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1716914

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2024
	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: Equality
	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 7 March 2024 to Question 17024 on Department for Work and Pensions: Equality, how many people work in the (a) Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing and (b) specialist equalities team.
	tabling member constituency	Harborough
	tabling member printed	Neil O'Brien
	uin	25560
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>In the EDIW team, part of the wider HR function on the 1<sup>st</sup> May there were 25 people.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>As of the 13<sup>th</sup> May 2024, there is a headcount of 29 people on the Customer Accessibility, Standards and Assurance (CASA) team driving forward changes as part of continuous improvement. The team is developing an assurance framework and a clear set of standards to support the change process in the department.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 15/05/2024 13:40:00 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien

1716544

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2024
	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 steps his Department is taking to help increase the uptake of Pension Credit in (a) Wallasey constituency, (b) Wirral, (c) the North West and (d) United Kingdom.
	tabling member constituency	Wallasey
	tabling member printed	Dame Angela Eagle
	uin	25171
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>To raise awareness of Pension Credit and increase take-up, the Department launched a nationwide marketing and communications campaign in April 2022.</p><p> </p><p>Nationally, the campaign has included advertising on TV, broadcast radio and in newspapers; in medical centre and Post Office screens; as well as advertising on buses and digital street displays. Online marketing activity has also included social media, internet search engines and sponsored advertising on targeted websites that pensioners, their friends and family are likely to visit.</p><p> </p><p>We have also been promoting Pension Credit at a local level in regional newspapers (including Liverpool Echo, Blackpool Gazette, Bolton News, Lancashire Evening Post, Manchester Evening News); and on local radio (stations such as Capital radio in Lancashire, Liverpool, Manchester and Greatest Hits Radio in Blackpool and Bolton).</p><p> </p><p>There is a strong indication that the campaign has had a positive impact and has resulted in an unprecedented number of Pension Credit applications.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is building on this success through a range of creative no-cost media campaigns to boost awareness of the benefit. We are also engaging with stakeholders, including other Government Departments, Councils, and charities, in order to harness their help and support to raise awareness through their networks and channels. For example, we will be holding a Pension Credit Week of Action commencing on 10 June. As in previous years, this will be an opportunity to collaborate with all our partners to maximise awareness of Pension Credit and to encourage eligible pensioners to make a claim.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 14/05/2024 10:35:47 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	491 label Biography information for Dame Angela Eagle

1716029

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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, for what reason the address to which to submit pre-action correspondence to his Department changed from DWP Legal Advisers to the Treasury Solicitor in January 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Battersea
	tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
	uin	25035
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The relevant pre-action protocol continues to require, as it did before 1<sup>st</sup> January 2024, that pre-action correspondence be sent to the place where the decision was made, i.e. to the address on the letter notifying the decision. Once a claim is issued, service should be on the Treasury Solicitor.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 15/05/2024 13:39:25 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

1716030

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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, what steps his Department has taken to communicate to benefits advisers the change of address to which to submit pre-action correspondence relating to his Department.
	tabling member constituency	Battersea
	tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
	uin	25036
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The relevant pre-action protocol continues to require, as it did before 1<sup>st</sup> January 2024, that pre-action correspondence be sent to the place where the decision was made. There has therefore been no change to communicate.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 15/05/2024 13:36:36 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

1716031

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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 pre-action correspondence relating to his Department have been (a) received by the Treasury Solicitor and (b) responded to since 1 January 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Battersea
	tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
	uin	25037
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The Department responds to a range of correspondence badged by the sender as “pre-action”, sent into a variety of offices across DWP. These are handled on a case-by-case basis. It does not currently collect data that can answer the question asked, and nor is there a requirement for it to do so.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 15/05/2024 13:38:32 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

1716032

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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, what the average time is between pre-action correspondence relating to his Department being (a) received by the Treasury Solicitor and (b) responded to in the latest period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Battersea
	tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
	uin	25038
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The Department responds to a range of correspondence badged by the sender as “pre-action”, sent into a variety of offices across DWP. These are handled on a case-by-case basis. It does not currently collect data that can answer the question asked, and nor is there a requirement for it to do so.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 15/05/2024 13:35:05 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

1716053

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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: ICT
	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 guidance by the Central Digital and Data Office entitled Guidance on the Legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework, published on 29 September 2023, how many red-rated IT systems are used by his Department; and how many red-rated IT systems have been identified since 4 December 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Reading East
	tabling member printed	Matt Rodda
	uin	25012
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to a previous response I provided to Question <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-11-24/3652" target="_blank">UIN 3652.</a> There have been no changes following the previous response. We continually monitor our Legacy IT systems to ensure any emerging risks are recorded and managed effectively.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 13/05/2024 16:38:40 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4654 label Biography information for Matt Rodda

1716138

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Attendance Allowance: Employment
	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 receipt of Attendance Allowance are in paid employment.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	24973
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>The requested information is not available.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 14/05/2024 10:38:58 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1716187

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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 child maintenance cases were moved from collect and pay to direct pay in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.
	tabling member constituency	West Lancashire
	tabling member printed	Ashley Dalton
	uin	25127
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates 2 service types: Direct Pay and Collect and Pay. In Direct Pay cases, the CMS provides a maintenance calculation and issues a payment schedule, but the payments are arranged privately between the receiving parent and the paying parent. In Collect and Pay, the CMS collects the maintenance from the paying parent and transfers it to the receiving parent.</p><p>Since Direct Pay was introduced, the CMS has made several improvements to how the service operates. The importance of full and on-time maintenance payments is emphasised in all cases and the CMS will notify parents at the start of every case, and at each annual review, what to do if their arrangement breaks down.</p><p>The CMS also sends SMS messages to all receiving parents using the Direct Pay service to remind them to contact the CMS if their maintenance arrangement is not working. My Child Maintenance Case, which is a parent’s online service account with the CMS, also reminds parents to check their bank account for receipt of direct payments and encourages digital reporting of any missed payments.</p><p>If a Direct Pay arrangement breaks down, the case will be moved to Collect and Pay where the CMS collects the money from the paying parent and transfers it to the receiving parent. Further enforcement action can also be taken if parents continue to fail to pay.</p><p>Government takes the issue of domestic abuse extremely seriously and recognises that domestic abuse often continues and can worsen after separation, which can have detrimental impacts on the welfare of children.</p><p>The CMS has procedures in place to ensure victims and survivors of domestic abuse can use its services safely. Of 29,000 new applications to the CMS in the quarter ending December 2023, 56% of applications were exempt from the application fee, largely on the grounds of domestic abuse.</p><p>The CMS recognises that domestic abuse can take many forms including physical, emotional, or financial abuse, violent or threatening behaviour and coercive control and has procedures in place to ensure domestic abuse cases are handled appropriately.</p><p>For parents using the Direct Pay service, the CMS can act as an intermediary to facilitate the exchange of bank details to help ensure there is no unwanted contact between parents and can provide information on how to set up bank accounts with a centralised sort code, which reduces the risk of a parent’s location being traced. CMS caseworkers will also signpost, where needed, to suitable domestic abuse organisations, if domestic abuse is raised or suspected.</p><p>The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the CMS. Latest statistics are available up to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-december-2023" target="_blank">December 2023</a>, with statistics for the number of child maintenance cases moved from collect and pay to direct pay shown in ‘Table 4: Service Type Changes, Great Britain, October 2015 to December 2023’ of the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6601806ff1d3a0666832ac65/national-tables-child-maintenance-service-to-december-2023.ods" target="_blank">National tables</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested in relation to how many child maintenance cases were moved from collect and pay to direct pay where the child maintenance service was aware of domestic abuse in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023, is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p><p>The Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 28 June 2023 following a Private Members Bill that had full Government support. We announced a consultation early 2024 to seek views on how the CMS collects and transfers maintenance.</p><p> </p><p>On 8 May, the Department published a public consultation, Improving the Collection and Transfer of Payments, which follows the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023 receiving Royal Assent. The consultation proposes to remove the Direct Pay service completely, which will go further than the measures set out in the Act and provide the same level of protection for all parents.</p><p> </p><p>The consultation closes 31<sup>st</sup> July 2024. The Government will then carefully consider the feedback and a response will be published.</p><p> </p><p>To find out more information go to: Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard grouped question UIN 25128 25129 question first answered 15/05/2024 13:49:18 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4981 label Biography information for Ashley Dalton

1716188

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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 child maintenance cases were moved from collect and pay to direct pay where the child maintenance service was aware of domestic abuse in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.
	tabling member constituency	West Lancashire
	tabling member printed	Ashley Dalton
	uin	25128
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates 2 service types: Direct Pay and Collect and Pay. In Direct Pay cases, the CMS provides a maintenance calculation and issues a payment schedule, but the payments are arranged privately between the receiving parent and the paying parent. In Collect and Pay, the CMS collects the maintenance from the paying parent and transfers it to the receiving parent.</p><p>Since Direct Pay was introduced, the CMS has made several improvements to how the service operates. The importance of full and on-time maintenance payments is emphasised in all cases and the CMS will notify parents at the start of every case, and at each annual review, what to do if their arrangement breaks down.</p><p>The CMS also sends SMS messages to all receiving parents using the Direct Pay service to remind them to contact the CMS if their maintenance arrangement is not working. My Child Maintenance Case, which is a parent’s online service account with the CMS, also reminds parents to check their bank account for receipt of direct payments and encourages digital reporting of any missed payments.</p><p>If a Direct Pay arrangement breaks down, the case will be moved to Collect and Pay where the CMS collects the money from the paying parent and transfers it to the receiving parent. Further enforcement action can also be taken if parents continue to fail to pay.</p><p>Government takes the issue of domestic abuse extremely seriously and recognises that domestic abuse often continues and can worsen after separation, which can have detrimental impacts on the welfare of children.</p><p>The CMS has procedures in place to ensure victims and survivors of domestic abuse can use its services safely. Of 29,000 new applications to the CMS in the quarter ending December 2023, 56% of applications were exempt from the application fee, largely on the grounds of domestic abuse.</p><p>The CMS recognises that domestic abuse can take many forms including physical, emotional, or financial abuse, violent or threatening behaviour and coercive control and has procedures in place to ensure domestic abuse cases are handled appropriately.</p><p>For parents using the Direct Pay service, the CMS can act as an intermediary to facilitate the exchange of bank details to help ensure there is no unwanted contact between parents and can provide information on how to set up bank accounts with a centralised sort code, which reduces the risk of a parent’s location being traced. CMS caseworkers will also signpost, where needed, to suitable domestic abuse organisations, if domestic abuse is raised or suspected.</p><p>The Department publishes quarterly statistics for the CMS. Latest statistics are available up to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-statistics-data-to-december-2023" target="_blank">December 2023</a>, with statistics for the number of child maintenance cases moved from collect and pay to direct pay shown in ‘Table 4: Service Type Changes, Great Britain, October 2015 to December 2023’ of the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6601806ff1d3a0666832ac65/national-tables-child-maintenance-service-to-december-2023.ods" target="_blank">National tables</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested in relation to how many child maintenance cases were moved from collect and pay to direct pay where the child maintenance service was aware of domestic abuse in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023, is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p><p>The Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 28 June 2023 following a Private Members Bill that had full Government support. We announced a consultation early 2024 to seek views on how the CMS collects and transfers maintenance.</p><p> </p><p>On 8 May, the Department published a public consultation, Improving the Collection and Transfer of Payments, which follows the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023 receiving Royal Assent. The consultation proposes to remove the Direct Pay service completely, which will go further than the measures set out in the Act and provide the same level of protection for all parents.</p><p> </p><p>The consultation closes 31<sup>st</sup> July 2024. The Government will then carefully consider the feedback and a response will be published.</p><p> </p><p>To find out more information go to: Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard grouped question UIN 25127 25129 question first answered 15/05/2024 13:49:18 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4981 label Biography information for Ashley Dalton