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1700943

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Social Security Benefits: Uprating
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it remains his Department's policy for benefits to continue to be increased in line with inflation.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	21657
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required by law to undertake an annual review of State Pensions and benefits.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State will commence his 2025/26 up-rating review in the Autumn.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 18/04/2024 14:00:12 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1700944

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Pensions: Consumer Information
	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 15 April 2024 to Question 20581 on Pensions: Consumer Information, what steps he plans to take to report progress towards the Dashboards Available Point to (a) Parliament and (b) other key stakeholders.
	tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
	tabling member printed	Nick Smith
	uin	21614
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>Before a specific date for the Dashboards Available Point can be determined, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions must first have regard to a number of relevant matters, including sufficient level of coverage, assurance of the safety, security and reliability of the service and testing of the user experience. Once satisfied that the dashboards ecosystem is ready to support widespread use of pensions dashboard services by the general public, following consultation with the Money and Pensions Service, The Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority, the Secretary of State will then issue a notice at least six months in advance of the launch of pensions dashboard services.</p><p>Officials in my department are working closely with key delivery partners to refine these relevant matters which includes recognition of keeping Parliament and the wider pensions industry informed of reporting progress towards the Dashboards Available Point. This is in line with our commitment of working closely with industry on successfully launching pensions dashboard services safely and securely at the earliest opportunity.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 18/04/2024 13:10:51 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1700945

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Pensions: Consumer Information
	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 15 April 2024 to Question 20580 on Pensions: Consumer Information, what the (a) estimated and (b) actual costs of the project are.
	tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
	tabling member printed	Nick Smith
	uin	21615
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>The Pensions Dashboards Programme (PDP) has spent £56.7M between 2019/20 and the end of February 2024 (with spend relating to 2023/24 subject to final audit).</p><p> </p><p>Whole life costs of the Pensions Dashboards Programme (2019/20 – 2026/27) are currently estimated by MaPS to be around £139M.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 18/04/2024 13:13:10 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1701023

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Cost of Living Payments: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the ending Disability Cost of Living Payments on people with disabilities.
	tabling member constituency	Stockport
	tabling member printed	Navendu Mishra
	uin	21862
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to extend the Disability Cost of Living Payments past the 2023/24 round. Cost of Living Payments enabled us to target further support quickly during the rising cost of living pressures.</p><p> </p><p>As of March 2024, the rate of inflation has slowed, and the Government has also implemented uprating to other benefits to reflect increased costs.</p><p> </p><p>An evaluation of the Cost of Living Payments is underway. This will seek to understand their effectiveness as a means of support for low-income and vulnerable households.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 18/04/2024 10:35:03 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4811 label Biography information for Navendu Mishra

1701078

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Employment and Support Allowance
	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 increasing the permitted working hours criteria for Employment and Support Allowance.
	tabling member constituency	Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
	tabling member printed	Drew Hendry
	uin	21711
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>There are currently no plans to increase the permitted work hours limit. The ESA permitted work rules strike a balance between encouraging claimants to build their confidence, undertake some part-time paid work, and plan a gradual move to sustained employment, while continuing to receive benefit. The permitted work earnings limit is reviewed annually and uprated in line with the National Living Wage.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 18/04/2024 10:23:52 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4467 label Biography information for Drew Hendry

1701079

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Universal Credit: Training
	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 increasing the number of weeks for which a person can undertake training and remain eligible for universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
	tabling member printed	Drew Hendry
	uin	21712
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>Work Coaches recommend options to customers to address skills barriers and provide support for them to access a wide range of provision. Which can include essential Maths, English and Digital Skills, and other vocational opportunities such as Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs).</p><p>Whilst periods of training are generally expected to be directly linked to customer’s work search goals, we have increased the amount of time Universal Credit customers in the All Work Related Requirements conditionality group can take part in full time, work-related training for up to 16 weeks in Great Britain.</p><p>Where a longer period of training is required to equip someone with the skills for work whilst also maintaining employment, other options are available including apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are designed by employers and open to learners of all ages, with vocational courses ranging from level 2 up to post-graduate qualifications.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 18/04/2024 14:47:42 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
	tabling member	4467 label Biography information for Drew Hendry

1700028

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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	Workplace 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 people opted out of auto-enrolment workplace pension schemes in each of the last ten years for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Hayes and Harlington
	tabling member printed	John McDonnell
	uin	20845
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2024 answer text <p>The data requested for the number of people who opted out of automatic enrolment workplace pension schemes in each of the last ten years is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.</p><p> </p><p>The department makes regular publications of the data that is held, including the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/workplace-pension-participation-and-savings-trends-2009-to-2022/workplace-pension-participation-and-savings-trends-of-eligible-employees-2009-to-2022" target="_blank"><em>Workplace Pension Participation and Savings Trends</em></a>, which is available on GOV.UK. This publication includes aggregated data from large private pension providers in which the proportion of new member enrolments to have opted-out of workplace pension saving stood at 11.79% in July 2023. Over the period from January 2020 to July 2023, these opt-out rates have fluctuated between a low of 7.03% and a high of 12.23%. From the same aggregated private pension provider data, the proportion of pension scheme members making an active decision to cease saving was 0.50% in July 2023.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 16/04/2024 10:02:23 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	178 label Biography information for John McDonnell

1700288

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people pay the full child maintenance costs for which they are liable.
	tabling member constituency	Wansbeck
	tabling member printed	Ian Lavery
	uin	21039
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2024 answer text <p>The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has a range of enforcement powers at its disposal to ensure parents meet their financial obligations to their children.</p><p>These include deductions directly from earnings and bank accounts, using Enforcement Agents (previously known as bailiffs) to take control of goods, forcing the sale of property, removal of driving licence or UK passport or even commitment to prison.</p><p>The Child Support (Enforcement) Act received Royal Assent in 2023. This creates a primary power to replace court-based liability orders with administrative orders, which should significantly speed up this key enforcement process.</p><p> </p><p>We have concluded a public consultation to support regulations to implement administrative liability orders. The Government published their response on 12 February 2024.</p><p> </p><p>Secondary legislation is now being developed, which, once implemented, will reduce the process from 22 weeks to as low as 6 weeks. This will be brought forward as soon as possible.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 16/04/2024 15:35:55 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4139 label Biography information for Ian Lavery

1700317

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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: Termination of 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 staff left his Department in each year since 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Solihull
	tabling member printed	Julian Knight
	uin	21092
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>The table below shows Staff in Post (SiP) numbers of leavers for each financial year (April - March.) To ensure compliance with GDPR, seven years of data is the maximum that we hold.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>All leavers in Financial Year - SiP</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Leavers - DWP</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>17/18</strong></p></td><td><p>6,927</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>18/19</strong></p></td><td><p>6,320</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>19/20</strong></p></td><td><p>7,149</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>20/21</strong></p></td><td><p>5,558</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>21/22</strong></p></td><td><p>11,332</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>22/23</strong></p></td><td><p>10,910</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>23/24</strong></p></td><td><p>7,299</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 18/04/2024 13:23:21 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1700338

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	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	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 his Department plans to recruit Covert Surveillance Officers to gather evidence to prove or disprove offences relating to benefits claims.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	21055
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2024 answer text <p>DWP is recruiting Covert Surveillance Officers.</p><p> </p><p>The Department’s Counter Fraud, Compliance &amp; Debt directorate (CFCD) undertakes directed surveillance as part of the criminal investigation process.</p><p> </p><p>All surveillance activity is applied for under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 and is conducted in line with the surveillance Code of Practice. It is undertaken only where necessary and proportionate to the alleged offence.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 17/04/2024 10:38:34 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck