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1195133

	registered interest
	date	12/05/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit: Appeals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who requested a mandatory reconsideration of their universal credit claim before the covid-19 outbreak are awaiting the outcome; what the average wait is for universal credit mandatory reconsiderations; and what steps she is taking to ensure that people are supported while waiting for the outcome of those reconsiderations.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	45963
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/05/2020 answer text <p>5% of the Mandatory Reconsiderations recorded prior to the CV19 outbreak are awaiting a decision.</p><p> </p><p>Where a decision has been made, the average time to reach a decision is 26 calendar days.</p><p> </p><p>Benefit claimants may also be eligible for assistance from their local Council through Local Welfare Support schemes. Councils will be able to use funding from the new £500 million Hardship Fund to provide further discretionary support to vulnerable people through other support arrangements such as Local Welfare Schemes.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 29/05/2020 14:48:39 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 22280 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1195135

	registered interest
	date	12/05/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit: Coronavirus
	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 potential merits of amending the eligibility criteria for backdating universal credit payments to include people affected by the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	45964
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>As Universal Credit claims can be made online or, where needed, by calling the Universal Credit helpline, most claims will not require backdating. However, backdating, up to a maximum of one month, is available where the circumstances are such that someone could not reasonably have been expected to claim earlier including due to illness, disability or an official computer system failure.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 19/05/2020 13:42:31 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 22281 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1602048

	registered interest
	date	07/03/2023
	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: Wales
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the average difference between the rent being paid by individuals in receipt of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) and the LHA rate in each local authority in Wales in the most recent period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	160217
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2023 answer text <p>As of August 2022, the average monthly difference between the contractual rent for individuals in receipt of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) and the LHA rate in each Welsh local authority is as below, figures are rounded to the nearest £1:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Local Authority</p></td><td><p>Average Difference between rent and LHA rate</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Blaenau Gwent</p></td><td><p>£87</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bridgend</p></td><td><p>£61</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Caerphilly</p></td><td><p>£82</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cardiff</p></td><td><p>£9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Carmarthenshire</p></td><td><p>£67</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ceredigion</p></td><td><p>£54</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Conwy</p></td><td><p>£78</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Denbighshire</p></td><td><p>£70</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Flintshire</p></td><td><p>£55</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gwynedd</p></td><td><p>£72</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Isle of Anglesey</p></td><td><p>£54</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Merthyr Tydfil</p></td><td><p>£66</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Monmouthshire</p></td><td><p>£98</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Neath Port Talbot</p></td><td><p>£74</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Newport</p></td><td><p>£61</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pembrokeshire</p></td><td><p>£77</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Powys</p></td><td><p>£86</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rhondda Cynon Taf</p></td><td><p>£68</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Swansea</p></td><td><p>£30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Torfaen</p></td><td><p>£62</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Vale of Glamorgan</p></td><td><p>£84</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wrexham</p></td><td><p>£48</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) cases have been excluded due to data quality issues. Average difference figures include both households where the rent paid by individuals is lower than the LHA and households where the rent paid by individuals is higher than the LHA. Positive values relate to where monthly rent is higher than the monthly LHA rate on average in a local authority.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 13/03/2023 17:56:40 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1463172

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Local Housing Allowance: Wales
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the average difference between the rent being paid by individuals in receipt of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) and the LHA rate in each local authority in Wales in the most recent period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	2379
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2022 answer text <p>As of November 2021, the average monthly difference between the rent being paid by individuals in receipt of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) and the LHA rate in each Welsh local authority is as below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Local Authority</p></td><td><p>Average monthly difference between rent and LHA rate</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Blaenau Gwent</p></td><td><p>£75</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bridgend</p></td><td><p>£59</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Caerphilly</p></td><td><p>£69</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cardiff</p></td><td><p>£12</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Carmarthenshire</p></td><td><p>£58</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ceredigion</p></td><td><p>£50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Conwy</p></td><td><p>£74</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Denbighshire</p></td><td><p>£67</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Flintshire</p></td><td><p>£48</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gwynedd</p></td><td><p>£70</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Isle of Anglesey</p></td><td><p>£49</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Merthyr Tydfil</p></td><td><p>£65</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Monmouthshire</p></td><td><p>£91</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Neath Port Talbot</p></td><td><p>£68</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Newport</p></td><td><p>£49</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pembrokeshire</p></td><td><p>£75</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Powys</p></td><td><p>£81</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rhondda Cynon Taf</p></td><td><p>£64</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Swansea</p></td><td><p>£30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Torfaen</p></td><td><p>£59</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Vale of Glamorgan</p></td><td><p>£78</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wrexham</p></td><td><p>£45</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Average difference figures include both households where the rent paid by individuals is lower than the LHA and households where the rent paid by individuals is higher than the LHA. Positive values relate to where monthly rent is higher than the monthly LHA rate on average in a local authority.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 19/05/2022 15:53:52 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1463169

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	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, how many people in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland and (c) England who are only eligible for the Shared Accommodation Local Housing Allowance rate reside in one-bedroom homes.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	2377
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2022 answer text <p>As of November 2021, the information requested is available for people in receipt of Housing Benefit, as follows:</p><p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Number of people entitled to SAR living in a 1-bedroom property</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wales</p></td><td><p>571</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Scotland</p></td><td><p>525</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>12,322</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p /><p>The information requested is not readily available for people in receipt of Universal Credit Housing Element.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 19/05/2022 16:14:39 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1469135

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Care Leavers: Wales
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on (a) the Basic Income Pilot for Care Leavers in Wales and (b) plans for further universal basic income trials in Wales.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	15199
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2022 answer text <p>As part of our regular engagement, my officials are in discussions with their Welsh Government counterparts on the upcoming Basic Income Pilot for Care Leavers in Wales. Further universal basic income trials in Wales are a matter for Welsh Government.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 14/06/2022 14:44:45 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1489414

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Child Maintenance Service: Telephone Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls were made to the Child Maintenance Service telephone line in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	36705
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2022 answer text <p>Calls made to the Child Maintenance Group over the last three years:</p><p> </p><ul><li>In the reporting year April 2019 to March 2020 there were 3,464,411 calls offered to CMG lines and 2,750,564 calls answered.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>In the reporting year April 2020 to March 2021 there were 1,494,693 calls offered to CMG lines and 1,098,457 calls answered.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>In the reporting year April 2021 to March 2022 there were 1,853,671 calls offered to CMG lines and 1,403,895 calls answered.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Calls Offered. - The total volume of calls entering a queue to await answer.</p><p>Calls Answered - The total volume of calls successfully connected to agents from the queue.</p><p> </p><p>Source: Operational MI System (OPMIS) / Historical Management Information (HMI).</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 22/07/2022 09:14:10 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1281820

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	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, how many eligible claimants since March 2020 have had their (a) employment and support allowance or (b) limited capability for work-related activity component of universal credit payments delayed due to being required to attend face-to-face assessments to process their claim.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	144943
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2021 answer text <p>Claimants do not have to wait for a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) before they can be awarded Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or awarded Universal Credit (UC) on the grounds of having a health condition or disability, as they receive an assessment rate for ESA or Standard Allowance of UC while their claim is being assessed. Depending on the outcome of the WCA, some claimants may then be entitled to an additional amount.</p><p> </p><p>For both ESA and UC, claimants will remain on their current award until we gather the evidence needed to make a recommendation or are able to conduct a face to face assessment (or until their benefit is due to end in contributory ESA). Any additional amounts the claimant may qualify for after their assessment will be backdated to ensure no long-term loss.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 02/02/2021 14:46:25 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1304866

	registered interest
	date	22/03/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Disability Living Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the uplift to the disability living allowance for 2021-22 so that it is above the rate of inflation.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	172896
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2021 answer text <p>DLA was most recently uprated by 1.7 per cent from 6 April 2020 and will see a further increase of 0.5% from 12 April 2021, in line with CPI.</p><p> </p><p>The disability benefits are not means–tested and are non-contributory and thus paid regardless of any income or savings. They are also tax-free and worth up to £151.40 a week. DLA can be paid in addition to other financial support that those with a health condition or disability may be eligible for, such as Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit. DLA also passports families to a range of additional support, including Carer’s Allowance, additional amounts and premiums paid within the income-related benefits, such as child disability additions paid within UC, the Blue Badge scheme, or financial help with NHS costs.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 25/03/2021 14:16:57 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1190290

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has plans to increase carer's allowance to reflect the (a) additional care that carers may be providing and (b) financial difficulties they may face as a result of loss of income during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	39479
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2020 answer text <p>DWP has now introduced two important temporary measures to help unpaid carers through the current emergency:</p><ul><li>unpaid carers will be able to continue to claim Carer’s Allowance if they have a temporary break in caring, because they or the person they care for gets coronavirus or if either have to isolate because of it. (Under normal rules there are restrictions on breaks in care, but these have been lifted.); and</li><li>providing “emotional support” (rather than just more traditional forms of care) to a disabled person will also now count towards the Carer’s Allowance threshold of 35 hours of care a week.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The rate of Carer’s Allowance was also increased in early April as part of the annual uprating process. Since 2010, the rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased from £53.90 to £67.25 a week, meaning nearly an additional £700 a year for carers. The standard allowance in Universal Credit has been temporarily increased for the 20/21 tax year by £86.67 per month (equivalent to £20 per week) on top of the planned annual uprating. This additional increase means claimants will be up to £1040 better off. Carers receiving Universal Credit will benefit from this.</p><p> </p><p>Income replacement benefits help people and households on lower incomes, and can include a carer premium, currently £37.50 a week. An equivalent additional amount applies in Pension Credit. Universal Credit also includes a carer element at the rate of £162.92 per monthly assessment period. These amounts recognise the additional contribution and responsibilities associated with caring and mean that lower-income carers can receive more money than others who receive these benefits.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/04/2020 12:33:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams