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1133454

	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of those eligible for Pension Credit are taking up that benefit.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Blackstone
	uin	HL16489
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>Latest National Statistics estimate that 60 per cent of those eligible for Pension Credit are in receipt of it.</p><p><em> </em></p><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 GOV.UK, 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 claimants can use the Pension Credit toolkit 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 on Gov.UK</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 printed Baroness Buscombe grouped question UIN HL16491 question first answered 03/07/2019 12:41:23 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	3561 label Biography information for Baroness Blackstone

1133456

	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to increase the take-up of Pension Credit.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Blackstone
	uin	HL16491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>Latest National Statistics estimate that 60 per cent of those eligible for Pension Credit are in receipt of it.</p><p><em> </em></p><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 GOV.UK, 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 claimants can use the Pension Credit toolkit 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 on Gov.UK</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 printed Baroness Buscombe grouped question UIN HL16489 question first answered 03/07/2019 12:41:23 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	3561 label Biography information for Baroness Blackstone

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

1133002

	registered interest
	date	18/06/2019
	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	Migrant Workers: Qualifications
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the IPPR report Measuring the benefits of integration: The value of tackling skills underutilisation published 18 June 2019, what assessment her Department has made of the number of migrants in the UK employed in positions for which they are overqualified.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	266100
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The department has made no assessment of the number of migrants in the UK employed in positions for which they are overqualified.</p><p>We are working closely with the Department for Education, Mayoral Combined Authorities/Local Enterprise Partnerships, learning providers and employers to develop Local Industrial Strategies and implement Skills Advisory Panels within local areas which will help achieve a better balance between skills supply and labour market demand in local areas.</p><p>We are building evidence to develop an understanding of what works to support people on Universal Credit, who are working, to progress. One of the ways in which people can progress is to consider their skills and abilities. We wish to ensure that claimants make good decisions that are right for them, as well as understanding their barriers and support needs. Our programme of research and testing seeks to deliver this evidence to help us support people to reach their potential.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 02/07/2019 12:09:49 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma previous answer version 124932 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1132641

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 6 June (HL15922), whether the information provided about deductions in the Universal Credit statement includes information about how much debt is left to pay and the recovery rate being applied.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL16419
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>This information is not currently included on a claimant’s Universal Credit statement.</p><p> </p><p>Under Universal Credit there is a structured and simplified approach to deductions from benefit. Claimants can view their Universal credit statement online to see how their award is calculated and a breakdown of what deductions are being made, supporting them to manage their financial obligations.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 01/07/2019 14:21:27 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

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

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 Lord 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 Lord 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 Lord Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

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 Lord Sharma
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith