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1105486

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	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 universal credit claimants are able to deduct the tax relief claimed by relief at source pension schemes from their earned income figure to calculate their award of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	237575
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>100% of contributions to employer pension schemes, whether Net or Relief at Source pensions, will be taken into account when calculating the level of employed earnings in UC. This means that a UC claimant that contributes to either type of pension will, automatically (where employers report the information correctly), have their UC entitlement calculated on their taxable pay, after their pension contribution. This ensures fairness for all affected UC employed claimants.</p><p> </p><p>If there is some discrepancy in the way in which it’s reported, DWP will manually ensure that the Relief at Source pension contribution is deducted before any UC entitlement is calculated on their employed earnings.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 17/06/2019 15:25:05 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1131841

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2019
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June to question 260538, what assistance is available for universal credit claimants who (a) are unable to repay their advance, (b) have already had their repayments deferred for three months, (c) are not eligible for benefit transfer or change of circumstance advances and (d) are still repaying a previous budgeting advance.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	263677
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>A key part of the process for agreeing an advance payment on Universal Credit is ensuring that the claimant can afford to repay it. We will not make advances which encourage recipients to become over-indebted.</p><p> </p><p>The Department encourages all Universal Credit claimants to actively consider how best to manage their personal budget, with additional advice and support available from work coaches and case managers. When an advance payment is appropriate, claimants decide what percentage of their expected monthly award to apply for and over what period to repay it, up to a maximum of 12 monthly instalments.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department does not levy penalties on claimants who do not repay their advance within either a calendar 12 month from taking out the advance, nor where they do not repay the advance in 12 monthly instalments. Outstanding repayments are actively monitored and managed, ensuring we support claimants experiencing financial challenges whilst maintaining responsibility to the taxpayer for recovery.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 263678 question first answered 18/06/2019 15:32:14 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123353 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131842

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2019
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June to Question 260540, what the consequences are for universal credit claimants who are unable to repay their advance within the agreed timescale.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	263678
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>A key part of the process for agreeing an advance payment on Universal Credit is ensuring that the claimant can afford to repay it. We will not make advances which encourage recipients to become over-indebted.</p><p> </p><p>The Department encourages all Universal Credit claimants to actively consider how best to manage their personal budget, with additional advice and support available from work coaches and case managers. When an advance payment is appropriate, claimants decide what percentage of their expected monthly award to apply for and over what period to repay it, up to a maximum of 12 monthly instalments.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department does not levy penalties on claimants who do not repay their advance within either a calendar 12 month from taking out the advance, nor where they do not repay the advance in 12 monthly instalments. Outstanding repayments are actively monitored and managed, ensuring we support claimants experiencing financial challenges whilst maintaining responsibility to the taxpayer for recovery.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 263677 question first answered 18/06/2019 15:32:14 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123355 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1133303

	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	Employment: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps she has taken to support people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in the workplace.
	tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
	tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
	uin	266886
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Access to Work offers practical and financial support with the additional costs faced by individuals whose health or disability affects the way they do their job, including people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).</p><p>Although we do not disaggregate data for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in the Access to Work statistics, last year we published ‘Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff’, which included a case study for an applicant with ME. The individual in question returned to employment in a call centre role after 10 years off due to ill-health. Through Access to Work, they received a suitable chair and keyboard, which greatly reduced the joint pain they had been experiencing and enabled them to stay in the new role.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 12:34:41 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1131847

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2019
	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	Access to Work Programme: Voluntary Work
	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 extending Access to Work to people working on a voluntary basis.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	263749
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>Access to Work supports people who have a health condition or a disability to move into and sustain paid employment. The current scheme does not support unpaid or voluntary work.</p><p> </p><p>However, we recognise the importance of voluntary work and the benefits this can provide in securing paid employment. Access to Work does assist people who have a health condition or a disability to take up voluntary pre-employment opportunities, such as Work Experience and Work Trials, which may lead to paid employment.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 21/06/2019 13:32:15 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1133383

