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1133553

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Pension Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on promoting pension credit to people affected by the BBC's decision to end the provision of free TV licences to people aged over 75 years.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
	tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
	uin	267239
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The policy for the TV licence concession for those aged 75 and over is currently the responsibility of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media &amp; Sport and will pass to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>DWP officials are in discussion with DCMS officials regarding issues resulting from the BBC’s decision to end from June 2020 the free TV licence concession to those people aged 75 or over who are not receiving Pension Credit. The BBC has undertaken to write to all those who may be affected.</p><p>The Government remains committed to ensuring that older people receive the support they are entitled to using a wide range of channels to communicate information about benefits to potential customers; including information in leaflets and on <a href="https://gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://gov.uk/</a>. Potential customers can use the Pension Credit <a href="https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator</a> to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive. People wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by calling 0800 99 1234.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/06/2019 14:19:32 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

1133554

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure people over the age of 75 are supported financially to afford the TV licence fee.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
	tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
	uin	267240
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The policy for the TV licence concession for those aged 75 and over is currently the responsibility of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media &amp; Sport and will pass to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>We are forecast to spend over £120 billion on benefits for pensioners in 2019-20, this includes over £99 billion of expenditure on the State Pension.</p><p>We are committed to the Triple Lock for the remainder of this Parliament, guaranteeing that up to the full amounts of the basic and new State Pensions will rise by the highest of average earnings growth, price inflation, or 2.5% and in 2019/20 the increase was 2.6%.</p><p>The full rate of the basic State Pension will be worth over £1,600 more in 2019/20 than in 2010 in cash terms - £675 more than if it had been increased only in line with earnings.</p><p>Pension Credit and Housing Benefit for pensioners provide support for poorer pensioners. From April 2019, the Standard Minimum Guarantee in Pension Credit has also been increased by earnings. This will be the equivalent of over £1,800 per year higher in cash terms for single people and over £2,700 per year higher in cash terms for couples than it was in 2010.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/06/2019 14:30:21 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

1133560

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Correspondence
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pieces of unstructured white mail have been directed to the Derby contact centre to deal with since the creation of the team established to retrieve all such correspondence; and how many items of that mail are still awaiting redirection to the correct department in that centre.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	267244
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>Unstructured White Mail is post that is received but does not have a prescribed structure, such as handwritten letters or non DWP forms.</p><p> </p><p>There is no centre to deal specifically with unstructured white mail. There is, however, a team in Derby Contact Centre which receives mail that cannot be attributed to a specific customer or benefit stream and their role is to identify the customer details and benefit stream so that the mail can then be scanned into the relevant systems. The Department does not keep records of volume.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/06/2019 16:10:39 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1133561

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there is a minimum level of income that a claimant of universal credit must retain after a 40 per cent reduction to repay an advance.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	267165
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>There is no set minimum level Universal Credit award for a claimant to retain. A claimant’s award will reflect their individual circumstances, topping up any earnings or other income that they may have, so their Universal Credit might just constitute a small proportion of their total income. Deductions from the award are calculated in relation to the Universal Credit standard allowance and the maximum rate of deductions cannot normally exceed 40 per cent of the Universal Credit standard allowance. From October 2019 this will be reduced to 30 per cent.</p><p /><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 266652 question first answered 24/06/2019 16:41:12 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1133566

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Children: Maintenance
	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 review the Government's decision to calculate child maintenance liabilities as a proportion of gross rather than net parental income; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
	tabling member printed	Darren Jones
	uin	267247
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>The paying parent’s gross income is taken directly from HM Revenue and Customs for the latest tax year available. Using the paying parent’s gross income allows calculations to be made quickly and accurately.</p><p>There are no plans to change the way the Child Maintenance Service calculates child maintenance liabilities.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 26/06/2019 12:37:04 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1133568

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free TV licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in (a) Luton North constituency, and (b) Luton local authority area in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Luton North
	tabling member printed	Kelvin Hopkins
	uin	267153
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.</p><p>This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.</p><p>On 10 June 2019, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy" target="_blank">announced</a> that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.</p><p>The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.</p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m) (Nominal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(a) Luton North constituency</strong></p></td><td><p>£0.90</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(b) Luton local authority area</strong></p></td><td><p>£1.55</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 27/06/2019 15:08:11 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	2 label Biography information for Kelvin Hopkins

1133577

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free TV licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in (a) Cardiff Central constituency and (b) Cardiff local authority area in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
	tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
	uin	267256
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.</p><p>This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.</p><p>On 10 June 2019, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy" target="_blank">announced</a> that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.</p><p>The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.</p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m) (Nominal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(a) Cardiff Central constituency</strong></p></td><td><p>£0.57</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(b) Cardiff local authority area</strong></p></td><td><p>£2.88</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/06/2019 16:22:56 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

1133583

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect on universal credit claimants of the 53-week rent year in the 2019-20 financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Knowsley
	tabling member printed	Sir George Howarth
	uin	267199
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>Neither tenants or landlords lose a week’s rent in a 53 weekly rent payment year as has been alleged; no year contains 53 weeks. The problem is alignment between weekly and monthly cycles. Each month the UC housing element is a constant figure but claimants with weekly tenancy agreements will be required to make either four or five rent payments within this period. If the claimant always pays their rent on time, in five payment months they are effectively making payment for part of the following month. That month will always be a four rent payment month, so the combination of the advance payment and the ‘overpayment’ of housing support during that month will get the claimant back on track.</p><p>Where a landlord charges rent weekly on a Monday, because of the way the calendar falls every 5 or 6 years, they will seek 53 rent payments in a year, with the 53rd payment in part covering the tenancy for the first few days of the following year. The effect of this is that, over the course of the next housing association rental year, a tenant’s UC payments will accurately reflect their liability, irrespective of the 53 payment weeks.</p><p>There is a separate issue with respect to the way the calculation in the Universal Credit regulations converts a weekly liability into a monthly allowance. The conversion is achieved by multiplying the weekly rent by 52 and then dividing by 12. This effectively means one day’s rent a year (two days in a leap years) are not covered by UC. We are currently considering whether this formulation around weekly rents, and potentially other weekly amounts in the UC calculation, should be amended.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 26/06/2019 12:28:22 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	481 label Biography information for Sir George Howarth

1133586

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free TV licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in (a) Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency, (b) Gwynedd local authority area and (c) Wales in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	267260
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.</p><p>This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.</p><p>On 10 June 2019, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy" target="_blank">announced</a> that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.</p><p>The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.</p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m) (Nominal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(a) Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency</strong></p></td><td><p>£0.85</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(b) Gwynedd local authority area</strong></p></td><td><p>£1.41</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(c) Wales</strong></p></td><td><p>£34.11</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 27/06/2019 15:17:52 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1133632

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free television licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in (a) Kensington constituency and (b) Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea local authority area in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Kensington
	tabling member printed	Emma Dent Coad
	uin	267288
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.</p><p>This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.</p><p>On 10 June 2019, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy" target="_blank">announced</a> that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.</p><p>The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.</p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m) (Nominal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(a) Kensington constituency</strong></p></td><td><p>£0.69</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(b) Royal Borough of Kensington &amp; Chelsea local authority area</strong></p></td><td><p>£1.00</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 26/06/2019 12:44:04 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4683 label Biography information for Emma Dent Coad

1133648

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Personal Independence Payment
	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 adequacy of personal independence payment for additional costs that claimants have as a result of their disabilities or health conditions.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	267191
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is intended to act as a contribution towards the extra costs that arise as a result of a long-term health condition or disability and entitlement is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself.</p><p>At the core of PIP’s design is the principle that awards of the benefit should be made according to a claimant’s overall level of need. The scope of the criteria does not include a direct assessment of an individual’s extra costs.</p><p>PIP is uprated annually to maintain its value.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 25/06/2019 11:31:52 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1133649

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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
	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 of universal credit are subject to deductions as a result of a fixed penalty notice for an environmental offence; and if he will publish the number of offences committed under each classification.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	267192
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p><strong> </strong>Information surrounding the volume of Universal Credit claims with a deduction for a fixed penalty notice specifically for an environmental offence is not held by the Department.</p><p>However, between November 2018 and February 2019, 11,000 claims had at least one Universal Credit payment with a deduction for fines. This equates to 1% of all claims with at least one Universal Credit payment with a deduction during this period.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ol><li>Figures rounded to nearest 1000.</li><li>Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties.</li><li>Data on the breakdown of third party deductions was not collated on the UCFS systems prior to November 2018.</li><li>Figures are for Universal Credit full service</li></ol><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 267193 question first answered 25/06/2019 16:35:38 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1133651

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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
	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 of universal credit have had deductions attached to their claim for fixed penalty notices for environmental offences since 2013.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	267193
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p><strong> </strong>Information surrounding the volume of Universal Credit claims with a deduction for a fixed penalty notice specifically for an environmental offence is not held by the Department.</p><p>However, between November 2018 and February 2019, 11,000 claims had at least one Universal Credit payment with a deduction for fines. This equates to 1% of all claims with at least one Universal Credit payment with a deduction during this period.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ol><li>Figures rounded to nearest 1000.</li><li>Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties.</li><li>Data on the breakdown of third party deductions was not collated on the UCFS systems prior to November 2018.</li><li>Figures are for Universal Credit full service</li></ol><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 267192 question first answered 25/06/2019 16:35:38 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1133684

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Children: Maintenance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money has been collected through the (a) four and (b) 20 per cent charge under the Child Maintenance Service’s Collect and Pay system in each quarter of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	267320
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>‘PP Collection Charges’ are Paying Parent Collection Charges. They are set at a rate of 20%, which is added to the Child Maintenance a Receiving Parent is due to be paid, and collected once a payment is received from the Paying Parent.</p><p> </p><p>‘RP Collection Charges are Receiving Parent Collection Charges. They are set at a rate of 4%, which is deducted from the amount of money paid by a Paying Parent before CMG send the payment onto the Receiving Parent.</p><p> </p><p>These are the 3 most recent years we are able to report on. The 2018/19 CMS Annual Report and Accounts haven’t been audited yet so we are unable to include these figures.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Q1</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Q2</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Q3</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Q4</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PP Collection Charge</p></td><td><p>20%</p></td><td><p>3,442,499</p></td><td><p>3,950,790</p></td><td><p>4,354,306</p></td><td><p>5,130,117</p></td><td><p><strong>16,877,712</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>RP Collection Charge</p></td><td><p>4%</p></td><td><p>662,253</p></td><td><p>758,110</p></td><td><p>831,407</p></td><td><p>988,763</p></td><td><p><strong>3,240,532</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2016-17</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Q1</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Q2</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Q3</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Q4</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PP Collection Charge</p></td><td><p>20%</p></td><td><p>2,139,708</p></td><td><p>2,433,748</p></td><td><p>2,756,592</p></td><td><p>3,163,725</p></td><td><p><strong>10,493,773</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>RP Collection Charge</p></td><td><p>4%</p></td><td><p>414,140</p></td><td><p>471,370</p></td><td><p>532,039</p></td><td><p>608,169</p></td><td><p><strong>2,025,718</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2015-16</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Q1</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Q2</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Q3</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Q4</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>PP Collection Charge</p></td><td><p>20%</p></td><td><p>1,020,053</p></td><td><p>1,245,433</p></td><td><p>1,528,716</p></td><td><p>1,779,062</p></td><td><p><strong>5,573,264</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>RP Collection Charge</p></td><td><p>4%</p></td><td><p>200,423</p></td><td><p>243,329</p></td><td><p>296,804</p></td><td><p>345,797</p></td><td><p><strong>1,086,353</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/06/2019 16:34:55 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1133685

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Children: Maintenance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases administered by the Child Maintenance Service were on (a) Direct Pay and (b) Collect and Pay in each quarter of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	267321
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is published in Table 4 (Child Maintenance Arrangements for Paying Parents) of the quarterly Child Maintenance Service statistics, which are available here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-august-2013-to-december-2018-experimental" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-august-2013-to-december-2018-experimental</a></p><p>The latest published statistics include data to December 2018.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/06/2019 12:20:19 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1133686

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Children: Maintenance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total amount of uncollected child maintenance payments was under the Child Maintenance Service in each quarter of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	267322
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is published in Table 9 (How much child maintenance the Child Maintenance Service has arranged) of the quarterly Child Maintenance Service statistics, which are available here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-august-2013-to-december-2018-experimental" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-august-2013-to-december-2018-experimental</a></p><p>The latest published statistics include data to December 2018.</p><p> </p><p>Table 9 gives the cumulative total, at the end of each quarter, of maintenance arranged through the Child Maintenance Service that had not been paid, and now needs to be collected through the Collect &amp; Pay service.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/06/2019 12:24:52 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1133687

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Children: Maintenance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many parents under the Child Maintenance Service were paying child maintenance using a Deduction from Earnings order in each quarter of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	267323
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The below table gives the number of Paying Parents on the Child Maintenance Service, who, at the end of each quarter, were using the Collect &amp; Pay service with a Deduction from Earnings Order. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. These figures count all Paying Parents using a Deduction from Earnings Order, regardless of whether any maintenance had been paid in that quarter. The figures do not include Deduction from Earnings Requests.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Quarter Ending</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>DEOs in place</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mar-16</p></td><td><p>14,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jun-16</p></td><td><p>16,900</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep-16</p></td><td><p>18,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dec-16</p></td><td><p>20,700</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mar-17</p></td><td><p>21,700</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jun-17</p></td><td><p>23,900</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep-17</p></td><td><p>26,200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dec-17</p></td><td><p>30,200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mar-18</p></td><td><p>36,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jun-18</p></td><td><p>40,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep-18</p></td><td><p>43,300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dec-18</p></td><td><p>45,100</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Statistics including data to March 2019 will be published on 26<sup>th</sup> June.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/06/2019 12:34:54 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1133691

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free TV licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in (a) Easington constituency and (b) County Durham local authority area in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	267324
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.</p><p>This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.</p><p>On 10 June 2019, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy" target="_blank">announced</a> that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.</p><p>The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.</p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m) (Nominal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(a) Easington constituency</strong></p></td><td><p>£0.86</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(b) County Durham local authority area</strong></p></td><td><p>£5.52</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p /> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/06/2019 16:42:26 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1133702

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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: Females
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to support women who have needed to stay in the workforce for longer because of changes to the state pension age.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	267334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The number of older women in employment is at a record high. There are now 4.9 million women aged 50 and over in the workforce compared to 4.2 million five years ago.</p><p>We will spend £55 billion [£55.4bn] this year (2019/20) on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. This is around 2.5% of GDP, and over 6% of government spending, and as a share of GDP, the UK’s public spending is second highest in the G7, bar Germany [OECD 2015 data].</p><p>To support women to remain and return to the labour market, the Government has removed the Default Retirement Age meaning most people can choose when to retire, and extended the right to request flexible working to all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer.</p><p>We have appointed a Business Champion for Older Workers to engage and influence employers both strategically and in terms of practical advice.</p><p>In February 2017, the UK Government published “Fuller Working Lives: a partnership approach” to set out the role employers, individuals and Government can play in supporting fuller working lives. <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/587654/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/587654/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach.pdf</a></p><p>Through the National Retraining Partnership, a strategic partnership between Government, the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress, Government is developing the National Retraining Scheme. The National Retraining Scheme will help prepare adults for the future changes to the economy, including those brought about by automation, and help them retrain into better jobs.</p><p>And in February this year, DWP launched an online web page which brings together money, job and health elements of the mid-life MOT. <a href="https://www.yourpension.gov.uk/mid-life-mot/" target="_blank">https://www.yourpension.gov.uk/mid-life-mot/</a></p><p>To support employers, Business in The Community has also created MOT guides that support businesses. <a href="https://age.bitc.org.uk/tools-impact-stories/toolkits" target="_blank">https://age.bitc.org.uk/tools-impact-stories/toolkits</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/06/2019 14:07:37 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1133709

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase financial support for vulnerable claimants of universal credit to ensure that the amount of benefit they receive is not lower than what they received through the legacy system.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	267340
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>Claimants currently only move from existing benefits to Universal Credit when they experience a significant change in their circumstances that triggers a new claim to a benefit that Universal Credit replaces. Their entitlement is then calculated on the rules of their new benefit and their new circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>For those claimants who are moved onto Universal Credit without a change in their circumstances, the Department has committed to providing transitional protection to ensure that they see no decrease in their benefit entitlement at the point of transition.</p><p> </p><p>There are £2.4 billion of unclaimed legacy benefits not going to the people who need them, because they do not know that they are entitled to them or how to claim. Universal Credit makes sure that welfare payments reach those who need them most.</p><p> </p><p>We have also introduced a number of measures to assist claimants during their transition to Universal Credit. Claimants moving onto Universal Credit can access a Universal Credit advance, which is worth up to 100 per cent of their indicative award and is available from the date of their claim. This advance is currently repayable over 12 months, but as announced in the 2018 Budget, from October 2021 the maximum repayment period will be extended to 16 months. Claimants may also be entitled to a two-week Universal Credit Transitional Housing Payment. From July 2020 the Government is introducing a new two-week run on for income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/06/2019 10:09:01 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1133718

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to prevent loansharks applying on behalf of an individual for a universal credit advance payment which is then issued as a loan to the individual.
	tabling member constituency	Leigh
	tabling member printed	Jo Platt
	uin	267343
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department takes any suspicious or fraudulent activity very seriously, especially when it has the potential to impact our vulnerable claimants.</p><p> </p><p>We investigate any allegations of fraudulent activity quickly and look to establish the facts, communicating quickly with our staff and colleagues to ensure that awareness is raised. We also continuously work to improve our services and create more robust processes to help our claimants interact with us in an easier, yet secure way which protects the most vulnerable.</p><p> </p><p>We cannot provide details about current investigations, but we investigate promptly and will refer to the relevant authorities to seek prosecution where appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 25/06/2019 16:49:49 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4673 label Biography information for Jo Platt

1133719

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Pensions
	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 publish a Pensions Bill before the summer recess.
	tabling member constituency	Canterbury
	tabling member printed	Rosie Duffield
	uin	267344
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>This Government is committed to legislation to facilitate collective defined contribution schemes. The Government has recently published responses to a series of consultations, and have engaged extensively with key stakeholders and the Pensions Regulator.</p><p>In these we have committed to strengthen the Pensions Regulator’s powers to both enforce pensions legislation and to punish those who have acted recklessly or failed to comply with their obligations. We have committed to facilitate industry to make pensions dashboards a reality. We are also compelling pension schemes to make consumers data available to them and to facilitate collective defined contribution schemes.</p><p>The Government will bring forward legislation to introduce these measures as soon as parliamentary time permits.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 267345 267346 question first answered 25/06/2019 16:22:18 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4616 label Biography information for Rosie Duffield

1133720

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she bring forward legislative proposals before the summer recess to introduce collective defined contribution pension schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Canterbury
	tabling member printed	Rosie Duffield
	uin	267345
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>This Government is committed to legislation to facilitate collective defined contribution schemes. The Government has recently published responses to a series of consultations, and have engaged extensively with key stakeholders and the Pensions Regulator.</p><p>In these we have committed to strengthen the Pensions Regulator’s powers to both enforce pensions legislation and to punish those who have acted recklessly or failed to comply with their obligations. We have committed to facilitate industry to make pensions dashboards a reality. We are also compelling pension schemes to make consumers data available to them and to facilitate collective defined contribution schemes.</p><p>The Government will bring forward legislation to introduce these measures as soon as parliamentary time permits.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 267344 267346 question first answered 25/06/2019 16:22:18 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4616 label Biography information for Rosie Duffield

1133721

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Workplace Pensions
	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 23 May 2019 to Question 256341, what the timescale is for bringing forward legislation to facilitate Collective Defined Contribution schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Canterbury
	tabling member printed	Rosie Duffield
	uin	267346
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>This Government is committed to legislation to facilitate collective defined contribution schemes. The Government has recently published responses to a series of consultations, and have engaged extensively with key stakeholders and the Pensions Regulator.</p><p>In these we have committed to strengthen the Pensions Regulator’s powers to both enforce pensions legislation and to punish those who have acted recklessly or failed to comply with their obligations. We have committed to facilitate industry to make pensions dashboards a reality. We are also compelling pension schemes to make consumers data available to them and to facilitate collective defined contribution schemes.</p><p>The Government will bring forward legislation to introduce these measures as soon as parliamentary time permits.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 267344 267345 question first answered 25/06/2019 16:22:18 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4616 label Biography information for Rosie Duffield

1133722

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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: Disqualification
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many vulnerable claimants received a benefits sanction without (a) receiving a home visit and (b) notifying a third-party agency in 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	267197
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>To obtain the details requested would require scrutiny of thousands of individual benefit claims. Therefore, the information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/06/2019 12:37:14 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1133723

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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: Disqualification
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many vulnerable claimants whose benefits claim was closed as a result of them not attending a Work Capability Assessment (a) received a home visit and (b) did not receive a home visit in 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	267198
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>The Work and Health Decision Making Directorate makes decisions on benefit entitlement for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit (UC) customers who have failed to attend Work Capability Assessments.</p><p>Whilst we would be able to ascertain the total number of ESA claims closed for failing to attend a Work Capability Assessment without good cause, this would incur disproportionate costs. Further, the information would not provide details of how many of those customers were vulnerable or how many received a home visit. To obtain the details requested would require scrutiny of thousands of individual claims. Therefore, the information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.</p><p>In respect of Universal Credit claims, these are not closed as a result of the claimant failing to attend the Work Capability Assessment. Where a decision is made that the claimant failed to attend without good cause, the claimant’s health journey is ended and their work conditions are changed accordingly. Information about the number of claims referred for a home visit during the decision making process is not collated. To obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/06/2019 12:15:18 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1133775

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Health
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any lessons to be learnt for improving the environmental, social, economic and cultural well-being of people in all regions of the UK from the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bird
	uin	HL16526
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 relates to devolved matters therefore it is for the Welsh Government to consider any lessons learnt in respect of Wales.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 03/07/2019 14:11:59 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	4564 label Biography information for Lord Bird

1133141

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Children: Maintenance
	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 Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is taking to retrieve money owed by absent parents.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	266704
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) replaced the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission in 2012 and brought significant reforms to the Child Maintenance system in Great Britain. Child Maintenance in Northern Ireland is a devolved issue, although they run a broadly similar scheme. Any questions should be directed to the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>We support separated parents to make their own family based arrangements wherever possible. This allows families to create flexible arrangements that work for their individual circumstances and, where parents are able to work together, this can be better for their children. Where this is not possible, the CMS offers an effective and efficient statutory scheme for those parents who really need it.</p><p> </p><p>Under the statutory scheme, where paying parents fail to pay on time and in full, we aim to take immediate action to recover the debt and re-establish compliance. Where compliance is not achieved we are committed to using our wide ranging enforcement powers proportionally, and in the best interests of children and separated families.</p><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 24/06/2019 16:42:19 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1133144

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Personal Independence Payment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the average time taken to reach an outcome for mandatory re-considerations of personal independence payment applications.
	tabling member constituency	Aberdeen North
	tabling member printed	Kirsty Blackman
	uin	266707
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Statistics on the average clearance time for Mandatory Reconsiderations (MR) for Personal Independence Payment are found in Table 7C, ‘MR Clearance Time (median calendar days), Normal Rules, by month of clearance’ of the quarterly statistical publication ‘Personal Independence Payment: April 2013 to April 2019’ published by the Department for Work and Pensions and available here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-april-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-april-2019</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 12:58:57 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4357 label Biography information for Kirsty Blackman

1133157

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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
	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 18 June 2019 to Question 264329, of the 0.749 million claimants with deductions from universal credit for non-universal credit debts, how much debt has been repaid from each benefit in the Prescribed Social Security Benefits / Payments category.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	266717
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The table below details the amount recovered from Universal Credit to repay non-Universal Credit overpayments in 2018-19. To provide a full picture we have included recovery of all benefit related debt including such things as non UC Advances and Tax Credit recoveries even though these are not strictly prescribed payments.</p><p><br></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Benefit</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Amount Recovered</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Attendance Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Administrative Penalty</strong></p></td><td><p>£537,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Bereavement Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>£3,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Carers Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,541,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Civil Penalties </strong></p></td><td><p>£1,090,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Disability Living Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>£281,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Disability Working Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>Less than £1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Employment &amp; Support Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>£2,988,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Family Credit</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Housing Benefit</strong></p></td><td><p>£11,198,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Incapacity Benefit</strong></p></td><td><p>£368,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Income Support</strong></p></td><td><p>£8,479,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Invalidity Benefit</strong></p></td><td><p>Less than £1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Jobseeker's Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>£3,987,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Maternity Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>£13,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Non-Contributory Retirement Pension</strong></p></td><td><p>Less than £1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>New State Pension</strong></p></td><td><p>Less than £1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Pension Credit</strong></p></td><td><p>£11,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Personal Independence Payment</strong></p></td><td><p>£64,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Retirement Pension: Contributory</strong></p></td><td><p>£2,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Sickness Benefit</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Severe Disablement Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>£12,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Social Fund Loan</strong></p></td><td><p>£27,014,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Social Fund Overpayment</strong></p></td><td><p>£239,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Non - Universal Credit short term advances</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,546,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Tax Credit Overpayment</strong></p></td><td><p>£94,722,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Widow's Benefit</strong></p></td><td><p>£70,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Widowed Mother's Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>Less than £1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Widows Pension</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Widowed Parent's Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>£3,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Christmas Bonus</strong></p></td><td><p>£1,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Other</strong></p></td><td><p>£3,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department works hard to prevent potential benefit overpayments from occurring. Internal and external data matches are increasingly helping inform benefit payments and alerting staff to check for any undeclared changes in people’s circumstances in real time.</p><p><em>*The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.</em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/06/2019 15:47:54 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1133172

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Pension Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps she has taken to increase the uptake of pension credit.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
	tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
	uin	266722
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that older people receive the support they are entitled to and the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances. The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about benefits to potential customers; including information on <a href="https://gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://gov.uk/</a>, in leaflets and by telephone. DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Potential customers can use the Pension Credit <a href="https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator</a> to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive. People wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by calling 0800 99 1234.</p><p> </p><p>One of the best ways to reach eligible customers is through trusted stakeholder working in the community and we have developed the Pension Credit toolkit, as an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up. It can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit</a></p><p> </p><p>The toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The toolkit also provides links to information about disability and carers benefits.</p><p> </p><p>Most recently we have provided to relevant organisations a fact sheet about Pension Credit and the recent changes for mixed age couples to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 24/06/2019 16:29:49 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

1133190

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Work Capability Assessment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of training for fit-to-work assessors to assess a person's mental health.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	266653
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>All Healthcare Professionals receive training on how to assess the impact of mental health conditions on individuals. This is followed by on-going professional training and support which continues for the duration of their employment in the role. In addition, Mental Health Function Champions support Healthcare Professionals by providing additional expertise about mental health, cognitive, developmental and learning disabilities and can be referred to at any time during the assessment process.</p><p>Health Assessment Providers frequently engage with medical experts, charities and relevant stakeholders to strengthen, review and update training programmes for all their assessment staff.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 13:17:35 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1133192

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Work Capability Assessment: Veterans
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of training for fit-to-work assessors for military veterans.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	266654
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Military Veterans who claim Employment and Support Allowance/Universal Credit are likely to have a variety of health conditions both physical and mental health related. Healthcare Professionals undertaking work capability assessments are equipped to identify the impact of these conditions as part of the existing assessment process.</p><p>All Healthcare Professionals carrying out work capability assessments are medically qualified and highly-trained practitioners in their own field. They are subject to a rigorous recruitment process followed by a comprehensive training programme in disability assessment. The assessment is not a medical assessment requiring the Healthcare Professional to diagnose a condition and recommend treatment options. The focus is on ensuring Healthcare Professionals are experts in disability analysis, drawing on evidence supplied by the individual and their GP or specialist clinical team, with knowledge of the likely functional effects of a wide range of health conditions.</p><p>While preparing to undertake an assessment, Healthcare Professionals can access a wide range of clinical resources to research any conditions presented. This includes evidence based protocols, e-learning modules or case studies as well as keeping knowledge up to date through Continuous Professional Development.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 12:14:51 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1133198

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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: Veterans
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of military veterans claiming universal credit that have been sanctioned.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	266655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department has not made an estimate of the number of military veterans claiming universal credit that have been sanctioned because this information is not held.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/06/2019 16:10:37 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1133239

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Employment: Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people in employment that live in poverty.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	266657
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>National statistics on the number of working-age adults, in a family with at least one adult in work, in low income can be calculated from figures published in the annual &quot;Households Below Average Income&quot; publication.</p><p> </p><p>In 2017/18 there were 2.9m working-age adults in absolute low income (before housing costs) in families with at least one adult in work. However, over 80% of these are from families where at least one adult is not in full-time employment. The majority of those in in-work poverty are in families with part-time work only, single earner couples, or are self-employed.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 24/06/2019 12:49:09 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1133288

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Local Housing Allowance
	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 restore local housing allowance rates to cover the cheapest third of local rents.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	266787
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>The benefit freeze is coming to an end in March 2020. Specific decisions on how to uprate benefits from April 2020 (including the Local Housing Allowance) will form part of the discussions in support of fiscal events later this year.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 28/06/2019 12:16:24 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1133299

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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, what estimate the Government has made of the change in the number of people in receipt of the basic state pension between 2019 and 2024.
	tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
	tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
	uin	266796
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The new State Pension was introduced in 2016 for people reaching State Pension age on or after the 6<sup>th</sup> April 2016. The new State Pension replaced the basic State Pension and additional State Pension, which means that no one reaching State Pension age on or after the 6<sup>th</sup> April 2016 will have claimed the basic State Pension or additional State Pension. The forecasted caseloads for the new State Pension and basic State Pension between 2019/20 and 2023/24 can be found in the table below.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Forecasted caseloads of new State Pension and basic State Pension from 2019-2024, figures in 1000s</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Category of pension</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2019/20</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2020/21</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2021/22</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2022/23</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2023/24</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Basic State Pension</p></td><td><p>11,101</p></td><td><p>10,627</p></td><td><p>10,158</p></td><td><p>9,692</p></td><td><p>9,225</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>New State Pension (excluding protected payments)</p></td><td><p>1,282</p></td><td><p>1,665</p></td><td><p>2,286</p></td><td><p>2,942</p></td><td><p>3,623</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>New State Pension Protected Payments (including inherited elements)</p></td><td><p>371</p></td><td><p>457</p></td><td><p>596</p></td><td><p>739</p></td><td><p>888</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>These figures can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2019</a></p><p> </p><p>Figures relate to Great Britain, or people resident overseas who are receiving United Kingdom benefits.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 24/06/2019 16:40:15 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1133303

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Employment: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps she has taken to support people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in the workplace.
	tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
	tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
	uin	266886
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Access to Work offers practical and financial support with the additional costs faced by individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job, including people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).</p><p>Although we do not disaggregate data for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in the Access to Work statistics, last year we published ‘Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff’, which included a case study for an applicant with ME. The individual in question returned to employment in a call centre role after 10 years off due to ill-health. Through Access to Work, they received a suitable chair and keyboard, which greatly reduced the joint pain they had been experiencing and enabled them to stay in the new role.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 12:34:41 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1133304

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Employment: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that job centre staff are aware of the effect of myalgic encephalomyelitis on an individual's ability to work.
	tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
	tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
	uin	266887
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department is committed to ensuring all claimants have access to the right tailored support when they need it. Work Coaches are trained to adjust conditionality to reflect individual circumstances, particularly those with caring responsibilities or health conditions.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 12:43:15 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1133309

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free television licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in Norwich South constituency in (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Norwich South
	tabling member printed	Clive Lewis
	uin	266801
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.</p><p>This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.</p><p>On 10 June 2019, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy" target="_blank">announced</a> that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.</p><p>The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 years and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m) (Nominal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Norwich South constituency</strong></p></td><td><p>£0.96</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p /><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/06/2019 17:06:01 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman previous answer version 124931 answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4500 label Biography information for Clive Lewis

1133313

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free television licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire local authority area in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	266802
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.</p><p>This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.</p><p>On 10 June 2019, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy" target="_blank">announced</a> that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.</p><p>The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.</p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m) (Nominal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency</strong></p></td><td><p>£0.98</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Staffordshire local authority area</strong></p></td><td><p>£9.66</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/06/2019 17:02:17 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman previous answer version 124930 answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1133317

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free television licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in (a) the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency and (b) North Lanarkshire local authority area in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	266806
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.</p><p>This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.</p><p>On 10 June 2019, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy" target="_blank">announced</a> that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.</p><p>The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.</p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m) (Nominal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(a) Motherwell and Wishaw constituency</strong></p></td><td><p>£0.85</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(b) North Lanarkshire local authority area</strong></p></td><td><p>£2.95</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/06/2019 17:09:22 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman previous answer version 124929 answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1133325

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Young People: Gender
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Youth Voice Census Report 2019, published in June 2018, what assessment she has made of the effect of gender on a young person's level of engagement with school and employment.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	266814
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>No assessment has been made of gender on a young person’s level of engagement with school and employment.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government is committed to providing targeted support for all young people so that everyone, no matter what their start in life, is given the very best chance.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has raised the participation age to ensure that all young people are supported to continue their education until at least age 18, and invested nearly £7 billion during academic year 2018/19, to ensure there is a place in education or training for every 16 to 19-year old.</p><p> </p><p>Local Authorities (LAs) have a statutory duty to identify and track the participation of 16 and 17 year olds, supporting those who are not participating to do so and making sure that there is sufficient, suitable education and training provision to meet their needs. The September Guarantee places a further duty on LAs to ensure that all year 11 pupils (and year 12 pupils on one year courses) receive an offer of a place in education/training for the following September. It aims to ensure that all young people, regardless of what they achieved in school, understand that there are opportunities that will help them to progress, and to ensure that they get the advice and support they need to find a suitable place.</p><p> </p><p>The latest data for the end of 2017 (provisional) shows that 86.8% of 16-18-year-old females are in Education and Training, compared to 85.1% of males. Source is the ‘Participation in education, training and employment: 2017’ published statistics.</p><p> </p><p>In January to March 2019 the number of young people aged 16-24 who were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the UK was at a near record low (764,000) – down 364,000 since 2010. As part of this the number of women aged 16-24 who were NEET was at a near record low (383,000) – down 238,000 since 2010. The number of men aged 16-24 who were NEET was also near a record low – at 381,000 – down 126,000 since 2010.</p><p> </p><p>The latest figures from the independent ONS, show that in February-April 2019 UK employment rate is at a joint record high of 76.1% - and as part of this the female employment rate is at a record high (72.0%). The male employment rate was 80.3% - up 5.3% points since 2010.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/06/2019 15:38:46 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1133332

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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
	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 claimants of universal credit with an existing advance that have successfully applied for a budgeting advance have (a) received the maximum available budgeting advance, (b) chosen to repay the budgeting advance over the maximum time period allowed and (c) repaid the budgeting advance within the pre-agreed time period.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	266642
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit new claim and benefit transfer advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due, ensuring no one has to be left without means of financial support.</p><p>A budgeting advance is available for one-off unexpected financial events for Universal Credit claimants and is repayable over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments. Claimants might be able to get help for things such as: emergency household costs, getting a job or staying in work or funeral costs.</p><p>Of the Universal Credit claims repaying an existing advance:</p><p>a) 8% of these claims received a budgeting advance which was the maximum amount available to them</p><p>b) 13% of these claims received a budgeting advance to be paid over the maximum time period allowed</p><p>c) Information regarding those budgeting advances repaid within the pre-agreed time period is not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><ol><li>Figures relate to Universal Credit full service only</li><li>Figures relate to claims repaying an advance between March 2018 and February 2019</li><li>Figures are rounded to the nearest %</li><li>Budgeting advances with a value of £348, £464 and £812 have been used for proportion of claimants receiving the maximum available advance, as the values relate to the maximum entitlement dependent on the claimant's circumstances</li></ol><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/06/2019 16:28:06 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1133335

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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
	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 universal credit claimants who applied for a budgeting advance (a) received the maximum available advance and (b) chose to repay over the maximum time period allowed.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	266643
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>A budgeting advance is available for one-off unexpected financial events for Universal Credit claimants and is repayable over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments. Claimants might be able to get help for things such as: emergency household costs, getting a job or staying in work or funeral costs.</p><p> </p><p>Of the 485,000 budgeting advances created, between June 2015 and May 2019, 49% took the maximum entitlement and 78% chose to take the maximum repayment length.</p><p> </p><p>From October 2021 we will be increasing the recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months, further supporting those in financial need.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Notes </strong></p><p> </p><ol><li>Figures relate to Universal Credit full service only</li></ol><p> </p><ol start="2"><li>Figures relate to total number of budgeting advances since their introduction</li></ol><p> </p><ol start="3"><li>Figures for the number of budgeting advances created is rounded to the nearest 1,000</li></ol><p> </p><p> </p><ol start="4"><li>Budgeting advances with a value of £348, £464 and £812 have been used for proportion of claimants receiving the maximum available advance, as these values relate to the maximum entitlement dependent on the claimant's circumstances.</li></ol> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/06/2019 12:26:24 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1133337

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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
	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 of universal credit have been successful in an application for a budgeting advance.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	266644
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>A budgeting advance is available for one-off unexpected financial events for Universal Credit claimants and is repayable over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments. Claimants might be able to get help for things such as: emergency household costs, getting a job or staying in work or funeral costs.</p><p /><p>Between June 2015 and May 2019, 404,000 Universal Credit claims have received a budgeting advance.</p><p> </p><p>Notes</p><p> </p><ol><li>Figures relate to Universal Credit full service only</li><li>Figures relate to total number of budgeting advances since their introduction</li><li>Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000</li><li>Where a claim has received multiple budgeting advances they have only been counted once</li></ol> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/06/2019 09:03:05 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1133343

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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
	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 18 June 2019 to Question 263677 on universal credit, what recovery methods her Department uses.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	266645
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Claimants are advised from the onset advances of Universal Credit are not loans. They are Universal Credit awards paid early which is then recovered over an agreed period via deductions from their Universal Credit payment. Universal Credit New Claim Advances are recovered over a maximum of 12 months, this increases to 16 months in 2021. Exceptionally, the maximum period could be deferred by up to three months. Claimants can opt to repay the advance over a shorter period. For advances made after the payment due date, the full amount is recovered immediately from arrears payable.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/06/2019 16:22:46 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1133346

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department issues guidance or criteria to its staff on the circumstances in which a request from a universal credit claimant for an advance payment for a (a) new claim and (b) benefit transfer should not be granted.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	266646
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>Comprehensive guidance on Universal Credit Advance payments is available to all staff. This guidance is published in the Commons library and the Department is committed to refreshing this at regular intervals.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2019-0465/Advances-_New_Claim_v2.0.pdf" target="_blank">http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2019-0465/Advances-_New_Claim_v2.0.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p><a href="http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2019-0465/Advances_-_Benefit_Transfer_v3.0.pdf" target="_blank">http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2019-0465/Advances_-_Benefit_Transfer_v3.0.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/06/2019 12:45:16 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1133347

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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
	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 claimants had advance payments refused for a (a) new claim and (b) benefit transfer in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	266647
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit new claim advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first payment is due. Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, for which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 months. From October 2021, this maximum repayment period will be extended from 12 to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>The Department ensures claimants are made aware of their maximum advance entitlement and informed that their Universal Credit award will be adjusted over the relevant recovery period to take into account the advance of benefit they received.</p><p> </p><p>There were 1,046,000 claims made to Universal Credit during January to December 2018 which went into payment. Of these claims, 598,000 (57%) received an advance by end of February 2019 and 449,000 (43%) did not receive an advance. Those who did not receive an advance will include instances of advance payments being refused. However, to identify and collate the total number of applications refused for (a) new claim and (b) benefit transfer in the last 12 months would incur disproportionate cost to the Department.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p> </p><ol><li>Figures relate to Universal Credit full service</li><li>Figures capture all advances types</li><li>Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000</li><li>Advances paid are provided for claims which went into payment in the 2018 calendar year to ensure enough time has elapsed to be certain these claims did actually progress to payment</li></ol> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/06/2019 16:06:42 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1133351

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	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	Television Licences: Older People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free television licences to people over the age of 75 for qualifying residents in (a) Carmarthen East and Dinefwr constituency and (b) Carmarthenshire local authority area and (c) Wales in (i) 2017-18 and (ii) 2018-19.
	tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
	tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
	uin	266831
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.</p><p>The government and the BBC agreed this is a fair deal for the BBC - in return we closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, we agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.</p><p>This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.</p><p>On 10 June 2019, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/reports/consultation/age-related-tv-licence-policy" target="_blank">announced</a> that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.</p><p>The table below provides estimates of the costs for 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 and over in the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.</p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m) (Nominal)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(a) Carmarthen East and Dinefwr constituency</strong></p></td><td><p>£0.93</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(b) Carmarthenshire local authority area</strong></p></td><td><p>£2.29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(c) Wales</strong></p></td><td><p>£34.11</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 26/06/2019 16:32:48 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards