement Pensions: Females
	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 November 2018 to Question 185131 on Independent Case Examiner, if she will publish that same information for complaints by women on the equalisation of the state pension age.
	tabling member constituency	Rutherglen and Hamilton West
	tabling member printed	Ged Killen
	uin	187381
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>Individual departments have set up complaints procedures. That approach has not changed under Labour 1997-2010 or successive governments. The DWP has a two tier complaints process which considers formal complaints about our service<strong>. </strong>Once a complainant has exhausted the DWP complaint process they are signposted to the Independent Case Examiner’s Office if they are dissatisfied with the final response to their complaint.</p><p>The Independent Case Examiner is independent, and discusses complaints. The Independent Case Examiner is appointed under contract to adjudicate on escalated complaints about the DWP, and its contracted service providers, in cases where the complainant has exhausted the relevant internal complaints process and remains dissatisfied. If a complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of an I Independent Case Examiner investigation (or the service provided by the Independent Case Examiner) they can ask their Member of Parliament to escalate their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.</p><p>The table below provides details of the number of complaints concerning the equalisation of women’s state pension age, that have been (a) received; (b) accepted for investigation and (c) resolved by the Independent Case Examiner in each month since January 2017 (we have interpreted (c) as a request for the number of concluded complaint examinations).</p><p>At the end of October 2018, there were 865 such cases awaiting a decision on whether the complaint could be accepted for investigation, which explains the drop in the number of cases accepted for investigation since April 2018.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Month</p></td><td><p>Complaints received</p></td><td><p>Complaints accepted for investigation</p></td><td><p>Concluded complaint examinations</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2017</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 2017</p></td><td><p>26</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2017</p></td><td><p>211</p></td><td><p>187</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2017</p></td><td><p>172</p></td><td><p>157</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2017</p></td><td><p>171</p></td><td><p>148</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2017</p></td><td><p>144</p></td><td><p>124</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2017</p></td><td><p>222</p></td><td><p>185</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2017</p></td><td><p>290</p></td><td><p>243</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2017</p></td><td><p>297</p></td><td><p>232</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2017</p></td><td><p>418</p></td><td><p>338</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November 2017</p></td><td><p>320</p></td><td><p>265</p></td><td><p>6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>December 2017</p></td><td><p>222</p></td><td><p>177</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2018</p></td><td><p>314</p></td><td><p>254</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 2018</p></td><td><p>240</p></td><td><p>210</p></td><td><p>28</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2018</p></td><td><p>171</p></td><td><p>132</p></td><td><p>16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2018</p></td><td><p>196</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2018</p></td><td><p>159</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2018</p></td><td><p>147</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2018</p></td><td><p>131</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2018</p></td><td><p>108</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2018</p></td><td><p>101</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2018</p></td><td><p>119</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 12/11/2018 14:57:29 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4672 label Biography information for Ged Killen

1000285

	registered interest
	date	02/11/2018
	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: Muscular Dystrophy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations she has received from claimants of personal independence payment with myotonic dystrophy on personal independence payment assessments; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Gedling
	tabling member printed	Vernon Coaker
	uin	187298
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 5<sup>th</sup> November 2018 to Question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons%2clords&amp;uin=186178" target="_blank"><strong>UIN 186178</strong></a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 12/11/2018 15:04:21 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
	tabling member	360 label Biography information for Lord Coaker

964038

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2018
	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 claimants attempting to make a claim for universal credit have not completed the process due to a failure to agree terms on a Claimant Commitment.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	169034
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2018 answer text <p>The table attached shows the number of Universal Credit Full Service claims that have been closed prior to payment, because of a failure to sign a Claimant Commitment.A Claimant Commitment sets out all the work-related requirements a claimant must meet to receive Universal Credit. If a claim is closed on these grounds, a claimant can appeal if they disagree with the decision.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 13/11/2018 17:15:54 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma attachment 1 file name Claimant Committment information.pdf title Claimant Commitment Information
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

964153

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2018
	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 claims have been closed in each of the last 12 months for which data is available; and what the reasons were for the closure of those claims.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	169050
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2018 answer text <p>The table attached shows the number of claims closed and reason for closure for both new claims prior to payment and claims that were in payment.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 13/11/2018 17:25:24 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma attachment 1 file name Universal Credit claim closurer reasons.pdf title UC Claim Closure Reasons
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

982489

	registered interest
	date	08/10/2018
	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: Private Rented Housing
	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 effect of the introduction of universal credit on the financial sustainability of private sector landlords.
	tabling member constituency	Crewe and Nantwich
	tabling member printed	Laura Smith
	uin	176609
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>There are many complex factors which contribute to and affect the financial sustainability of landlords in this sector. Research carried out by the National Federation of ALMOs shows over three quarters of their tenants come onto Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears.</p><p>Arrears are usually temporary and the majority of claimants do succeed in paying their rent, managing their monthly payments and clearing their arrears over time</p><p>We continually review and improve Universal Credit in response to feedback. In 2018, following Autumn Budget 2017, we have implemented a comprehensive and wide-ranging package of improvements worth £1.5 billion. These include making advances of up to 100% of the indicative award available (from the start of a claim) and increasing the repayment period to 12 months, removing the 7 waiting days, providing an additional payment of 2 weeks of Housing Benefit to support claimants when they transition to Universal Credit, and changing how claimants in temporary accommodation receive support for their housing costs.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/11/2018 16:14:52 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4648 label Biography information for Laura Smith

988881

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2018
	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: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make publish her Department’s calculations of the number of disabled people who will (a) lose benefit funding from the introduction of universal credit and (b) would lose benefit funding but for transitional protection.
	tabling member constituency	Battersea
	tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
	uin	180310
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2018 answer text <p>When fully rolled out, Universal Credit will support low income households with around £62 billion a year across the whole of Great Britain.</p><p> </p><p>More people who are severely disabled will receive higher payments under Universal Credit. The rate in Universal Credit for these claimants is higher at £326 per month (up from £158 per month on the equivalent ESA Support Group). The managed migration regulations, which are currently before Parliament, includes transitional protections to ensure that no one loses out at the point of transition.</p><p> </p><p>This means that around 1 million disabled households will gain on average around £100 more per month on Universal Credit, than on legacy benefits. Within the legacy system there are £2.4bn of unclaimed benefits not taken up by people who need them, because they do not know about them. These Regulations will ensure that 700,000 more households will get paid their full entitlement under Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/12/2018 12:15:53 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

989499

	registered interest
	date	17/10/2018
	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, whether she plans to increase (a) universal and (b) other transitional support to help the transition to universal credit under managed migration.
	tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
	tabling member printed	Neil Gray
	uin	180755
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2019 answer text <p>We will identify those who, during the transition to Universal Credit under managed migration, will require additional support and, equally importantly, what that support should be. As we start to migrate claimants, we will do this in a gradual way, to learn from our approach and adapt it further to ensure it meets the needs of our vulnerable claimants.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit (Managed Migration) 2018 regulations which have been laid before Parliament ensure that those living in temporary and supported accommodation will have access to transitional protection if they are managed migrated. These claimants will remain in receipt of their existing Housing Benefit while they continue to live in this form of accommodation and, therefore, no support paid for housing will be taken into account when considering if transitional protection should be awarded. This transitional protection is dependent on the Managed Migration regulations receiving Parliamentary approval.</p><p> </p><p>As announced in the 2018 Autumn Budget, the income related elements of Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker’s Allowance, and Income Support will continue for two weeks after a claim for Universal Credit has been made from July 2020. Claimants will therefore receive one two week run-on payment when being migrated to Universal Credit. Both of these measures are subject to parliamentary approval. These payments are in addition to the 2 week run-on of Housing Benefit to support claimants when they transition to Universal Credit, which we introduced in April 2018.</p><p><em> </em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 07/01/2019 16:15:27 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

990322

	registered interest
	date	18/10/2018
	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: Staff
	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 has taken to offer more hours to employees of her Department who are in receipt of universal credit; and how many employees of her Department in receipt of universal credit have secured such extra hours in order to comply with conditionality requirements.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	181309
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>DWP employees claiming Universal Credit have no obligation to inform DWP they are on any benefit and DWP policy is clear that employees claiming benefits will not be treated more or less favourably than other staff.</p><p> </p><p>All requests for an increase in working hours are considered and agreed at a local level. Such requests will be handled in the same way regardless of the fact the employee is a Universal Credit claimant. Similarly, we keep no separate data as to whether requests for increase in hours are from employees on benefits or not. The fact that employees claim benefits has no bearing on the business decisions of DWP at organisational or individual level.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants who are in work with earnings above the Administrative Earnings Threshold are not currently expected to undertake any mandatory activity. Therefore there is currently no conditionality requirement.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/11/2018 12:08:32 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 80410 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

992670

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2018
	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, if she will extend universal credit transitional protection to people (a) whose eligibility for support has recently changed, (b) living in temporary and supported accommodation and (c) affected by the benefit cap.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North East
	tabling member printed	Mr Paul Sweeney
	uin	182223
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2018 answer text <p>Natural migration to Universal Credit occurs when a claimant experiences a change in their circumstances and they are required to make a new claim to Universal Credit. This new award is calculated based on claimants’ new circumstances, which ensures they are paid the correct amount. As such, they are not eligible for transitional protection which is designed to ensure that those moved without a change in circumstances do not lose out financially.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit (Managed Migration) 2018 regulations which have been laid before Parliament ensure that those living in temporary and supported accommodation will have access to transitional protection if they are managed migrated. These claimants will remain in receipt of their existing Housing Benefit while they continue to live in this form of accommodation and, therefore, no support paid for housing will be taken into account when considering if transitional protection should be awarded. This transitional protection is dependent on the Managed Migration regulations receiving Parliamentary approval.</p><p> </p><p>When claimants are migrated to Universal Credit the comparison of total legacy benefit and Universal Credit will be calculated once the benefit cap has been applied to both amounts. The benefit cap rules continue to apply so Universal Credit claimants will not receive above the level of the benefit cap unless they meet one of the exemption criteria. Households who are exempt from the Benefit Cap, including those who earn at least £542 a month, will be unaffected.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 03/12/2018 16:02:20 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4642 label Biography information for Mr Paul Sweeney