	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	Incapacity Benefit
	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 of funding allocated to incapacity benefit as a proportion of (a) GDP and (b) the GDP average of OECD member states, excluding the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	266847
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>According to latest OECD data, the UK spent 1.85% of its GDP to support disabled people and those with health conditions. The OECD average is 1.93%.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>UK</p></td><td><p>OECD Average (including UK)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total (share of GDP)</p></td><td><p>1.85%</p></td><td><p>1.93%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: <a href="https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?datasetcode=SOCX_AGG" target="_blank">https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?datasetcode=SOCX_AGG</a>, OECD 2015 data (latest data point).</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 12:39:07 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1132056

	registered interest
	date	13/06/2019
	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, if he will bring forward the extension of the repayment period of the Advance Payment Loan available to universal credit claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Ogmore
	tabling member printed	Chris Elmore
	uin	264452
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>Advances are not loans; they are an interest free advance payment of benefit, available to help people who need immediate financial support, which is then recovered over an agreed period.</p><p> </p><p>We have carefully considered the impact and deliverability of the measures announced in the Autumn Budget 2018 for Universal Credit. The delivery dates we announced achieve the best balance between continually improving Universal Credit to respond to claimant need and ensuring the service is technically and operationally scalable as the volumes on Universal Credit continue to rise through 2019 and 2020.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/06/2019 13:14:28 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4572 label Biography information for Chris Elmore

1133190

	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	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, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of training for fit-to-work assessors to assess a person's mental health.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	266653
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>All Healthcare Professionals receive training on how to assess the impact of mental health conditions on individuals. This is followed by on-going professional training and support which continues for the duration of their employment in the role. In addition, Mental Health Function Champions support Healthcare Professionals by providing additional expertise about mental health, cognitive, developmental and learning disabilities and can be referred to at any time during the assessment process.</p><p>Health Assessment Providers frequently engage with medical experts, charities and relevant stakeholders to strengthen, review and update training programmes for all their assessment staff.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 13:17:35 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1131844

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2019
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 6 June to Question 258971, what information her Department holds on the proportion of universal credit claimants who have successfully applied for a reduction in their deduction in the most recent period for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	263679
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>As at 13th June 2019 the proportion of Universal Credit claimants with a benefit overpayment, who have successfully applied for a reduction in the rate at which they are repaying that overpayment, was 9.2%.</p><p> </p><p>The Department ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants who have deductions from their benefit to repay overpayments. If a claimant is struggling they can contact the Department’s Debt Management Team to discuss lowering their repayment rate. Any adjustment to the rate of repayment will be based on the individual circumstances of the claimant.</p><p> </p><p><em>*The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was never intended for public release. It is not comparable to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department.</em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/06/2019 16:22:13 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123356 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1132257

	registered interest
	date	14/06/2019
	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 much her Department has spent from the public purse on defending legal cases in relation to people formerly in receipt of severe disability premium that have transferred to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
	uin	264775
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>As at 14<sup>th</sup> June 2019, the Department has spent £131,399.50 on legal costs defending and appealing the cases in relation to people formerly in receipt of Severe Disability premium that have transferred to Universal Credit, broken down as follows<em>.</em></p><p> </p><p>The Department has spent £91,528.68 on legal costs defending and appealing the case of <em>TP and AR v SSWP.</em> The Department has spent £39,870.82 on legal costs defending and appealing the case of <em>TP, AR and SXC v SSWP.</em> These figures include Government Legal Department litigation fees, counsel’s fees and other disbursements, as well as VAT where payable. This does not include payment of any costs paid or which may be owed to the claimants’ solicitors.</p><p> </p><p>Time spent by Government advisory lawyers is not recorded in a manner that allows it to be attributed to individual cases. Time spent by policy officials supporting lawyers is not recorded.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 264776 question first answered 19/06/2019 16:04:58 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood