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1010287

	registered interest
	date	19/11/2018
	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, for what reasons MPs offices have implicit consent arrangements for universal credit applications and advice services require explicit consent to support claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	192887
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2018 answer text <p>On 13 March 2017 <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2017-03-13/HCWS528/" target="_blank">Written Statement - HCWS528</a> outlined the implicit consent arrangements for MPs.</p><p>Where explicit consent is needed it can be quickly given in different ways. For example, claimants only need to put a note in their journal to give consent; this is a far simpler and more straightforward process than in legacy systems. Once consent is given, advisers will work with the claimant’s representatives.</p><p>In our response to the Social Security Advisory Committee we agreed to explore options for improving the process of explicit consent in relation to Universal Credit in collaboration with the Committee to consider how current practices could be enhanced and to publish a report on our joint conclusions.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 27/11/2018 17:56:29 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1027356

	registered interest
	date	17/12/2018
	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	Unemployment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help people that are unable to find full-time employment.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	202850
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/12/2018 answer text <p>Jobcentre Plus work coaches offer all claimants, including those unable to find full-time employment, a comprehensive package of support, including skills provision and job search support. Work coaches are further supported by specialist expertise, both in-house and external, to help claimants with more complex barriers to enter employment.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is helping claimants to find work by providing an enhanced level of tailored support. This includes back to work support, such as volunteering opportunities, skills support and work experience. Claimants may also be able to access the Flexible Support Fund, which is a flexible and discretionary fund which provides non-repayable support to claimants, in financial need, to move into work.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 27/12/2018 11:50:07 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1035251

	registered interest
	date	04/01/2019
	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: Christmas Bonus
	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 financial saving to the public purse as a result of removing the Christmas £10 bonus from universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	205411
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2019 answer text <p>The Department has not made an estimate. As outlined in the answer to Question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2018-12-18/HL12406/" target="_blank">HL12406</a> on 7 January 2019, the income-related working age benefits that Universal Credit replaces were not treated as a qualifying benefit for Christmas Bonuses and therefore the payment of Universal Credit does not directly produce entitlement to a Christmas Bonus.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 14/01/2019 18:00:58 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1059859

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2019
	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: Telephone Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time is for a call to the universal credit hotline to be answered.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	220206
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit is a 24 hour, seven day a week, digital service that allows claimants to manage their own data and account online at a time which is convenient for them. Via their account claimants can check their Universal Credit benefit payments, notify us of changes and record notes via an online journal facility. In addition, established claimants who call the Freephone Universal Credit helpline are connected directly to the person or team who are dealing with the case.</p><p> </p><p>The average waiting time for a person calling the Universal Credit Full Service helpline in the month of January 2019 was 4 minutes and 53 seconds.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Our Average Speed of Answer (ASA) measure is the average customer wait time from the point of entering a queue to connection to an agent. This excludes any time spent in pre-queue messaging and any wait time for calls ultimately abandoned by callers prior to answer.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p> </p><p>Data Source: BT - OPMIS and Historical Management Information (GI2 – HMI)</p><p>Outsourced partner data is included.</p><p>The data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The data should therefore be treated with caution.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/02/2019 17:48:33 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1059864

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2019
	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 meetings at job centres for universal credit claimants have been missed due to ill health in each year for which information is available.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	220209
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>The requested information is not readily available as the Department does not centrally collate information on the reasons a claimant might give for not attending an appointment. Where a claimant has a health condition we will apply easements to their conditionality and we may postpone or reschedule their appointment. If a claimant fails to attend a meeting due to a health condition, we would consider a temporary period of sickness or medical emergency to be a good reason for this.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/02/2019 17:28:54 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1059867

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2019
	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: Disqualification
	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 is taking steps to reduce universal credit claimants' anxiety of the threat of sanctions.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	220210
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>Work coach discussions with claimants are designed to provide people with help and support. They will agree claimant commitments which are reasonable and tailored to take account of individual circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Work coaches must make clear, in a consultative and helpful manner, the potential consequences of failing to comply without good reason with the agreed commitments. They highlight that sanctions are not imposed lightly and only where the claimant has no good reason for failing to meet their commitments. They also explain the importance of letting their work coach know if they have difficulty meeting a commitment, e.g. telling us why they cannot make a work coach appointment. When considering if someone has good reason, the work coach will clarify if other factors should be taken into account, e.g. health condition, complex need or vulnerability.</p><p> </p><p>When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good cause, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/02/2019 17:45:04 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1012298

	registered interest
	date	22/11/2018
	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: Children
	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 an update to the Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children published in April 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow Central
	tabling member printed	Alison Thewliss
	uin	194701
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2018 answer text <p>We have committed to monitoring the impact of this policy over time. On 28 June 2018, we published the first annual statistics related to the operation of this policy. We intend to continue to publish these statistics annually going forward.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 27/11/2018 17:56:05 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4430 label Biography information for Alison Thewliss

1006211

	registered interest
	date	13/11/2018
	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 cases relating to universal credit have been referred to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	190820
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is independent of Government, therefore we do not hold this information.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/11/2018 16:22:07 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1041602

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2019
	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: Havering
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit claimants have been migrated to universal credit since June 2018 in the Havering Borough Council area.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	208805
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2019 answer text <p>Claimants move from existing benefits to Universal Credit when they experience a significant change in their circumstances that triggers a new claim to benefit. We do not centrally collate the number of claimants that have made a new claim to Universal Credit as a result of such a change in circumstances</p><p> </p><p>As set out in Written Ministerial Statement <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-01-11/HCWS1243/" target="_blank">HCWS1243</a>, moving legacy benefit and tax credit claimants where there is no change of circumstance across to Universal Credit will begin with a pilot in July 2019. This pilot will initially involve no more than 10,000 claimants. Testing the system and our processes will allow us to make sure we can provide the best possible service to those who are moved to Universal Credit. The movement of these legacy benefit and tax credit claimants will be completed, as planned, by the end of 2023.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 23/01/2019 16:52:05 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1051328

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2019
	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, with reference to the High Court decision in R (Johnson, Woods, Barrett and Stewart) v SSWP CO/1552/2018, what recent estimate she has made of the number of claimants that have received less money as a result of the incorrect interpretations of the Regulations relating to universal credit’s assessment periods.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff North
	tabling member printed	Anna McMorrin
	uin	214621
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department is carefully considering the High Court’s Judgment and it is therefore not appropriate to comment further at this stage.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 07/02/2019 09:52:01 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4632 label Biography information for Anna McMorrin