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1138152

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2019
	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	Social Security Benefits: Fraud
	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 protect the rights and identities of benefit claimants from people making fraudulent claims using other people's identities.
	tabling member constituency	Preston
	tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
	uin	275683
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>Most welfare losses, across Government, arise from a failure to report changes of circumstances. Universal Credit provides a single, digital interface through which claimants can more easily report these changes. As such, once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, we expect cross-welfare losses to fraud, error and overpayments to be reduced by around £1 billion.</p><p> </p><p>The Department takes benefit fraud very seriously and is committed to taking appropriate action. We have a dedicated team of investigators working on this issue and are working with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that, where appropriate, the perpetrators of this fraud are prosecuted. Prosecutions for benefit fraud can result in prison sentences.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has been working to improve knowledge and awareness of advances fraud amongst Jobcentre and Service Centre staff. Guidance has also been issued to ensure that staff are aware how to refer cases of suspected fraud to the Department’s fraud team.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 19/07/2019 12:20:02 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

1138180

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2019
	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: Fraud
	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 8 July 2019 to Question 272738, what recourse is available to a member of a joint claim whose partner has deliberately prevented them from being made aware of a universal credit advance; and in what circumstances a member of a joint claim who was unaware of an advance of universal credit is no longer liable for repaying that advance.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	275668
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>Both members of a couple are given individual notice at the time of taking out the advance, via their Universal Credit (UC) journal, which includes the amount of the advance and of their liability to repay the advance. They will also be alerted individually to this UC Journal entry via the contact details provided for each claimant.</p><p> </p><p>The Department will consider all reported cases on their own merits and decisions are made on the strength of any evidence provided.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 19/07/2019 12:06:59 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1138379

	registered interest
	date	11/07/2019
	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	Poverty: Children
	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 been made of the number of children living in poverty that have at least one parent in work.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	276232
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>National statistics on the number of children in low income households are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. The latest statistics show that 1.7m children in households where at least one adult works are in 'before housing cost absolute poverty', and 2.5m are in 'after housing cost absolute poverty'.</p><p> </p><p>These statistics can be found using the link below, in table 4.20ts, in the file “children-hbai-timeseries-1994-95-2017-18-tables”.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 19/07/2019 12:30:00 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1138380

	registered interest
	date	11/07/2019
	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	Poverty: Children
	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 make an assessment of the effect of the increase in the gig economy on levels of child poverty.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	276233
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>National statistics on child poverty are published annually in the “Households Before Average Income” publication. These statistics do not separate households based on their employment in the gig economy and therefore do not make an assessment of the effect of the gig economy on levels of child poverty.</p><p> </p><p>Overall, 18 percent of children are in 'before housing costs absolute poverty' and 26 percent of children are in after housing costs absolute poverty. 'Before housing cost absolute poverty' is down by 1 percentage point since 2009/10 and after housing costs absolute poverty is down by 2 percentage points since 2009/10. The number of children in 'before housing cost absolute poverty' is unchanged since 2009/10 and has fallen by 100,000 for after housing cost absolute poverty.</p><p> </p><p>These statistics can be found using the link below, in table 4.2ts, in the file “children-rends-hbai-1994-95-2017-18-tables.ods”.</p><p /><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718</a></p><p> </p><p>Advances in technology and the rise of the gig economy have increased opportunities for people to work more flexibly. While we welcome these opportunities, they cannot be at the expense of workers’ rights. That is why the Prime Minister commissioned Matthew Taylor to undertake his review of Modern Working Practices, and why the Government is taking the decisive action set out in the Good Work Plan to address his recommendations.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 19/07/2019 12:39:19 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1138385

	registered interest
	date	11/07/2019
	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	Universities Superannuation Scheme
	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 an assessment of claims that the Universities Superannuation Scheme exaggerated its budget deficit in November 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
	tabling member printed	Darren Jones
	uin	276269
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>It is not appropriate for Government to comment on individual cases, which are a matter for the independent Pensions Regulator.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 19/07/2019 12:19:41 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1138410

	registered interest
	date	11/07/2019
	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	State Retirement Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the increases in state pension for 2019-20 were calculated; and for what reasons pensioners reaching the age of 80 are awarded an increase of 25 pence in 2019-20.
	tabling member constituency	Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
	tabling member printed	Lesley Laird
	uin	276270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>As a result of the Triple Lock, from April 2019, the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is around £675 higher than if it had just been up-rated by earnings since April 2010. That’s a rise of over £1,600 in cash terms.</p><p /><p>The Government is committed to ensuring economic security for people at every stage of their life, including during retirement. We are forecast to spend over £120 billion on benefits for pensioners in 2019/20. This includes £99 billion of expenditure on the State Pension.</p><p> </p><p>In 2019/20, the basic State Pension and the new State Pension (apart from Protected Payments) were both uprated by 2.6%. This was in line with the Triple Lock guarantee that these will rise by the highest of average earnings growth, price inflation, or 2.5%. In 2019/20 the highest measure was earnings growth at 2.6%. The full basic State Pension went up by £3.25 to £129.20 a week whilst the full rate of the new State Pension rose by £4.25 to £168.60 a week.</p><p> </p><p>Protected Payments, Additional State Pension and Graduated Retirement Benefit elements are uprated each year by the increase in prices. They rose by 2.4% (CPI) in 2019/20.</p><p> </p><p>The 25p age addition to contributory and non-contributory retirement pensions is paid with the State Pension when individuals reach age 80. It is a separate issue from the uprating process outlined above. When the age addition was first introduced in 1971 the value of the basic State Pension for a single person was £6 per week and the amount of 25p constituted a more substantial sum in relation to the total State Pension than it does nowadays in relation to the current basic State Pension of £129.20 a week.</p><p> </p><p>Although there are no plans to uprate the age addition amount, this should be considered alongside the range of other measures and benefits, including Pension Credit, that are available to pensioners, over age 80. Moreover, people who are aged 80 and over receive a Winter Fuel Payment of £300, instead of the standard Winter Fuel Payment of £200 for pensioners below that age. Additionally, the non-contributory Category D State Pension is available to those aged over 80 with either no entitlement to a basic State Pension or who are entitled to State Pension of less than £77.45 per week who meet the residency conditions.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 19/07/2019 12:29:42 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4660 label Biography information for Lesley Laird

1138459

	registered interest
	date	11/07/2019
	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: Payments
	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 claims for universal credit were made using the bank account details of the main carer in each of the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	276273
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 19/07/2019 11:25:22 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1138521

	registered interest
	date	11/07/2019
	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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
	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 establish a nationally funded local welfare assistance scheme similar to the former Discretionary Social Fund; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	276140
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>The reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 allowed local authorities in England and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales to deliver their own local provision for people who are in need of urgent help. Local authorities are best placed to decide how to target flexible help to support local welfare needs. The Government has no further plans to review this provision.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 19/07/2019 12:38:18 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1138080

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Help to Save Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase awareness of the Help to Save scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Brigg and Goole
	tabling member printed	Andrew Percy
	uin	275728
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government promotes Help to Save through established channels such as the Tax Credits digital service and stakeholders including the Money and Pensions Service and StepChange.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, HMRC has publicised Help to Save through social media, which generated coverage in national, regional and consumer publications.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC continuously reviews how best to maximise take-up of the scheme.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen question first answered 19/07/2019 12:01:22 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
	tabling member	3939 label Biography information for Andrew Percy

1138116

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Tax Avoidance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Lords Economic Affairs Sub-Committee report, The Powers of HMRC: Treating Taxpayers Fairly, HL Paper 242, published on 4 December 2018, for what reason the Government’s response did not answer paragraph 70 on the Loan Charge; when he plans respond to the points raised in that paragraph on the culpability of employers who directed people to use Disguised Remuneration schemes; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	275726
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have not seen evidence of individuals being forced to use a DR scheme. HMRC will consider the details of each case, but individuals are responsible for their own tax affairs, for disclosing their tax affairs to HMRC, and for paying the right tax. Employers cannot dictate what someone puts on their tax return.</p><p> </p><p>The Government responded in detail to each of the individual recommendations made by the Lords Economic Affairs Sub-Committee. The response is online at: <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/economic-affairs/Govt%20HMRC%20Powers%20report%2022%20Jan%202019%20.pdf" target="_blank">www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/economic-affairs/Govt%20HMRC%20Powers%20report%2022%20Jan%202019%20.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 19/07/2019 13:12:04 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas