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1140235

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2019
	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	Children: Day Care
	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 has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing upfront financial support for childcare to parents claiming universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
	tabling member printed	Stephen Twigg
	uin	278894
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit (UC) is paid in a single monthly amount directly into people’s bank accounts, giving them control over their own money and making the move into work easier.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to supporting parents with moving into work and, as part of this, we increased the level of support for childcare costs from 70 per cent in legacy benefits to up to 85 per cent in UC. The UC childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes free childcare hours and tax free childcare. UC claimants can utilise both the free childcare entitlement and UC childcare costs in conjunction with each other for relevant hours. This offer means that reasonable childcare costs should not form a barrier to work.</p><p> </p><p>We have made other changes to ease the burden on claimants and encourage work. We recognise that upfront childcare costs or deposits may prevent a claimant from starting work so Jobcentres can now use the Flexible Support Fund to support the transition into work. When parents have good reason for late reporting of their childcare costs, the Department is piloting a more flexible approach for reimbursing these costs.</p><p> </p><p>Since February 2018, Universal Credit claimants have been able to upload digital copies of their childcare cost receipts or invoices through their online Universal Credit account.</p><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 11:17:08 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	167 label Biography information for Stephen Twigg

1140433

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2019
	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: Ethnic Groups
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many BAME staff are employed at (a) grade 7, (b) grade 5 and (c) grade 3 in her Department.
	tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
	tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
	uin	279155
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2019 answer text <p>DWP encourages all of its employees to provide details of their personal diversity information, however this action is voluntary and therefore we do not hold a complete picture of our workforce representation.</p><p> </p><p>As at 30<sup>th</sup> June 2019, 82% of DWP’s workforce have positively shared details of their ethnicity. Details of the grades requested are:</p><p><em> </em></p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Grade</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of employees who have indicated they are an ethnic minority </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>G7</strong></p></td><td><p>90</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>G5</strong></p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>G3</strong></p></td><td><p>~</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p>~ In line with Office of National Statistics guidance data has been suppressed as count is less than 5 people</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 29/07/2019 12:08:38 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1139753

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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: Working Hours
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much time off in lieu has been taken by staff in her Department in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	278374
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2019 answer text <p>DWP offers a Flexible Working Hours (FWH) policy which allows employees to accrue additional hours worked as a flexi credit that can then be taken as time off in lieu.</p><p> </p><p>The FWH policy is managed locally and DWP does not hold central records of how much time off in lieu has been taken by employees, therefore the information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 29/07/2019 12:16:08 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1139813

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Jobcentre Plus: Training
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training her Department provides to Jobcentre Plus staff on economic abuse as a form of domestic abuse.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	278514
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2019 answer text <p>DWP is committed to providing the best possible support for all our claimants, including the most vulnerable in society. This includes those who are, or have been, victims of domestic abuse.</p><p> </p><p>Our Work Coaches undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants. All Work Coaches receive training on how to support claimants with complex needs, which includes a module on identifying, supporting and signposting victims of abuse.</p><p> </p><p>In addition around 600 DWP staff across the UK are currently undergoing specialist training from expert organisation Women’s Aid. The newly assigned points of contact will be trained to identify and support the needs of anyone experiencing domestic abuse, and will work closely with local services to share knowledge and signpost women to additional, external support.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 29/07/2019 14:31:05 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1139814

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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: Domestic Abuse
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department collects on needs of claimants of universal credit that are survivors of domestic abuse.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	278515
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department is sensitive to the fact that it can be difficult for any victim of domestic abuse to come forward and disclose this. Universal Credit claimants are assigned to a single Work Coach, with whom they can build a trusting relationship. All of our work coaches have received mandatory training, developed with input from domestic abuse charities in order to help them recognise the signs of abuse. If it becomes apparent that a claimant has been, or is a victim of domestic abuse, as soon as they feel able to disclose this personal and sensitive information, a discussion should take place about their circumstances to enable their work coach to tailor the support they provide to their needs. This includes signposting the claimant to expert organisations. Almost all Jobcentres have private rooms available so that individuals can discuss these sensitive issues in private.</p><p> </p><p>With the permission of the claimant, their Work Coach is able to record the information they disclose, in a free text format, through the use of pinned notes, which supports staff in identifying and managing relevant experiences and circumstances of individual claimants.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 11:31:20 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1139815

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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: Domestic Abuse
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on the development of universal credit management systems to enable the collation of the number of domestic violence easements.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	278516
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>We are continuing to develop our approach to capture accurate, aggregate data on vulnerable claimants, including those who are victims of domestic and economic abuse. This work is ongoing and has been prioritised for the current Universal Credit development phase. This involves us meeting with claimants and expert users such as third parties and Work Coaches to see how people will respond to being asked about their circumstance and support they may require. We are also working on how we can use the Claimant Commitment to capture information about when easements have been applied for claimants.</p><p> </p><p>We are also implementing other improvements across our service for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and in response to one of the Joint Committee’s recommendations on the Domestic Abuse Bill, we have committed to review and evaluate the effectiveness of a new feature to encourage payments of UC to the main carer and the introduction of domestic abuse specialists in every Jobcentre.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 11:53:32 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1139874

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Unemployment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the effect of the price of commuting on unemployment.
	tabling member constituency	Wansbeck
	tabling member printed	Ian Lavery
	uin	278511
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has not had any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on the effect of the price of commuting on unemployment.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 15:54:20 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4139 label Biography information for Ian Lavery

1139894

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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 15 July 2019 to Question 275662, what provision her Department makes for claimants who do not have access to the internet and are unable to check how their award is calculated and a breakdown of what deductions are being made.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	278343
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/09/2019 answer text <p>Our Universal Credit Claimant Survey, found that 98 per cent of claimants have internet access and did claim online, and the majority of those said they found the claim process overall to be straightforward. This can be accessed at:<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-service-claimant-survey" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-service-claimant-survey</a></p><p>All Jobcentre Plus offices across the country have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet. For those that are still unable to access or use digital services, or are not able to travel, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. In exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim.</p><p>The Work Coach or Case Manager supporting the claimant can inform them of how their award is calculated and the breakdown of their deductions and, where needed, can provide this in writing.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 02/09/2019 14:45:47 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1139248

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase the (a) provision and (b) affordability of childcare for children of working parents in school summer holidays.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	277637
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the answer to Question 273325, answered on 9 July 2019 -</p><p>The Government recognises that childcare costs can affect parents’ decisions to both obtain and maintain employment and is committed to removing barriers that prevent parents moving into work.</p><p>To overcome this barrier to employment, Universal Credit claimants are able to claim up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, compared to 70 per cent on the legacy system. This can be worth up to £13,000 a year for families with two children.</p><p>We recognise the difficulty that some claimants might have in paying childcare costs over the summer holidays and have undertaken significant work to increase work coach awareness, understanding and promotion of both the Universal Credit childcare offer and the wider government childcare offer. This is to ensure that parents who are eligible for the 15 hours of free childcare for disadvantaged families with 2-year-old children, and 30 hours of free childcare for working families, take these up. These free childcare offers can be used in combination with Universal Credit support for childcare.</p><p>In addition to this, budgeting advances are available for eligible claimants that can be used to cover the cost of paying additional upfront childcare costs or a deposit that might be needed during the school holidays.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/07/2019 16:01:09 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1139323

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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: Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the liability for the whole rent of a property is reflected in the calculation of universal credit in cases where a claimant of universal credit in a joint tenancy remains after a partner leaves; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	277617
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>The Universal Credit regulations provide that a claimant is to be treated as liable to make rent payments - where the person who is liable to make the payments is not doing so, the payments are required in order to continue occupation, and it would be unreasonable to expect them to make other arrangements. Therefore, in the example described, it would be possible for the whole liability to be considered as part of the UC calculation, subject to any usual restrictions such as the Local Housing Allowance or removal of the spare room subsidy.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/07/2019 13:01:27 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms