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1718294

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2024
	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: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps their Department is taking to support the Disability Confident scheme; how many officials in their Department work directly on supporting that scheme; what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of that work in supporting the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of disabled people in their Department; and what further steps they are taking to support their Department’s recruitment and retention of disabled people.
	tabling member constituency	Romsey and Southampton North
	tabling member printed	Caroline Nokes
	uin	26425
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>DWP as part of its Policy portfolio is responsible for the administration of the Disability Confident Scheme – but this answer relates to how DWP as an employer uses and supports Disability Confident. DWP is committed to Disability Confident and back in November 2023 was re-accredited for the next three years as a Disability Confident Leader – the top-level award. In June 2023, 22% of DWP staff indicated that they had a disability (an increase of 3.7% compared to June 2021) and 13.6% of Senior Civil Servants in the department declared a disability (an increase of 1.6% compared to June 2021) – hence support in this space is a departmental priority.</p><p> </p><p>There are no officials working specifically on Disability Confident outside of policy group in DWP – but we do have a Disability Lead working in our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing team who supported the co-ordination of the evidence.</p><p> </p><p>As part of this submission DWP provided a large amount of evidence on the good practice that is happening with a focus on disability. This included but was not limited to:</p><ul><li>A review of the Workplace Adjustments processes, with a focus on ensuring adjustments are quicker and easier to put in place.</li><li>Supporting our THRIVE network – an EDI Network focussed on supporting colleagues with a Disability or long-term limiting condition.</li><li>Ensuring products and services offered to colleagues are accessible – both physical spaces managed by estates and virtual digital spaces.</li><li>Establishing a centre of expertise for resourcing, which includes a team focused on diversity and inclusion in recruitment – the team leads on ensuring our recruitment processes are inclusive, fair and open for all.</li><li>All recruitment follows the fair, open and on merit principles and is name-blind to provide anonymity and prevent bias in the process. Specific guidance is also provided to hiring managers including DWP Recruitment of Disabled People Guide and Supporting Disabled Employees: Line Manager’s Best Practice Guide.</li><li>The department has been awarded Disability Confident Leader and RNIB Visibly Better Employer status which is promoted on Civil Service Jobs adverts, diverse jobs boards, social media, and Civil Service Careers websites.</li><li>Taking all reasonable steps to overcome any barriers that may impede people with any kind of disability including mental ill-health. Our recruitment process allows for reasonable adjustments to be instigated on an individual basis and considered at each stage of the recruitment process.</li><li>Trialling new approaches across the recruitment and selection process to understand their impacts on diversity outcomes. This results in new approaches being adopted where data shows they work such as the implementation of sharing interview questions in advance of interview into recruitment policy in June 2023.</li></ul> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 20/05/2024 14:02:36 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes

1718474

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2024
	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	State Retirement Pensions: Women
	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 Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman report into the changes to Women’s State Pension Age, published on 21 March 2024, if he will bring forward proposals for a compensation scheme by 23 July 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
	tabling member printed	Dame Andrea Jenkyns
	uin	26519
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>In laying the report before Parliament at the end of March, the Ombudsman has brought matters to the attention of this House. A further update to the House will be provided once the report's findings have been fully considered. This work is ongoing.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 20/05/2024 15:28:33 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1718475

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2024
	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	State Retirement Pensions: Women
	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 assessment of the potential impact of changes to the State Pension age on women born in the 1950s in Morley and Outwood constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
	tabling member printed	Dame Andrea Jenkyns
	uin	26520
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>We do not hold regional figures on the impact of changes to State Pension age.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 20/05/2024 15:03:32 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1717905

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance: Wales
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Carer’s Allowance overpayments relating to earnings conditions were made to people living in Wales in each of the last three financial years.
	tabling member constituency	Neath
	tabling member printed	Christina Rees
	uin	26185
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>We are unable to provide a response to this request as it is not possible for us to identify the data requested by geographic location.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 20/05/2024 15:06:58 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4525 label Biography information for Christina Rees

1717906

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance: Wales
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Carer's Allowance overpayments to people living in Wales there were for the value of (a) £0.01 to £500, (b) £500.01 to £1,000, (c) £1,000.01 to £5,000, (d) £5,000.01 to £20,000 and (e) more than £20,000 in financial years (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24.
	tabling member constituency	Neath
	tabling member printed	Christina Rees
	uin	26186
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>We are unable to provide a response to this request as it is not possible for us to identify the data requested by geographic location.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 20/05/2024 15:13:52 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4525 label Biography information for Christina Rees

1717915

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2024
	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 and State Retirement Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England (i) receive the basic state pension, (ii) receive pension credit and (iii) are eligible for pension credit but do not claim it; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all pensioners receive their full entitlement to pension credit.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
	tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
	uin	26175
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2024 answer text <p>Caseload statistics are routinely published and made publicly available via <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/dataCatalogueExplorer.xhtml" target="_blank">DWP Stat-xplore</a>. The figures below show the Pension Credit and Basic State Pension caseloads in each area:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Pension Credit</p></td><td><p>Basic State Pension</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Coventry North East Constituency</p></td><td><p>2,873</p></td><td><p>10,083</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Coventry</p></td><td><p>7,168</p></td><td><p>33,981</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North West</p></td><td><p>131,692</p></td><td><p>773,219</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>1,160,826</p></td><td><p>7,190,718</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-ending-2022" target="_blank">Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>. These statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to promote Pension Credit through our national awareness campaign, which has been ongoing since April 2022 and has included advertising on national TV, newspapers, broadcast radio, on social media and via internet search engines as well as on screens in Post Offices and GP surgeries.</p><p> </p><p>At the start of 2024 - as in previous years - the DWP wrote to over 11 million pensioners as part of the annual State Pension up-rating exercise. The accompanying leaflet included prominent messaging promoting Pension Credit using the 'call to action' messaging from the communication campaign, including how Pension Credit opens the door to other financial help such as housing costs, Council Tax and heating bills.</p><p> </p><p>There is a strong indication that the campaign has had a positive impact. The latest available figures covering the 3 months to November 2023 show that there were over 28 thousand more households in receipt the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit than in May 2022.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 17/05/2024 12:17:34 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher

1717997

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2024
	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: Email
	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 assessment of the potential merits of expanding the use of e-mail to communicate with his Department's customers.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	26076
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2024 answer text <p>DWP utilises technology which allows encryption with most providers of personal email services, such as Gmail or Outlook, helping this stay secure. As such, email communication with customers is currently permitted in certain circumstances, for example, where the customer has a reasonable adjustment in place.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is keen to utilise the benefits provided by email communication, as part of its work in modernising customer contact channels to deliver modernised services. The department is currently exploring a number of specific possibilities to expand its use of outbound email to communicate with customers, recently testing sending of notifications via email to overseas customers in areas where the postal system is unreliable.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 17/05/2024 12:09:44 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1718000

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2024
	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 and what proportion of cases in which domestic abuse was disclosed were referred by the Child Maintenance Service to an Advanced Customer Support Senior Leader in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Glenrothes
	tabling member printed	Peter Grant
	uin	26178
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2024 answer text <p>The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) 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. CMS therefore continues to evolve and make positive changes to the way we deliver our service and to support our case workers.</p><p>We have measures in place to ensure victims and survivors of domestic abuse can access and use our services safely.</p><p>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 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>. Table 2 of the 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> provides the volume of applications and volume of those with an exemption due to domestic abuse for the period 2021-2023.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Quarter of Application</strong></p></td><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Application Fee Exemptions due to Domestic Abuse</strong></p></td><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Total Application Fee Exemptions</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Percentage of Applications with an Exemption</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>[note 1]</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan to Mar 2021</p></td><td><p>10,500</p></td><td><p>10,600</p></td><td><p>58%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Apr to Jun 2021</p></td><td><p>11,800</p></td><td><p>11,900</p></td><td><p>60%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jul to Sep 2021</p></td><td><p>12,400</p></td><td><p>12,500</p></td><td><p>59%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Oct to Dec 2021</p></td><td><p>11,600</p></td><td><p>11,600</p></td><td><p>60%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan to Mar 2022</p></td><td><p>15,100</p></td><td><p>15,200</p></td><td><p>57%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Apr to Jun 2022</p></td><td><p>17,300</p></td><td><p>17,500</p></td><td><p>55%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jul to Sep 2022</p></td><td><p>17,600</p></td><td><p>17,900</p></td><td><p>53%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Oct to Dec 2022</p></td><td><p>14,700</p></td><td><p>14,900</p></td><td><p>55%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan to Mar 2023</p></td><td><p>17,600</p></td><td><p>17,800</p></td><td><p>55%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Apr to Jun 2023</p></td><td><p>17,800</p></td><td><p>18,100</p></td><td><p>56%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jul to Sep 2023</p></td><td><p>18,500</p></td><td><p>18,800</p></td><td><p>54%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Furthermore, in October 2023 the CMS introduced regulations to completely remove the application fee for all families, this came into force on the 26 February 2024.</p><p>We are also trialling the use of a single, named case worker team to help ensure victims of domestic abuse are appropriately supported. Evaluation of the trial will inform the future service we offer to survivors of domestic abuse.</p><p>CMS have procedures to prevent unwanted contact between parents and provide advice on bank accounts with a centralised sort code so their location cannot be traced. Additionally, CMS can act as an intermediary in Direct Pay cases to facilitate the exchange of bank details, which helps to ensure no personal information is shared between parents.</p><p>Further changes, The Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 28 June 2023. On 8 May 2024, the Department published a public consultation<em>, Improving the Collection and Transfer of Payments</em>, which follows the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023. 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. The consultation closes 31<sup>st</sup> July 2024. The Government will then carefully consider the feedback and a response will be published. To find out more information go to: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/child-maintenance-improving-the-collection-and-transfer-of-payments" target="_blank">Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).</a></p><p>We support our case workers to deliver our service by ensuring they receive appropriate training and have access to signposting and support that could be utilised to assist survivors of domestic abuse.</p><p>Through extensive Stakeholder engagement CMS reviewed their domestic abuse training in 2021. Training was delivered to all case workers to ensure they are equipped to recognise coercive and controlling behaviour and appropriately signpost parents in vulnerable situations. All caseworkers have access to the District Provision Toolkit which contains the most up to date information for signposting to help and support for domestic abuse across England, Scotland, and Wales.</p><p>A Domestic Abuse Plan was developed which outlines key steps for caseworkers to follow to ensure victims of domestic abuse are supported. This includes advice on contacting the police if the parent is in immediate danger or calling the police on behalf of the parent if requested to do so. Additionally, the plan directs case workers to consider a referral to an Advanced Customer Support Senior Leader if a customer requires further support.</p><p> </p><p>The number of ACSSL cases that have been referred by CMS colleagues, where the referral has been categorised as ‘domestic abuse’ are as follows:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>2022</p></td><td><p>2023*</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>ACSSL Referrals from CMS colleagues categorised as domestic abuse</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>It should be noted that disclosure of domestic abuse does not automatically require an Advanced Customer Support Senior Leader (ACSSL) to become involved in supporting a case. Additionally domestic abuse may be reported at any stage of case, we do not gather data on all cases therefore the information requested on the proportion of referrals is not held, however given ACSSL referrals are very low this is also likely to be very low.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 17/05/2024 12:27:22 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4466 label Biography information for Peter Grant

1717489

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance: Overpayments
	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 are in debt to the Department through overpayments of Carers Allowance; and how much do they owe in total.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Sir Stephen Timms
	uin	25729
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2024 answer text <p>As of 14<sup>th</sup> May 2024, the volume of people who have an outstanding Carers Allowance debt is 134,800 with a total value of £251m. This figure represents the total stock and as such the total monetary amount may have been accrued over multiple years. Those who have an outstanding Carers Allowance debt may no longer be in receipt of the benefit.</p><p>Women make up the majority of Carer’s Allowance claims, and this is reflected in the proportion of those with an outstanding Carer’s Allowance debt. As of 14<sup>th</sup> May 2024, there were 42,800 (32%) males, 91,900 (68%) females and 100 (less than 1%) not identified, with an outstanding Carers Allowance debt.</p><p>As of November 2023, there were over 991,000 people in receipt of Carers Allowance. That figure is made up of over 271,000 (27%) males and 720,000 (73%) females.</p><p>The data contained in our response has been sourced from internal DWP management information, which is intended only to help the Department to manage its business. It is not intended for publication and has not been subject to the same quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics. It should therefore be treated with caution.</p><p>All figures provided have been rounded<em>.</em></p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard grouped question UIN 25730 question first answered 16/05/2024 16:35:08 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1717490

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2024
	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	Carer's Allowance: Overpayments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) men and (b) women are in debt to his Department through overpayments of Carers Allowance.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Sir Stephen Timms
	uin	25730
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2024 answer text <p>As of 14<sup>th</sup> May 2024, the volume of people who have an outstanding Carers Allowance debt is 134,800 with a total value of £251m. This figure represents the total stock and as such the total monetary amount may have been accrued over multiple years. Those who have an outstanding Carers Allowance debt may no longer be in receipt of the benefit.</p><p>Women make up the majority of Carer’s Allowance claims, and this is reflected in the proportion of those with an outstanding Carer’s Allowance debt. As of 14<sup>th</sup> May 2024, there were 42,800 (32%) males, 91,900 (68%) females and 100 (less than 1%) not identified, with an outstanding Carers Allowance debt.</p><p>As of November 2023, there were over 991,000 people in receipt of Carers Allowance. That figure is made up of over 271,000 (27%) males and 720,000 (73%) females.</p><p>The data contained in our response has been sourced from internal DWP management information, which is intended only to help the Department to manage its business. It is not intended for publication and has not been subject to the same quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics. It should therefore be treated with caution.</p><p>All figures provided have been rounded<em>.</em></p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard grouped question UIN 25729 question first answered 16/05/2024 16:35:08 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms