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1137151

	registered interest
	date	05/07/2019
	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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
	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 ringfence funding allocated to local authorities for local welfare assistance schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	273742
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>Local welfare assistance schemes is an umbrella term for local welfare provision. Local authorities decide what local provision to provide and at what cost, as they are best placed to understand the needs of their local communities.</p><p> </p><p>The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2015-16 identifies a notional amount relating to local welfare provision in each upper-tier and unitary authority’s general grant, totalling £129.6 million for England. The notional allocation for local welfare provision remains at £129.6 million in England in the Local Government Financial Settlement until 2019/20. There are no plans to ringfence this notional allocation.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 15/07/2019 10:45:34 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1137797

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	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: Marketing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's budget is for advertising and marketing in 2019-20.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	275119
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions is the biggest Government department with around 22 million citizens depending on our services on a daily basis. However, we are conscious that many people who want information about the services and support we provide won’t be aware of the different Government channels they can use to access that information, or may not have easy access to them. Equally, it is right that we advertise our services widely so that, should people need urgent support, they will have a level of awareness about where they can find that help and what that support might look like. Actively trying to reach the widest possible audience around the country is both necessary and responsible. This is in line with other Government departments.</p><p /><p /> <p> </p><p /><p /> <p>The current predicted DWP communications budget for advertising and marketing in 2019-20 is £13,332,000. This budget is constantly under review as we need to be flexible, ensure best value for money for the taxpayer and meet our responsibility to communicate Government policies effectively.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 17/07/2019 15:34:35 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1142871

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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: Written Questions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to Question 270706 on social security benefits, tabled by the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 27 June 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	284380
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2019 answer text <p>Please accept my apologies for the delay in replying to this question. I can confirm that a response has now been issued.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 06/09/2019 13:41:55 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1142872

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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 universal credit claimants, who are affected by the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children, have received (a) a payment advance on their claim, (b) a budgeting advance on their claim and (c) both.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	284273
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Of the 21,700 claims affected by the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children on Universal Credit in April 2019; 11,500 (53%) received either a new claim or benefit transfer advance, 5,000 (23%) received a budgeting advance. Of those with new claim or benefit transfer advance 3,100 (14%) also received a budgeting advance.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 16:03:20 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1143137

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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	Support for Mortgage Interest
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Support for Mortgage Interest loans are attached to current universal Credit claims.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	284578
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2019 answer text <p>Some homeowners in receipt of Universal Credit, along with other qualifying benefits, may be able to get help towards interest payments on their mortgage or loans taken out for certain repairs and improvements to their home. This help is called Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI). Assistance is paid as a loan normally paid direct to the lender, which needs to be repaid with interest when a home is sold or ownership is transferred.</p><p> </p><p>There were 450 households on Universal Credit on 13th June 2019 that were in receipt of SMI loan payments.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Note:</strong></p><ol><li>Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.</li></ol> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 06/09/2019 13:28:48 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1143138

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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	Support for Mortgage Interest
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Support for Mortgage Interest Loans have been repaid since April 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	284563
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Since 1 April 2018 there have been 647 Support for Mortgage Interest Loans repaid in Great Britain and 36 have been repaid in Northern Ireland.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 11:08:14 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1143328

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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: Northern Ireland
	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 copies of Departmental documents which assess the impact of fortnightly payments of universal credit on claimants in Northern Ireland in the Library.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	284639
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>Social security matters are the responsibility of the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>A number of Universal Credit flexibilities, including twice monthly payments, were agreed as part of the Fresh Start Agreement to allow the Department for Communities to deliver Universal Credit differently from the way it is delivered in GB, and responsibility for evaluating the effectiveness of those flexibilities rests with them.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Communities plan to complete a composite evaluation of Welfare Reform in Northern Ireland. Once complete this will be placed in the House of Commons Library.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 12:51:17 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1143364

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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: 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 and what proportion of households in (a) Birkenhead constituency and (b) England that were subject to the under occupancy penalty contained one or more (i) person in employment (ii) child and (iii) person who is disabled in the most recent month for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	284641
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <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><p>As at April 2019, there were:</p><p> </p><p>a) 970 households in Birkenhead constituency who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, 130 (13%) had at least one person in employment and 190 (20%) had at least one dependent child. Additionally, in 730 (75%) the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Incapacity Benefit (IB), or Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA). It is not possible to ascertain the number of disabled people in each of these households.</p><p> </p><p>b) 240,350 households in England who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, 37,350 (16%) had at least one person in employment and 48,350 (20%) had at least one dependent child. Additionally, in 170,360 cases (71%) the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Incapacity Benefit (IB), or Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA). It is not possible to ascertain the number of disabled people in each of these households.</p><p> </p><p>Figures do not include claimants on Universal Credit (UC) with a removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) deduction, as these data are not currently available.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/09/2019 16:36:41 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1146227

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	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, whether the information provided in the Benefit Overpayment Recovery Guide Appendix 4, that fines have a maximum deduction rate of £108.35 a month, and a minimum deduction rate of an amount equivalent to five per cent of the claimant’s UC Standard Allowance. Any other deductions being taken reduce the maximum deduction rate pound for pound, so that the total of all deductions doesn’t go above the overall maximum deduction rate of 40 per cent of the claimant’s UC Standard Allowance, is still applicable.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	290673
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/09/2019 answer text <p>The maximum rate of deductions cannot normally exceed 40 per cent of the Universal Credit standard allowance and does not reduce other components of an award, such as money paid for children, housing or when someone is caring for a severely disabled person. From October 2019 this will be reduced to 30 per cent and from October 2021 we are increasing the maximum recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt, so last resort deductions can be applied to protect vulnerable claimants from eviction and/or having their fuel supply (gas/electricity) cut off, by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of these essential services. In these cases, when it is considered to be in the best interests of the claimant and their family, deductions may be taken above the 40 per cent limit.</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions being made they can contact the Department to request that a reduction in deductions be considered.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 30/09/2019 14:53:40 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1147032

	registered interest
	date	30/09/2019
	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	Food Banks
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) formal and (b) informal referrals to food banks have been made by Jobcentre Plus in each of the most recent 12 months for which data are available.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	292109
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2019 answer text <p>Jobcentres do not refer claimants to food banks or issue food bank vouchers. The Department has long-standing guidance in place which allows staff to signpost customers in writing to a food bank where they have asked for details, and if all sources of statutory support have been exhausted. Jobcentre Plus staff are not required to keep records of the number of benefit claimants signposted to food banks in their local area, and we have no current plans to develop official national statistics on food bank use.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 03/10/2019 15:09:33 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead