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1046844

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2019
	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	Age Addition
	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 uprate the 25 pence age addition for pensioners over 80 who are currently entitled to it; and whether the Government has any plans to provide further financial assistance to pensioners who are over 80 years old.
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Eleanor Smith
	uin	211869
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2019 answer text <p>The age addition is paid with State Pension when individuals reach the age of 80. Although there are no plans to uprate the age addition amount, this should be considered alongside the range of other measures and benefits that are available to pensioners over age 80. This includes Pension Credit. People who are aged 80 and over receive a Winter Fuel Payment of £300, instead of the standard Winter Fuel Payment of £200 for pensioners below that age.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the non-contributory Category D State Pension is available to those aged over 80 with either no entitlement to a basic State Pension or who are entitled to State Pension of less than £75.50 per week who meet the residency conditions.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 28/01/2019 16:38:02 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4609 label Biography information for Eleanor Smith

1045990

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Cleaning Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which service providers are contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for her (a) Department and (b) executive agencies; if she will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to her (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies; and how many people working for those third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	211153
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>Cleaning services across the DWP estate are carried out by Interserve. This does not include Arms Length Bodies which do not fall under DWP’s estate arrangements.</p><p> </p><p>DWP has in excess of 470 contracts with suppliers covering multiple services, for example Estates, IT, Business Support, Health and Employment Services. Details of contracts over the value of £10,000 can be found on: <a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search" target="_blank">https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search</a></p><p> </p><p>DWP cannot comment on how many people working for third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation as there is no statutory or contractual requirement for contractors to pay staff the Living Wage. It is not data DWP collect during the course of Contract Management and not all staff working for those contractors deliver services for DWP.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/01/2019 11:58:22 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1045700

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2019
	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	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 proportion of staff in her Department including those employed in executive agencies and non-ministerial Departments declared a disability in 2017-18.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	210482
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>Disclosure of disability status is not a mandatory requirement, therefore the figures may not be a true reflection as some staff may not have declared their disability, or indicated a ‘prefer not to say’ status.</p><p> </p><p>At 31 March 2018, 90.5% of DWP’s employees shared details of their disability status. Of these, 7.5% indicated that they were disabled.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Our most recent figures of 31 December 2018 show that of the 87.8% of employees who chose to indicate their disability, 7.5% specified that they were disabled.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/01/2019 11:48:02 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1046878

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Sikhs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Sikhs are employed in her Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
	tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
	uin	211853
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>The Department encourages all of its employees to provide details of their personal diversity information. This action is voluntary and information is captured via employee input onto the HR SOP system.</p><p> </p><p>Details on whether someone is a Sikh is captured via input of religious belief information.</p><p> </p><p>As at 31<sup>st</sup> December, 12,211 employees (14.8% of DWP’s workforce), have input information on their religious belief. This includes 166 employees who have recorded their information as Sikh, and 852 employees who chosen the ‘prefer not to say’ option.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/01/2019 12:15:22 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1046015

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	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	Discretionary Housing Payments
	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 2 November 2018 to Question 184856 on Housing Benefit, if he will publish the methodology that will be used to determine the allocation of discretionary housing payment funding to local authorities for people affected by the benefit cap in 2019-20.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	211076
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2019 answer text <p>We will publish the methodology used to determine the benefit cap funding stream for Discretionary Housing Payment Government allocations for 2019/20. We have consulted local authorities about the methodology and will be publishing individual allocations shortly.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 28/01/2019 14:55:27 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1045893

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	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	Discretionary Housing Payments: City of Westminster
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to Answer of 5 November to Question 907432 on Housing Benefit, how much discretionary housing payment was (a) awarded to and (b) spent by Westminster City Council in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
	tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
	uin	211198
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2019 answer text <p>The table below shows the amount awarded to and spent by Westminster City Council in Discretionary Housing Payments in the last 3 financial years:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Awarded</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Spent</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>£2,632,460</p></td><td><p>£2,568,048</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>£2,669,172</p></td><td><p>£2,557,092</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>£1,405,376</p></td><td><p>£1,938,110</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Figures on the amount of Discretionary Housing Payments awarded to and spent by Local Authorities are available:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/discretionary-housing-payments-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/discretionary-housing-payments-statistics</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 28/01/2019 15:04:17 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1045619

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2019
	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 and Support Allowance: Chronic Illnesses
	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 Employment Support Allowance (ESA), how many and what proportion of people with the most severe health conditions and disabilities with lifetime award of ESA have been placed in the ESA Support Group or Universal Credit Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity category and are exempt from repeat assessments; what steps his Department has taken to ensure individuals with lifelong illnesses will not be required to be reassessed; and for what reasons decision-makers are allocating timeframes for the award of ESA for applicants whose ESA 50 forms have not been reviewed.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	210604
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2019 answer text <p>In response to (a)(i), information on the number of claimants who have met the severe conditions criteria for Employment and Support Allowance is published and can be found in tables 5a and 5b in the file which can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-december-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-december-2018</a></p><p> </p><p>With regard to (a)(ii), the information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>In response to (b), the Honourable lady might be interested to know that we have worked with healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to develop a set of criteria to switch off re-assessments for people with the most severe health conditions or disabilities (unless there is a change of circumstances). From 29 September 2017 those placed in ESA’s Support Group and the UC equivalent who have the most severe and lifelong health conditions or disabilities, whose level of function would always mean that they would have Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity, and be unlikely ever to be able to move into work, will no longer be routinely reassessed.</p><p> </p><p>With regards to question (c) to clarify, all ESA50 questionnaires completed and returned by claimants are reviewed by a Healthcare Professional. Their advice to the decision maker including advice on the review period will be based on all of the evidence they have considered.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 24/01/2019 13:46:27 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1045647

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2019
	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	Farmers: Industrial Health and Safety
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reduce risks for farmers at work.
	tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
	tabling member printed	David Simpson
	uin	210531
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for the regulation of health and safety standards on Great Britain’s farms. In March 2018, HSE published its Agriculture Sector Intervention Strategy (available at: <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/strategiesandplans/sector-plans/ag-sec-intervention-strategy.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/strategiesandplans/sector-plans/ag-sec-intervention-strategy.pdf</a>) which details the actions they will take to tackle farm accidents and ill health.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 29/01/2019 18:00:29 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
	tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1046119

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	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	Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit (Temporary absence) (Amendment) Regulations 2016
	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 her Department’s response to the Social Security Advisory Committee on the Housing Benefit (Temporary Absence) (Amendment) Regulations 2016, what assessment she has made of the effect of redefining abroad to include Northern Ireland on those claimants with elderly parents living in that country.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	211301
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2019 answer text <p>It is a basic condition of entitlement for State Pension Credit and Housing Benefit to be in Great Britain. The Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit (Temporary Absence) Regulations 2016 did not change that condition. The regulations did, however, amend the length of time that a person could be absent from Great Britain, for example, travelling to Northern Ireland, whilst maintaining entitlement to Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. There was no change to either the meaning of Great Britain or of being abroad for the purposes of entitlement to Pension Credit and Housing Benefit.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 211299 211300 question first answered 28/01/2019 14:37:12 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1046115

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2019
	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	Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit (Temporary Absence) (Amendment) Regulations 2016
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons her Department redefined abroad in the Housing Benefit (Temporary Absence) (Amendment) Regulations 2016 to include Northern Ireland.
	tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
	tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
	uin	211299
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2019 answer text <p>It is a basic condition of entitlement for State Pension Credit and Housing Benefit to be in Great Britain. The Housing Benefit and State Pension Credit (Temporary Absence) Regulations 2016 did not change that condition. The regulations did, however, amend the length of time that a person could be absent from Great Britain, for example, travelling to Northern Ireland, whilst maintaining entitlement to Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. There was no change to either the meaning of Great Britain or of being abroad for the purposes of entitlement to Pension Credit and Housing Benefit.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 211300 211301 question first answered 28/01/2019 14:37:12 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali