Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1041379

	registered interest
	date	14/01/2019
	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	Occupational Pensions Scheme Review
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has plans to respond to the report entitled, Review of Survivor Benefits in Occupational Pension Schemes, published in June 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	208267
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2019 answer text <p>The landscape of survivor benefits has changed significantly since the publication of the Review, not least because of the Walker judgement. Government will respond to the Review of Survivor Benefits in Occupational Pension Schemes when the assessment of the full implications of the judgement is complete.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/01/2019 15:55:08 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1148808

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2019
	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	Workplace Pensions: Barnsley Central
	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 people in Barnsley Central constituency have (a) opted out after being auto-enrolled into a workplace pension and (b) saved more than the auto-enrollment minimum contribution.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	185
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2019 answer text <p>Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Since automatic enrolment started in 2012 participation rates have been transformed with 87% of eligible employees saving into a workplace pension in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017, approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019 minimum contribution rates<sup>1</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>I am providing the following information about the impact of automatic enrolment in your constituency, as at end of September 2019<sup>2</sup>:</p><p> </p><p>In the Barnsley Central constituency since 2012, approximately 10,000 eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 1410 employers have met their duties.</p><p> </p><p><sup>1</sup>Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p><sup>2</sup>The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by constituency, available via the following weblink:</p><p><a href="https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests" target="_blank">https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 18/10/2019 11:15:50 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1284846

	registered interest
	date	08/02/2021
	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	Child Maintenance Service: Correspondence
	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 average response time to hon Members' offices regarding Child Maintenance Support enquiries; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	150809
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2021 answer text <p>The Department does not measure timings as described in the question and to determine this request, we would need to examine each individual case, which the Department considers to be cost prohibitive to provide.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has a 15 working day target for MP to Director General Correspondence and a 20 working day target for Private Office correspondence. These timescales are in line with Cabinet Office directives.</p><p> </p><p>As part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department had to make changes to its complaints and MP correspondence model to allow staff to be deployed to support processing benefit claims and payments. From 9 July 2020, the Department now triage complaints and MP Correspondence giving priority to vulnerable claimants who may be at risk, and those with benefit payment issues.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to look into all complaints and MP correspondence as quickly as we can and, as part of the triage process used to determine priority, we write or call those customers and MPs where there may be a delay in answering their complaint or enquiry.</p><p> </p><p>We are reviewing the effectiveness of the approach we have taken throughout the pandemic as part of an ongoing review into complaints and MP correspondence handling.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 11/02/2021 15:29:51 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1303898

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2021
	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	Post Office Card Account
	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 potential effect on claimants of no longer being able to receive benefits through their Post Office card accounts.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	171607
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p>The Department has been encouraging Post Office card account customers to transfer to a standard account since 2016. Paying claimants into a standard account is the most efficient and safest payment method for the customer, and the Department.</p><p> </p><p>Standard accounts have many advantages for the individual, for example, the ability to use direct debits and to pay for goods and services using a debit card. A standard account allows customers to access cash payments via a wide range of outlets and settings. The Post Office delivers personal banking services for a wide range of banks, building societies and other financial institutions, including cash withdrawal with a debit card.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has continuously gathered insight from customers who contact us to discuss the closure of their Post Office card account to better understand their needs. This insight identified that some customers are unable to open or use an alternative account and for these customers we will pay through an alternative payment exception service to ensure that nobody will be left without access to their benefits or pension.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 23/03/2021 13:47:32 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1303899

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2021
	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	Post Office Card Account
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department will provide to vulnerable claimants to manage the transition away from benefits being paid into Post Office card accounts.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	171608
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p>The Department is committed to supporting claimants to access their benefit and pension payments as we transform our payment exception services. Nobody will be left without a means to access to their benefits or pension.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has put in place a dedicated team, the Financial Inclusion Customer Contact Centre, to support all Post Office Card Account customers. The Team can help customers update their payment details to a standard account; answer questions about the payment change and; signpost customers to impartial financial advice available through the Money and Pensions Service where they need help to identify a suitable alternative account.</p><p> </p><p>We are working closely with Post Office Limited on the support that their teams can provide to Post Office card account customers. For example, we have recently launched leaflets in some Post Offices to support Post Office card account customers, together with details of how they can update their payment details to a standard account.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 23/03/2021 13:50:35 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1303900

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2021
	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	Post Office Card Account
	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 Post Office Limited on the payment of benefits to Post Office card accounts.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	171609
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p>The Department holds weekly meetings with Post Office Limited to discuss the payment of benefits and pensions into Post Office card accounts.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 23/03/2021 13:52:50 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1303901

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2021
	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	Post Office Card Account
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has in place to support claimants who currently receive payments to Post Office card accounts and who will be unable to provide new banks details by November 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	171610
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p>An alternative Payment Exception Service will remain in place to ensure claimants and pension recipients who are not able to access a standard account can continue to receive their benefit and pension payments.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 23/03/2021 13:54:46 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1312242

	registered interest
	date	26/04/2021
	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	Child Maintenance Service: Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans the Child Maintenance Service has to change payment plans to reflect fluctuations to gross weekly income; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	187232
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>The Service uses gross income information provided by HMRC in the first instance. This approach is consistent for all clients regardless of their employment type and ensures the calculation process is fair, simple and efficient.</p><p>The scheme is designed so that liabilities remain consistent over the year, with limited changes. The calculation is reviewed annually, and generally only changes during the year if a parent’s income increases or decreases by at least 25 per cent.</p><p>Where the paying parent has fluctuations in gross weekly income the Service will calculate a liability based on the weekly average of the amounts paid over a period preceding the effective date of the relevant calculation.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 29/04/2021 08:26:54 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1338564

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2021
	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	Bereavement Support Payment
	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 potential merits of extending the Bereavement Support Payment to include unmarried partners.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	19588
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2021 answer text <p>It is our intention to take forward a Remedial Order that will extend eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment to cohabitees with children. We are currently considering the detail and implementation of the draft Remedial Order, which will be laid shortly before the House.</p><p /> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 24/06/2021 13:16:31 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1344198

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2021
	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, for what reason (a) statutory maternity pay is treated as earned income and (b) maternity allowance is treated as unearned income for the purposes of calculating universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	28194
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2021 answer text <p>Universal Credit is a means tested system of support and where an individual claims Universal Credit, their award is adjusted to take account of any other financial support that the claimant is already receiving – including earnings, income and benefits.</p><p> </p><p>Maternity Allowance is a benefit paid by the State which is unearned income for Universal Credit purposes. Unearned income that is available to help meet daily living costs is taken fully into account in determining the amount of Universal Credit that an individual can be paid. As such, in determining the amount of Universal Credit that is available, Maternity Allowance is deducted pound for pound from the total value of the award.  This principle applies to other benefits, such as new style Jobseeker’s Allowance and new style Employment and Support Allowance. <br></p><p>Maternity Pay (SMP) is more akin to earnings and is treated as a form of earnings in common with other statutory payments paid by employers. As a result, when adjusting the Universal Credit award, as with other earnings SMP is subject to the work allowance and tapering rules that are built into Universal Credit. Claimants retain 37p for every pound of earnings (or more if they are entitled to a work allowance).</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 12/07/2021 13:05:11 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis