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1701765

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	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	Employment: Visual Impairment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of economically active individuals there were (a) in total and (b) with self-reported sight problems in England in 2022-23.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol South
	tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
	uin	22322
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>The information requested can be found in the table below.</p><p><strong>Labour market status by main or secondary long-term health condition,</strong></p><p><strong> 16 to 64, England, 2022/23</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Labour market status</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Difficulty in seeing</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>35,038,400</p></td><td><p>487,200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Economically active</p></td><td><p>27,551,700</p></td><td><p>238,800</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: Annual Population Survey (APS) – unpublished</p><p>Notes:</p><p>Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100.</p><ul><li>Numbers are central estimates and subject to sampling variation. The precision of these estimates will be limited by sample size.</li><li>Annual Population Survey data has not been reweighted to incorporate the latest estimates of the size and composition of the UK population.</li><li>Figures for ‘Difficulty in seeing’ are unpublished but are a variation of those contained within: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-employment-of-disabled-people-2023" target="_blank">The employment of disabled people 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></li></ul> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/04/2024 14:17:40 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1701023

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Cost of Living Payments: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the ending Disability Cost of Living Payments on people with disabilities.
	tabling member constituency	Stockport
	tabling member printed	Navendu Mishra
	uin	21862
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to extend the Disability Cost of Living Payments past the 2023/24 round. Cost of Living Payments enabled us to target further support quickly during the rising cost of living pressures.</p><p> </p><p>As of March 2024, the rate of inflation has slowed, and the Government has also implemented uprating to other benefits to reflect increased costs.</p><p> </p><p>An evaluation of the Cost of Living Payments is underway. This will seek to understand their effectiveness as a means of support for low-income and vulnerable households.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 18/04/2024 10:35:03 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4811 label Biography information for Navendu Mishra

1701078

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Employment and Support Allowance
	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 potential merits of increasing the permitted working hours criteria for Employment and Support Allowance.
	tabling member constituency	Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
	tabling member printed	Drew Hendry
	uin	21711
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>There are currently no plans to increase the permitted work hours limit. The ESA permitted work rules strike a balance between encouraging claimants to build their confidence, undertake some part-time paid work, and plan a gradual move to sustained employment, while continuing to receive benefit. The permitted work earnings limit is reviewed annually and uprated in line with the National Living Wage.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 18/04/2024 10:23:52 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4467 label Biography information for Drew Hendry

1701148

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance: Newport West
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he has made an assessment of the potential benefits to carers in Newport West of increasing the Carer's Allowance to £93 a week.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	21829
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>This Government continues to protect the value of benefits paid to carers whilst also spending record amounts in real terms.</p><p> </p><p>The level of Carer’s Allowance is protected by uprating it each April in line with inflation as measured by the CPI for the previous September. The purpose of benefit uprating is to ensure that the value of benefits stays in line with the general level of prices. From April 2024, the Carer’s Allowance payment was increased to £81.90. Since 2010, the rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased from £53.90 to £81.90 a week, providing an additional £1,500 a year for carers.</p><p> </p><p>Real terms expenditure on Carer’s Allowance in 2024/25 is forecast to be £4.1 billion. Between 2024/25 and 2028/29 real terms expenditure on Carer’s Allowance is forecast to rise by 12% - around £500 million. By 2028/29, the Government is forecast to spend just over £4.5 billion a year on Carer’s Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>As well as Carer’s Allowance, carers have access to the full range of social security benefits. For example, carers on Universal Credit can receive around an additional £2,400 a year through the Carer Element.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/04/2024 14:26:20 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1700263

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance
	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 potential merits of increasing the earnings threshold for Carer's Allowance in-line with the National Living Wage for financial year 2024-25.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	21148
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>The weekly earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance has just increased from £139 to £151 net earnings per week, in line with the increase Average Weekly Earnings of 8.5%. Successive Governments have taken the same approach to the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit and increased it when it is warranted and affordable. The earnings limit has increased by one half since 2010.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/04/2024 14:17:48 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1700264

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance: Students
	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 potential merits of awarding Carer’s Allowance to unpaid carers that are studying (a) 21 hours and (b) more than 21 hours per week.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	21149
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>This Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by all informal carers.</p><p> </p><p>We think it is right that people in full-time education should be supported by the educational maintenance system, via its range of loans and grants, rather than the social security benefit system. That is why, as a general principle, full-time students are usually precluded from entitlement to income-related and income-maintenance benefits, including Carer’s Allowance. Part-time students may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance though. This reflects long-standing principles of the benefit system and we have no plans to change these rules.</p><p> </p><p>Department for Work and Pensions officials work very closely with their Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care counterparts to ensure that young carers get the help and support they need.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 21150 question first answered 22/04/2024 14:20:16 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1700265

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance: Students
	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 potential merits of awarding Carer’s Allowance to unpaid carers between the ages of 16-18 that are studying (a) 21 hours and (b) more than 21 hours per week.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	21150
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>This Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by all informal carers.</p><p> </p><p>We think it is right that people in full-time education should be supported by the educational maintenance system, via its range of loans and grants, rather than the social security benefit system. That is why, as a general principle, full-time students are usually precluded from entitlement to income-related and income-maintenance benefits, including Carer’s Allowance. Part-time students may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance though. This reflects long-standing principles of the benefit system and we have no plans to change these rules.</p><p> </p><p>Department for Work and Pensions officials work very closely with their Department for Education and Department of Health and Social Care counterparts to ensure that young carers get the help and support they need.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 21149 question first answered 22/04/2024 14:20:16 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1700266

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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	Pensioners: Carer's Allowance
	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 potential merits of awarding the full Carer's Allowance to unpaid carers that are in receipt of the state pension.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	21151
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>Although there is no upper age limit to claiming Carer’s Allowance, it cannot normally be paid with the State Pension. It has been a long held feature of the UK’s benefit system, under successive Governments, that where someone is entitled to two benefits for the same contingency, then whilst there may be entitlement to both benefits, only one will be paid to avoid duplication for the same need. Although entitlement to State Pension and Carer’s Allowance arise in different circumstances they are nevertheless designed for the same contingency – as an income replacement. Carer’s Allowance replaces income where the carer has given up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person, while State Pension replaces income in retirement. For this reason, social security rules operate to prevent them being paid together, to avoid duplicate provision for the same need.</p><p>However, if a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance which is currently £81.90.</p><p>Where Carer’s Allowance cannot be paid, the person will keep underlying entitlement to the benefit. This gives access to the additional amount for carers in Pension Credit of £45.60 a week and potentially other means-tested support. Around 100,000 people are receiving the Carer Premium with their Pension Credit. And even if a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, they may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/04/2024 14:22:05 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1700267

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance
	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 potential merits of increasing the Carer’s Allowance to £93 per week.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	21152
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>This Government continues to protect the value of benefits paid to carers whilst also spending record amounts in real terms.</p><p>The level of Carer’s Allowance is protected by uprating it each April in line with inflation as measured by the CPI for the previous September. The purpose of benefit uprating is to ensure that the value of benefits stays in line with the general level of prices. From April 2024, the Carer’s Allowance payment was increased to £81.90. Since 2010, the rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased from £53.90 to £81.90 a week, providing an additional £1,500 a year for carers.</p><p>Real terms expenditure on Carer’s Allowance in 2024/25 is forecast to be £4.1 billion. Between 2024/25 and 2028/29 real terms expenditure on Carer’s Allowance is forecast to rise by 12% - around £500 million. By 2028/29, the Government is forecast to spend just over £4.5 billion a year on Carer’s Allowance.</p><p /><p>As well as Carer’s Allowance, carers have access to the full range of social security benefits. For example, carers on Universal Credit can receive around an additional £2,400 a year through the Carer Element.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/04/2024 14:22:27 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1700327

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure carers are made aware when they have exceeded the threshold for claiming carer's allowance.
	tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
	tabling member printed	Catherine West
	uin	21170
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>DWP remains focussed and passionate about ensuring that the experience for our DWP customers is at the forefront of the decisions that we make, the processes we deliver, and the improvements that we design.</p><p> </p><p>We have made it easier for customers to contact DWP via the channel that makes the most sense for them. DWP customers can report change of circumstances by telephone, letter, and online via GOV.UK which outlines the routeway of how a customer should notify DWP for each benefit where changes occur. This includes the use of Universal Credit Journal to report changes directly to the appropriate benefit affected where earnings increase or decrease accordingly.</p><p> </p><p>For customers seeking advice on Carer’s Allowance (CA) entitlement, GOV.UK provides detail on eligibility. The CA threshold for earnings is £151 a week from April 2024, after tax, National Insurance, and expenses.</p><p> </p><p>Following a successful claim to CA customers are issued with an ‘award letter’ which includes a reminder that ‘You <strong>must</strong> tell us if your earnings or expenses change.” This helps to ensure that their CA claim runs smoothly, and the earnings threshold for claiming Carer's Allowance is not exceeded.</p><p> </p><p>As benefit and pension rates are uprated, CA customers are further issued with new benefit rate ‘uprating letters’ which also include reminders to report changes in circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>For irregular earners, CA work closely with our customers to ensure CA is only paid for the periods when the customer’s earnings fluctuate and are below the earnings limit. In this way, this should ensure that CA is not overpaid, as information is obtained from the customer for set periods of time to ensure CA is paid correctly for that period.</p><p> </p><p>As our customers rightly expect, DWP is committed to continuous improvement, and we have many mechanisms in place to measure, and analyse the experience of our customers, providing DWP with a rich source of feedback that helps us to review and improve our services.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/04/2024 14:19:15 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West