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1010698

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2018
	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: Self-employed
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to people who are in seasonal self-employment and are also employed, whether the minimum income floor will apply to their self employed income when they are not in employment even if their average income is over the minimum income floor when their employed income is included.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	193577
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2018 answer text <p>Universal Credit supports people in self-employment. For those claimants in established gainful self-employment, we apply an assumed level of monthly earnings, the Minimum Income Floor.</p><p> </p><p>Where a claimant’s combined self-employment and employment income is above the Minimum Income Floor, Universal Credit is based on their actual earnings. If claimants are not gainfully self-employed then the Minimum Income Floor does not apply.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Autumn Budget 2018 extended the 12-month grace period before the Minimum Income Floor applies to all gainfully self-employed people, giving claimants time to grow their businesses to a sustainable level. This will be introduced from July 2019 and implemented fully from September 2020.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/11/2018 18:53:17 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

853306

	registered interest
	date	02/03/2018
	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 assessment she has made of the effect of the 20 per cent deduction to repay rent arrears from the universal credit personal allowance, on personal debt and income.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	130755
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2018 answer text <p>The Department consulted about deductions for rent arrears in 2014. Following this the Government provided for an increased amount to be deducted for rent arrears in order to protect claimants from eviction and to protect landlords’ income streams when all other options for recovery have failed. Increasing the deduction rate to repay rent arrears helps claimants pay off what they owe more quickly, and reduce the chances of eviction. This is an important step in helping claimants clear their debts and to prepare for, find and progress in work.</p><p> </p><p>The rent arrears deduction rate is set at between 10% - 20% and is made up of two parts: a minimum deduction of 10% of the claimant’s standard allowance and up to a further 10% depending on individual circumstances, such as which other deductions may be being applied.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to review the level of deductions that can be made. Landlords are however free to make their own arrangements with tenants for the repayment of rent arrears.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 130756 question first answered 07/03/2018 16:02:16 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

853307

	registered interest
	date	02/03/2018
	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, whether her Department plans to (a) review the level of deduction from the universal credit standard allowance to repay rent arrears and (b) introduce flexibility within the system for landlords to request deductions at a lower level.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	130756
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2018 answer text <p>The Department consulted about deductions for rent arrears in 2014. Following this the Government provided for an increased amount to be deducted for rent arrears in order to protect claimants from eviction and to protect landlords’ income streams when all other options for recovery have failed. Increasing the deduction rate to repay rent arrears helps claimants pay off what they owe more quickly, and reduce the chances of eviction. This is an important step in helping claimants clear their debts and to prepare for, find and progress in work.</p><p> </p><p>The rent arrears deduction rate is set at between 10% - 20% and is made up of two parts: a minimum deduction of 10% of the claimant’s standard allowance and up to a further 10% depending on individual circumstances, such as which other deductions may be being applied.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to review the level of deductions that can be made. Landlords are however free to make their own arrangements with tenants for the repayment of rent arrears.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 130755 question first answered 07/03/2018 16:02:16 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

853308

	registered interest
	date	02/03/2018
	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: Overpayments
	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 are re-paying benefit overpayments; what the (a) mean and (b) median value is of those overpayments; and what the average period is for those benefit payments to be recovered in the most recent period for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	130757
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2018 answer text <p>The Department has a duty to protect public funds and has an obligation to ensure that in accordance with social security legislation, any overpayment of benefit resulting from a claimants error or fraud is recovered.</p><p> </p><p>There were 40,521 Universal Credit claimants who had a deduction from their Universal Credit as a recovery against a benefit overpayment (which related to their legacy benefits) within the last 31 days (in January 2018 the Universal Credit caseload was 730,000).</p><p> </p><p>The mean value of the outstanding balances is £1,082.50 and the median figure is £332.55.</p><p> </p><p>The information to provide the average recovery period will often fluctuate over time dependent on a claimant’s particular circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 07/03/2018 16:02:18 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

853321

	registered interest
	date	02/03/2018
	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 people have lost access to transitional protections through natural migration to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	130770
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2018 answer text <p>We have always said that claimants who move over to Universal Credit as part of the managed migration process will not see a cash loss as a result of the change. This is provided that their circumstances remain the same. We will be starting managed migration of existing benefit claimants to Universal Credit from July 2019 and this will be completed by March 2022.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants who naturally move to Universal Credit will do so because they have had a change of circumstances. In such cases claimants will continue to have their new welfare support entitlement calculated on the rules of their new benefit.</p><p> </p><p>DWP continues to evaluate this policy as it is delivered.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 130771 question first answered 12/03/2018 11:56:39 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

853322

	registered interest
	date	02/03/2018
	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 people who have lost access to transitional protections through natural migration to universal credit were in receipt of (a) enhanced disability premium, (b) severe disability premium or (c) enhanced and severe disability premiums at the time of their migration.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	130771
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2018 answer text <p>We have always said that claimants who move over to Universal Credit as part of the managed migration process will not see a cash loss as a result of the change. This is provided that their circumstances remain the same. We will be starting managed migration of existing benefit claimants to Universal Credit from July 2019 and this will be completed by March 2022.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants who naturally move to Universal Credit will do so because they have had a change of circumstances. In such cases claimants will continue to have their new welfare support entitlement calculated on the rules of their new benefit.</p><p> </p><p>DWP continues to evaluate this policy as it is delivered.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 130770 question first answered 12/03/2018 11:56:39 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

855515

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2018
	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, the number of Universal Credit claimants who have a level of deduction from the standard allowance (a) at the 40 per cent and (b) above the 40 per cent level.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	130822
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2018 answer text <p>Of all Universal Credit Full Service awards in January 2018:</p><p> </p><p>(a) 6% had a total deduction amount (either to a third party, for an advance, or for a fraud penalty) which equalled 40 per cent of the standard allowance</p><p>(b) Less than 0.5% had a total deduction amount which exceeded 40 per cent of the standard allowance. In these cases, a priority order is applied so that deductions for rent or fuel costs are applied first, in order to protect claimant welfare.</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 Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 08/03/2018 16:02:00 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

855520

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2018
	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 estimate her Department has made of the saving to the public purse as a result of the removal of disability premiums under universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	130827
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2018 answer text <p>Universal Credit simplifies and rationalises the current system of overlapping disability premiums and tax credits, through increasing the level of support from £158 a month under the Employment and Support Allowance Support Component to £318 a month under Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>By restructuring the rates in this way, the Government made clear that it was not looking to reduce overall spending. Savings from the simplification of Universal Credit support for the disabled do not go back to the Exchequer, but are reinvested to fund the increased higher basic rate of support available for all claimants with Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 13/03/2018 11:35:08 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

867484

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2018
	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	Guardianship
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that claimants with a (a) corporate appointeeship and (b) corporate deputy can claim Universal Credit.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	133459
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2018 answer text <p>The Department is currently designing a process which will allow claims to be made and managed by corporate appointees and deputies. In the meantime it is working with corporate appointees and deputies on a case by case basis, to ensure continuity of payment where claimants are migrating to Universal Credit from an existing benefit, and to facilitate new claims so that payment is made without delay.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 26/03/2018 16:26:13 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

867485

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2018
	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, whether a universal credit claimant in the support group requires a claimant commitment.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	133460
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>All Universal Credit claimants are required to accept a Claimant Commitment as a condition of entitlement. Where it has been determined that a claimant has a serious health condition or disability which prevents them from working or preparing for work, they will not be required to undertake any work-related requirements and their Claimant Commitment will reflect this.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/03/2018 14:12:21 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George