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1011577

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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
	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 proportion of benefit claimants affected by the benefits cap who are required to seek employment as a condition of their claim.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	194080
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>The official statistics show that 19% of households who had their Housing Benefit capped in August 2018 were claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and as such are required to seek employment as a condition of their benefit receipt.</p><p> </p><p>The official statistics also show 51% of households who had their Housing Benefit capped in August 2018 were in receipt of Income Support. Those receiving Income Support and other benefits covered by the cap, are required to take steps towards work as part of their benefit entitlement and they are able to undertake some work. They are expected to attend regular work focussed interviews and undertake activities designed to help them prepare for and move closer to the labour market in return for the financial support they receive through the benefits system.</p><p> </p><p>Between April 2013 and August 2018, 70% (140,000) of households that have previously had their Housing Benefit capped are no longer capped at August 2018. Of these households, 52,000 were exempt with an open Working Tax Credit claim at the time they moved off the cap, indicating that they moved into work. This is 39% of those no longer capped.</p><p> </p><p>The department is unable to provide corresponding figures under Universal Credit. The Department published its Universal Credit experimental statistics future release strategy on the 12 June 2018 in response to the public consultation on future Universal Credit statistics, see <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-statistics-background-information/universal-credit-statistics-release-strategy" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-statistics-background-information/universal-credit-statistics-release-strategy</a>.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/11/2018 14:30:17 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1037866

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2019
	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	Housing Benefit: Wales
	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 amount her Department has spent on housing benefit in each local authority area in Wales in each year for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	206264
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2019 answer text <p>Housing Benefit expenditure by Local Authority from 1996/97 to 2017/18 is published on GOV.uk at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/741593/hb-and-ctb-by-la-2017-18.ods" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/741593/hb-and-ctb-by-la-2017-18.ods</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 11/01/2019 09:45:52 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1050592

	registered interest
	date	29/01/2019
	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	Social Security Benefits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any claimants featured in her Department's promotional materials have received payment for doing so in each of the last four years.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	213965
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2019 answer text None of the claimants sharing their stories in the Department’s promotional materials have received payment for doing so in each of the last four years.     answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 04/02/2019 14:08:19 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1055293

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2019
	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	Social Security Benefits: Fraud
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many times her Department has received information on the activities of benefit claimants from territorial police forces in each of the last eight years.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	216979
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to reducing both fraud and error and considers all referrals of suspected benefit fraud. Information is received from a variety of different sources, including members of the public, local authorities, members of staff, data matching and the police.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>There is no mandatory requirement for any police force within the United Kingdom to make referrals of suspected benefit fraud to DWP. Where information is received, DWP will check to see if there are grounds for further investigation, as with any potential benefit fraud allegation.</p><p> </p><p>The table below shows the total volume of referrals received from 2010/11 – 2017/18 where the referral source is noted as ‘police’.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2010/11</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011/12</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Police referrals to DWP</strong></p></td><td><p>2,200</p></td><td><p>1,900</p></td><td><p>2,300</p></td><td><p>2,600</p></td><td><p>2,300</p></td><td><p>3,500</p></td><td><p>3,500</p></td><td><p>3,500</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><em> *All figures have </em><em>been rounded to the nearest 100.</em></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/02/2019 12:19:38 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1059895

	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	Social Security Benefits: Fraud
	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 8 February 2019 to Question 216979 on Social Security Benefits, if she will list the top 10 territorial police forces which most frequently submitted information on the activities of benefit claimants to her Department in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	220104
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions does not record which police force submitted any referral. When a referral is received from the police, the source type is simply listed as “police”.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 18/02/2019 15:19:46 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1059897

	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	Social Security Benefits: Fraud
	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 8 February 2019 to Question 216979 on Social Security Benefits, which police referrals to her Department related to (a) universal credit, b) personal independence payments and (c) employment support allowance claimants in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	220105
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is committed to reducing both fraud and error and considers all referrals of suspected benefit fraud. Information is received from a variety of different sources, including members of the public, local authorities, members of staff, data matching and the police.</p><p> </p><p>There is no mandatory requirement for any police force within the United Kingdom to make referrals of suspected benefit fraud to DWP. Where information is received, DWP will check to see if there are grounds for further investigation, as with any potential benefit fraud allegation.</p><p> </p><p>The table below shows the total volume of referrals received for the requested benefits in each of the last three years where the referral source is noted as ‘police’.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Universal Credit</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Personal Independence Payment</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Employment Support Allowance</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p>180</p></td><td><p>890</p></td><td><p>1,510</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td><td><p>470</p></td><td><p>1,100</p></td><td><p>1,340</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2018/19 YTD</strong></p></td><td><p>402</p></td><td><p>650</p></td><td><p>670</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><em>*Please note that all figures are rounded to the nearest 10.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 18/02/2019 14:34:32 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1060847

	registered interest
	date	13/02/2019
	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	Social Security Benefits: Fraud
	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 8 February 2019 to Question 216979 on Social Security Benefits, what proportion of referrals from territorial police forces to her Department were made at the request of her Department.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	220805
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2019 answer text <p>Whilst fraud referrals help the Department for Work and Pensions tackle fraud and error, the Department does not request referrals from the police and there is no obligation on either the police or members of the public to provide referrals.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 18/02/2019 16:12:54 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1061330

	registered interest
	date	14/02/2019
	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	Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what mechanisms the Government uses for recording trends in poverty at the (a) national, (b) regional and (c) local authority level.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	221655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>Trends in rates of low-income nationally and regionally are published in the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. The latest publication is available <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201617" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p> </p><p>HBAI data cannot be used to produce breakdowns at local authority level as it is based on data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS), an annual survey of approximately 20,000 households across the UK. FRS sample size and coverage issues means that results broken down below the level of UK region are unlikely to be reliable. For alternative sub-regional sources, please see pages 58-59 of the HBAI Quality and Methodology report <a href="http://doc.ukdataservice.ac.uk/doc/7196/mrdoc/pdf/hbai_16_17_quality_and_methodology.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 19/02/2019 17:14:26 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1064080

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2019
	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	Social Security Benefits: Fraud
	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 February 2019 to Question 220104 on Social Security Benefits: Fraud, if she will make it her policy to record which police forces her Department has received information from.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	223480
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2019 answer text <p>The system employed by the Department to manage fraud and compliance referrals does not have the facility to capture this information. Making alterations to this system would incur a cost to the taxpayer which the Department cannot justify as it has no business reason to add this functionality.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 25/02/2019 12:40:11 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1064445

	registered interest
	date	20/02/2019
	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	Social Security Benefits: Fraud
	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 has any (a) formal and (b) informal sharing agreements with police forces in relation to referrals relating to suspected benefit fraud.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	223970
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) National Disclosure Unit provides a service for the whole of the UK, handling all requests to disclose information to police forces and other law enforcement agencies. This service is provided under the Data Protection Act, Section 29 (3) for the purposes of preventing and detecting crime, and is done to a standard set out in a Memorandum of Understanding agreed with the Association of Chief Police Officers.</p><p> </p><p>If, during the course of a Police investigation there is a suggestion of a DWP related offence, as with any third party, there is an established gateway in place for the Police to refer this information to DWP.</p><p> </p><p>Evidence received from a 3<sup>rd</sup> party can be used as a starting point for an investigation. However, DWP takes great care to corroborate any information received to substantiate (or otherwise) any allegation to ensure DWP is directing its resources appropriately.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 25/02/2019 15:13:09 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane