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1133649

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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 many claimants of universal credit are subject to deductions as a result of a fixed penalty notice for an environmental offence; and if he will publish the number of offences committed under each classification.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	267192
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p><strong> </strong>Information surrounding the volume of Universal Credit claims with a deduction for a fixed penalty notice specifically for an environmental offence is not held by the Department.</p><p>However, between November 2018 and February 2019, 11,000 claims had at least one Universal Credit payment with a deduction for fines. This equates to 1% of all claims with at least one Universal Credit payment with a deduction during this period.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ol><li>Figures rounded to nearest 1000.</li><li>Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties.</li><li>Data on the breakdown of third party deductions was not collated on the UCFS systems prior to November 2018.</li><li>Figures are for Universal Credit full service</li></ol><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 267193 question first answered 25/06/2019 16:35:38 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1133651

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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 many claimants of universal credit have had deductions attached to their claim for fixed penalty notices for environmental offences since 2013.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	267193
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p><strong> </strong>Information surrounding the volume of Universal Credit claims with a deduction for a fixed penalty notice specifically for an environmental offence is not held by the Department.</p><p>However, between November 2018 and February 2019, 11,000 claims had at least one Universal Credit payment with a deduction for fines. This equates to 1% of all claims with at least one Universal Credit payment with a deduction during this period.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ol><li>Figures rounded to nearest 1000.</li><li>Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties.</li><li>Data on the breakdown of third party deductions was not collated on the UCFS systems prior to November 2018.</li><li>Figures are for Universal Credit full service</li></ol><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 267192 question first answered 25/06/2019 16:35:38 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1134524

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	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 revenue has been received from civil penalties relating to failure to undertake tasks required for universal credit compliance in each of the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	269120
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>A £50 Civil Penalty may be imposed by both Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Local Authorities where an individual incurs a recoverable overpayment as a result of failing to provide accurate information as part of their benefit claim or in connection with an award of benefit, and has not taken reasonable steps to correct the error.</p><p> </p><p>The table below shows the volume of Civil Penalties applied to UC Overpayments in the last 12 months along with the value of recoveries in the last 12 months where a Civil Penalty was imposed on a UC debt. *</p><p> </p><p>Note that there is no correlation between the number applied and the value of recovery for the associated month. Civil Penalties issued in a 12-month period will not necessarily be recovered in that same 12-month period as debts will be repaid over different timeframes, in accordance with a debtor’s particular commitments.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Month</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number applied to UC overpayment </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Value of </strong> <strong>Recovery </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Jun-18</strong></p></td><td><p>140</p></td><td><p>£4,300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Jul-18</strong></p></td><td><p>120</p></td><td><p>£4,700</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Aug-18</strong></p></td><td><p>190</p></td><td><p>£8,100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Sep-18</strong></p></td><td><p>130</p></td><td><p>£5,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Oct-18</strong></p></td><td><p>80</p></td><td><p>£8,600</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Nov-18</strong></p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>£5,700</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Dec-18</strong></p></td><td><p>Fewer than 5</p></td><td><p>£5,400</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Jan-19</strong></p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>£4,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Feb-19</strong></p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>£3,700</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Mar-19</strong></p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>£3,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Apr-19</strong></p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>£2,300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>May-19</strong></p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>£1,600</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>When recovering overpayments, DWP ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants from any undue financial hardship. Like the Department, private collection agencies will look to establish sustainable repayment arrangements.</p><p> </p><p><em>*The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. </em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 269119 question first answered 03/07/2019 15:34:36 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 126278 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1133709

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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, what steps she is taking to increase financial support for vulnerable claimants of universal credit to ensure that the amount of benefit they receive is not lower than what they received through the legacy system.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	267340
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>Claimants currently only move from existing benefits to Universal Credit when they experience a significant change in their circumstances that triggers a new claim to a benefit that Universal Credit replaces. Their entitlement is then calculated on the rules of their new benefit and their new circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>For those claimants who are moved onto Universal Credit without a change in their circumstances, the Department has committed to providing transitional protection to ensure that they see no decrease in their benefit entitlement at the point of transition.</p><p> </p><p>There are £2.4 billion of unclaimed legacy benefits not going to the people who need them, because they do not know that they are entitled to them or how to claim. Universal Credit makes sure that welfare payments reach those who need them most.</p><p> </p><p>We have also introduced a number of measures to assist claimants during their transition to Universal Credit. Claimants moving onto Universal Credit can access a Universal Credit advance, which is worth up to 100 per cent of their indicative award and is available from the date of their claim. This advance is currently repayable over 12 months, but as announced in the 2018 Budget, from October 2021 the maximum repayment period will be extended to 16 months. Claimants may also be entitled to a two-week Universal Credit Transitional Housing Payment. From July 2020 the Government is introducing a new two-week run on for income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/06/2019 10:09:01 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1134485

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	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 she will publish the changes in a claimant's circumstances that would result in natural migration from legacy benefits to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Alyn and Deeside
	tabling member printed	Mark Tami
	uin	268991
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>Currently people only move to Universal Credit because they have had a significant change in their circumstances which would previously have led them to make a new claim to a legacy benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Claimant circumstances within the legacy system are diverse and interact with a range of benefits in different ways. Eligibility for Universal Credit is dependent on individuals’ circumstances, the specific nature of the change and rules for access to legacy benefits.</p><p>Therefore, it is not possible to give a definitive list as each will depend on the individual circumstances of the claimants involved and the specific nature of the change.</p><p>However, some specific examples of changes which would cause a claimant to move on to Universal Credit are:</p><ul><li>A single Jobseeker’s Allowance claimant starts working for more than 16 hours per week;</li><li>A Housing Benefit claimant moves to new rented accommodation in a different local authority area;</li><li>An Income Support claimant wishes to claim support for their first child;</li><li>A Working Tax Credits claimant’s only employment ends and they wish to claim support because they have insufficient income (whether during or at the end of the WTC run-on period);</li><li>The child (or youngest child) of an Income Support claimant reaches the age of five (and the claimant does not belong to any other prescribed category for continuing to receive Income Support);</li><li>A Child Tax Credit claimant moves to new accommodation, and they need support with rent costs for the first time.</li></ul><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 03/07/2019 11:45:03 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1383 label Biography information for Mark Tami

1134487

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	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, what proportion of unsuccessful claims for universal credit were as a result of (a) a claimant's lack of digital skills and (b) inadequate support for that claimant.
	tabling member constituency	Alyn and Deeside
	tabling member printed	Mark Tami
	uin	268993
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>Data on the proportion of unsuccessful claims to Universal Credit which were a result of (a) a claimant's lack of digital skills and (b) inadequate support for that claimant is not gathered by the Department.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit Full Service Claimant Survey found that 98 per cent of claimants claimed online. 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> </p><p>For those claimants who are unable to access or use our digital services, there is assistance available to make and maintain their claim using the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. Face-to-face support is also available in all Jobcentres. In exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim.</p><p> </p><p>Running alongside the national Jobcentre offer from 1 April 2019 is the Citizens Advice Help to Claim which support claimants in making a new Universal Credit claim or moving from a legacy benefit to Universal Credit because of a change of circumstances. Help to Claim offers tailored, practical support to help people make their claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time. It is widely available online, through a Freephone number and face to face through local Citizens Advice services.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 03/07/2019 11:59:14 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1383 label Biography information for Mark Tami

1134083

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	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 21 June 2019 to Question 264335, how many of the 77,952 calculations that were disputed by claimants related to late reporting of wages by employers to HMRC.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	268398
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>During the period 17 June 2018 to 16 June 2019 there were 77,952 RTI calculations disputed by claimants, of which around a fifth were upheld. 42,715 (55%) were as a result of late RTI data from employers.</p><p> </p><p>The Department continues to work with HMRC to reduce the impact of late RTI on Universal Credit payments. We monitor RTI data, and where expected earnings are not reported, HMRC will contact the employer to investigate, with the intention of all earnings being reported before the end date of a claimant’s Universal Credit Assessment Period.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 27/06/2019 16:45:33 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1134009

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	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, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on a universal credit claimant’s health and well-being of the ability to repay hardship payments.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	268345
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>Hardship payments are available as a safeguard if a claimant demonstrates that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs (including accommodation, heating, food and hygiene) as a result of a benefit sanction.</p><p> </p><p>Work Coaches ensure they consider the claimant’s circumstances, including issues relating to their health and well-being, at the point of the new claim to Universal Credit, to tailor the service accordingly. This also includes when claimants are repaying any hardship payments.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 27/06/2019 14:23:18 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1133583

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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, what assessment she has made of the effect on universal credit claimants of the 53-week rent year in the 2019-20 financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Knowsley
	tabling member printed	Sir George Howarth
	uin	267199
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>Neither tenants or landlords lose a week’s rent in a 53 weekly rent payment year as has been alleged; no year contains 53 weeks. The problem is alignment between weekly and monthly cycles. Each month the UC housing element is a constant figure but claimants with weekly tenancy agreements will be required to make either four or five rent payments within this period. If the claimant always pays their rent on time, in five payment months they are effectively making payment for part of the following month. That month will always be a four rent payment month, so the combination of the advance payment and the ‘overpayment’ of housing support during that month will get the claimant back on track.</p><p>Where a landlord charges rent weekly on a Monday, because of the way the calendar falls every 5 or 6 years, they will seek 53 rent payments in a year, with the 53rd payment in part covering the tenancy for the first few days of the following year. The effect of this is that, over the course of the next housing association rental year, a tenant’s UC payments will accurately reflect their liability, irrespective of the 53 payment weeks.</p><p>There is a separate issue with respect to the way the calculation in the Universal Credit regulations converts a weekly liability into a monthly allowance. The conversion is achieved by multiplying the weekly rent by 52 and then dividing by 12. This effectively means one day’s rent a year (two days in a leap years) are not covered by UC. We are currently considering whether this formulation around weekly rents, and potentially other weekly amounts in the UC calculation, should be amended.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 26/06/2019 12:28:22 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	481 label Biography information for Sir George Howarth

1135595

	registered interest
	date	28/06/2019
	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, when the universal credit managed migration pilot is planned to begin in Harrogate.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	270819
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>On 3 May 2019, the High Court handed down a judgment in relation to Universal Credit and the Severe Disability Premium (SDP). The judgment quashed the SDP related parts of the draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019.The Department is currently considering the options open to us and will respond in due course.</p><p> </p><p>We plan to begin the “Move to UC” pilot in July 2019.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 270820 question first answered 03/07/2019 12:35:48 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George