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 grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label attachment file name title
tabling member	label

Search

984502

registered interest
date	09/10/2018
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: Overpayments
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 place in the Library a copy of her Department's Repayment Negotiation Framework.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	177185
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>This framework is contained within the Benefit Overpayment Recovery Guide which can be found on Gov.uk via the link below. The Repayment Negotiation Framework can be found on page 38, paragraph 5.68.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/616116/benefit-overpayment-recovery-guide.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/616116/benefit-overpayment-recovery-guide.pdf</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 10:00:23 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

971682

registered interest
date	11/09/2018
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: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households are subject to the under-occupancy penalty in each constituency; what the average weekly reduction in income is for those households; and in how many of those households there is a claimant or partner who (a) receives (i) disability living allowance, (ii) personal independence payment and (iii) employment and support allowance and (b) has children.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	173519
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/10/2018 answer text <p>Figures on Housing Benefit spare room subsidy deductions in Great Britain are publically available through the DWP Stat-Xplore website. Both volumes and average deductions by parliamentary constituency are available, including broken down by whether or not the household has children. Stat-Xplore website:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Guidance for users is available at:</p><p><a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>However, breakdowns by whether or not the claimant or partner also receives any of the specified disability benefits are not publicly available and so have been provided in the table attached.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has provided easements to allow an additional bedroom for couples and children who are unable to share a bedroom due to their disability or medical condition and are in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit, or where a non-resident overnight carer (or group of carers) is required for an adult, child or non-dependant adult on a regular basis.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 09/10/2018 17:03:31 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson attachment 1 file name Breakdown by whether or not claimant or partner also receives any of the specified disability benefits.docx title Breakdowns table
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

971343

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
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	Statutory Sick Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a flexible model for Statutory Sick Pay to better support those with a mental health condition to return to work on a voluntary phased basis and to receive (a) wages and (b) statutory sick pay on a pro-rata basis.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	172440
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2018 answer text <p>We want to reform the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) system so that it supports more flexible working, which can help people remain or return to work if they are unwell. This includes those with a mental health condition. Consultation responses broadly supported reforming SSP to support fully flexible phased returns to work – as did the Matthew Taylor and Stevenson/Farmer reviews.</p><p> </p><p>We are taking forward further policy development on better enabling phased return and how a phased return could be paid, and will bring forward a consultation on these changes before introducing this reform.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 18/09/2018 14:55:03 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

971345

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
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 working households in receipt of tax credits will receive (a) a lower award and (b) no award at all, under the capital rules for universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	172441
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2018 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>As announced on 7 June 2018, for claimants with capital exceeding £16,000 who are moved onto Universal Credit by the Department, any capital which exceeds the limit will be disregarded for 12 months, which means they are entitled to Universal Credit. This protection period for claimants is contingent on parliamentary approval of the required legislation.</p><p> </p><p>Our most recent estimate for the number of tax credit claimants with capital in excess of £16,000 likely to be managed migrated, across Great Britain, is around 50,000. Analysis shows that approximately 80% of these are estimated to have capital over £20,000, with approximately 50% estimated to have capital greater than £40,000.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/09/2018 15:39:08 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

971484

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average weekly charge per household was in (a) Birkenhead constituency, (b) Liverpool City Region and (c) the UK of the under-occupation penalty in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	172447
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2018 answer text <p>Figures on average weekly spare room subsidy deductions in Great Britain, are publically available through the DWP Stat-Xplore website. The data can be broken down by parliamentary constituency and local authority, including into groups of local authorities such as Liverpool City Region, to provide all of the figures required. Stat-Xplore website:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Guidance for users is available at:</p><p><a href="https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Information for Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Department for Communities. Northern Ireland statistics can be found at:<br><a href="https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/topics/benefits-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/topics/benefits-statistics</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 17/09/2018 15:25:48 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

964037

registered interest
date	03/09/2018
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, what proportion of claimants undergoing a Work Capability Assessment for employment and support allowance have (a) failed their assessment and (b) failed their assessment and subsequently moved on to universal credit in each of the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	169033
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2018 answer text <p>In response to part (a) this information can be found in the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-june-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-june-2018</a></p><p>The information requested for part (b) is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/09/2018 12:03:40 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

964141

registered interest
date	03/09/2018
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: Social Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in (a) Birkenhead constituency, (b) Liverpool City Region, and (c) the UK, have been subject to under-occupation penalty; and how many and what proportion of those households contained (i) one and (ii) more than one disabled person.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	169040
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2018 answer text <p>As at March 2018, there were:</p><p> </p><p>a) 1,220 households in Birkenhead constituency who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, there were 860 (71%) where the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). It is not possible to ascertain the number of disabled people in each of these households.</p><p> </p><p>b) 17,490 households in Liverpool City Region who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, there were 12,350 (71%) where the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). It is not possible to ascertain the number of disabled people in each of these households.</p><p> </p><p>c) 387,160 households in Great Britain who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, there were 269,150 (70%) where the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). It is not possible to ascertain the number of disabled people in each of these households.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has provided easements to allow an additional bedroom for couples and children who are unable to share a bedroom due to their disability or medical condition and are in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit, or where a non-resident overnight carer (or group of carers) is required for an adult, child or non-dependant adult on a regular basis.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 10/09/2018 15:58:45 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

964143

registered interest
date	03/09/2018
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: Social Rented Housing
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 on excluding disabled people from the under occupancy penalty, in the event that suitable alternative accommodation at (a) the same or (b) a lower rent not available.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	169041
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2018 answer text <p>An assessment has not been made regarding the exclusion of disabled people from the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy if suitable alternative accommodation at the same, or lower rent is not available. However, the size criteria rules that are used to work out the size of the household and whether the property is under-occupied for the purposes of Housing Benefit and Universal Credit, already allow an additional bedroom for disabled people and children in the following circumstances:</p><p> </p><ol><li>Where a disabled child or a couple are unable to share a bedroom because of a disability or medical condition and where the person or child is in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit;</li></ol><p> </p><ol start="2"><li>Where a disabled adult, disabled child or disabled non-dependant has overnight care on a regular basis from a non-resident overnight carer (or team of carers).</li></ol><p> </p><p>In cases where a relevant qualifying benefit is not in payment, but either a couple or child are unable to share a bedroom due to disability, the local authority should consider whether a Discretionary Housing Payment is appropriate.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2011, the Government has provided around £1 billion to date to local authorities to help support vulnerable people affected by different welfare reforms. This includes £25 million per year to support disabled people living in significantly adapted accommodation, including any adaptations made for disabled children.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/09/2018 13:22:48 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

964145

registered interest
date	03/09/2018
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
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an exemption from the benefit cap for people that cannot actively seek work.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	169043
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2018 answer text <p>There are already a number of exemptions from the Benefit Cap including for those who are receiving many disability benefits as well as Carer’s Allowance. In addition, support is available via Discretionary Housing Payments to support those whose specific circumstances make it harder for them to move into work. We are undertaking an evaluation of the cap and we will consider the findings in due course.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/09/2018 10:26:54 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

964146

registered interest
date	03/09/2018
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 tackle the economic effect on claimants of universal credit that are subject to deductions taken to repay debt.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	169044
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2018 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Universal Credit already has procedures and regulations in place to protect claimants from excessive deductions. The maximum rate of deductions will not normally exceed an amount equal to 40% of the Universal Credit standard allowance. However, where it is in the best interest of vulnerable claimants, to protect them from being made homeless or having their fuel disconnected, deductions in excess of the 40% standard allowance may be applied. This is only for ‘last resort’ third party deductions for arrears of service charges, rent, gas and electricity. When we take deductions for gas and electricity arrears, we will also take them for the on-going monthly cost of these utilities.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants’ circumstances are always taken into account when applying debt repayment thresholds and to avoid undue hardship. If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions, where it relates to benefit debt, a social fund loan or rent arrears, they can request that a reduction be considered. Similarly, if a claimant is having difficulty repaying a benefit overpayment, they can request a reconsideration of the amount that is being taken. Any reduction will be based on the individual circumstances of the claimant rather than the amount of the overpayment, which helps to ensure that a sustainable repayment plan based on affordability is put in place.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 169060 question first answered 11/09/2018 14:21:17 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead