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1519216

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	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: Young People
	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 there is a lower rate of Universal Credit for people under the age of 25; what recent assessment her Department has made of the difference between (a) average costs incurred by and (b) Universal Credit entitlement for people (i) under and (ii) over the age of 25; what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the lower rate of Universal Credit on (A) homelessness and (B) poverty; and whether her Department plans to take steps to equalise the rates of Universal Credit.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	59317
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>No such assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit provides those who are under 25 with lower rates than those over the age of 25. This is to reflect the fact that these claimants are more likely to live in someone else’s household and have lower living costs. It also reflects the lower wages that younger workers typically receive. However, it is acknowledged that some claimants under 25 do live independently and all claimants have different needs. This is why Universal Credit includes separate elements to provide support to claimants towards additional costs, such as housing costs.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 18/10/2022 17:00:58 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1229070

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	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, what plans her Department has to permanently abolish (a) conditionality, (b) sanctioning and (c) the five-week wait for universal credit for disabled claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	82492
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>We have no plans.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 08/09/2020 15:39:08 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1203816

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2020
	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	Universal Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to align the universal credit standard allowance for claimants under the age of 25 living independently with the standard allowance for those over the age of twenty five.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	59623
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2020 answer text <p>We have increased the Universal Credit standard allowance for all claimants (including those Under 25) by £20 per week for the next 12 months – equivalent to up to £1,040 a year.</p><p> </p><p>This is in addition to the 1.7% inflation increase (announced Nov 2019) as part of the Government’s decision to end the benefits freeze and means more financial support for millions of people across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to further increase the Universal Credit standard allowance for Under 25s.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 18/06/2020 16:41:11 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1537432

	registered interest
	date	31/10/2022
	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	Terminal Illnesses: Cost of Living
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to support people with terminal illnesses during the period of increases to the cost of living.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	74940
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government wants to do all it can to alleviate the pressures on those nearing the end of their lives, and on their families.</p><p>The main way that the department does this is through special benefit rules, sometimes referred to as “the Special Rules”. These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.</p><p>Furthermore, the Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so, from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year, which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. Also included in the £37bn is a Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 to six million people who are receiving additional-needs disability benefits, and up to £650 in cost of living payments (paid in two separate payments of £326 and £324) for the eight million households in receipt of a means-tested benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Pensioner households entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment will receive a pensioner Cost of Living Payment this winter of £300 per household. This will be paid as a top up to their Winter Fuel Payment and payments will be increased to £500 for a household with someone of State Pension age and £600 for a household with someone aged 80 or over.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 03/11/2022 12:02:49 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1229071

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Statutory Sick Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to increase the rate of Statutory Sick Pay to in line with the National Minimum Wage.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	82493
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2020 answer text <p>Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides financial support to an employee when they are off work sick. Those on low pay can receive more help through the welfare system, depending on their personal circumstances. The Government published a consultation in which we sought views on the impact of the rate of SSP on employer and employee behaviours and decisions. A response to the consultation will be published later this year.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/09/2020 15:02:37 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1352221

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2021
	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, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of compensating women born in the 1950s who were affected by state pension increases of (a) 1995, (b) 2007 and (c) 2011.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	42177
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>The Government decided over 25 years ago that it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women as a long-overdue move towards gender equality. Raising State Pension age in line with life expectancy changes has been the policy of successive administrations over many years.</p><p>In the Judicial Review on changes to State Pension age, both the High Court and Court of Appeal have supported the actions of the DWP, under successive governments dating back to 1995, finding we acted entirely lawfully and did not discriminate on any grounds.</p><p>The costs of reducing women’s State Pension age to 60 are very significant. The total additional cost if we had kept women’s SPa at 60 and men’s SPa at 65 would be in the region of £215bn for the period 2010/11 to 2025/26, in 2018/19 prices. This figure takes into account State Pension, other pensioner benefits, and savings made on working age benefits<em>.</em></p><p>There is no plan to compensate anyone affected by State Pension age legislation that Parliament has enacted.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 13/09/2021 16:54:12 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1491360

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2022
	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, with reference to the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman's investigation into the communication of changes to women’s State Pension age, whether the Government plans to offer compensation to those affected by the change.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	42249
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2022 answer text <p>The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is independent, and it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage as the investigation is ongoing.</p><p>Section 7(2) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 states that Ombudsman investigations “shall be conducted in private”<sup>.</sup></p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 21/09/2022 09:12:50 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1507231

	registered interest
	date	21/09/2022
	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: British Nationals Abroad
	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 the impact of the freeze on the state pensions of people living abroad on levels of poverty amongst those people.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	53522
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2022 answer text <p>DWP does not make such an assessment. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide to those who meet the qualifying conditions. Entitlement is based on an individual’s National Insurance record. The policy on up-rating UK State Pensions overseas is long-standing and has been supported by successive post-war Governments for over 70 years. We continue to up-rate UK State Pensions abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so – for example where there is a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating. There are no plans to change this policy.</p><p> </p><p>This Government continues to take the view that priority should be given to those living in the UK when drawing up expenditure plans for pensioner benefits.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 27/09/2022 13:13:24 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1229072

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Social Security Benefits: Uprating
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to up-rate legacy benefits in line with universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	82494
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support were increased by 1.7% in April 2020 following the Government’s announcement to end the benefit freeze.</p><p> </p><p>It has always been the case that claimants on legacy benefits can make a claim for Universal Credit (UC) if they believe that they will be better off. There are special arrangements for those in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium, who will be able to make a new claim to Universal Credit from January 2021.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants should check their eligibility before applying to UC as legacy benefits will end when they submit their claim and they will not be able to return to them in the future. For this reason, prospective claimants are signposted to independent benefits calculators on GOV.UK. Neither DWP nor HMRC can advise individual claimants whether they would be better off moving to UC or remaining on legacy benefits.</p><p> </p><p>From 22 July 2020, a two-week run on of Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (IR) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (IB) is available for all claimants whose claim to UC ends entitlement to these benefits, to provide additional support for claimants moving to UC.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 81537 81993 question first answered 08/09/2020 09:07:44 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1229082

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Social Security Benefits: Mental Illness
	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 allow health and disability benefit claimants with mental health illnesses to choose assessment types that are accessible to their needs during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	82498
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2020 answer text <p>In March we suspended all face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits in order to protect people from unnecessary risk of coronavirus at the outset of the pandemic. As has always been the case, our assessment providers will initially try to complete paper-based assessments, where there is sufficient evidence to make a recommendation. If this is not the case, providers will currently look to carry out a telephone assessment, where appropriate. We offer reasonable adjustments for claimants who may need additional support to engage in a telephone assessment. We continue to work closely with our assessment providers to ensure that claimants can be assessed as quickly as possible, by the most appropriate channel.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/09/2020 15:06:16 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana