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1328885

	registered interest
	date	27/05/2021
	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, with reference to universal claimant feedback entitled 54. I - Paper BTL02 – UC Claimants: In Their Own Words reviewed by the Universal Credit Programme Board at its meeting on 21 March 2019, whether she plans to review the process for Alternative Payment Arrangements to improve accessibility.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	8535
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2021 answer text <p>Alternative Payment Arrangements (APA) are available to support claimants who cannot manage their single monthly payment and where there is a risk of financial harm to the claimant and/or their family. These include more frequent payments. Staff involved in Universal Credit work closely with claimants and are able to assess which people need extra support, based on their personal circumstances. They will always consider an APA where a need has been identified by a Work Coach, case manager, or triggered by information received from the claimant, their representative or their landlord.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/06/2021 14:55:57 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1328886

	registered interest
	date	27/05/2021
	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, with reference to universal claimant feedback entitled 54. I - Paper BTL02 – UC Claimants: In Their Own Words reviewed by the Universal Credit Programme Board at its meeting on 21 March 2019, what steps she is planning to take to reduce the five-week wait for a first payment of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	8536
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2021 answer text <p>Nobody has to wait for a payment in Universal Credit as urgent payments are available to ensure those who need it are able to receive financial support as soon as possible. Claimants can also receive up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit award if required, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/06/2021 15:04:40 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1311007

	registered interest
	date	21/04/2021
	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	Universal Credit
	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 the Universal Credit Programme Board minutes, Paper 1, deposited in the Library on 15 April 2021, if she will publish an update on the progress of the course correction that was committed to being carried out to help vulnerable people claiming universal credit following concerns raised at the Universal Credit Programme Board by the Chief Executive of the London Borough Islington on behalf of the Local Government Association.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	185274
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>In line with our established strategy for releasing Universal Credit Programme Board papers, the outcome to this specific action will be published when we make our next scheduled deposit to the Library during October 2021.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 28/04/2021 12:48:03 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 99509 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1311005

	registered interest
	date	21/04/2021
	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	Universal Credit: Learning Disability
	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 the Universal Credit Programme Board minutes, Paper 1, deposited in the Library on 15 April 2021, if she will publish an update on (a) the work of the Universal Credit Complex Needs Steering Group and (b) alternative access to claiming and managing universal credit for people with learning disabilities.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	185273
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>The Universal Credit Programme Board papers deposited in the Library relate to meetings held between October 2018 and March 2019.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Universal Credit application process is deliberately designed to be as quick and easy as possible, so that claimants receive money at the earliest opportunity. It has been designed to be a predominantly digital service, ensuring we make best use of technology to deliver a modern and effective working-age welfare system, allowing our staff to concentrate on those people who require additional support. The value of this approach has been clearly demonstrated as the Universal Credit caseload doubled, very rapidly, in the months following the outbreak of the pandemic. Where an individual has difficulties using or accessing our online service, help is available through our Freephone Helpline.</p><p> </p><p>Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, Jobcentre Plus offices across the country remained open to support the most vulnerable claimants, including those with complex needs and learning disabilities. The Department strives to identify individuals who have complex user needs and/or require additional support to enable them to access our services, ensuring we make necessary adjustments for them to be effectively supported by Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Department has continued its Help to Claim funding for 2021/22. This service, delivered through Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, was already a multi-channel offer prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, capable of supporting people through the entire Universal Credit claim through various channels including by telephone and web chat, up to receiving their first full correct payment on time.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 28/04/2021 12:58:34 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1236678

	registered interest
	date	22/09/2020
	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, with reference to the Information Commissioner’s letter to her Department of 10 April 2019 which stated that explicit consent for universal credit was unduly restrictive, if she will make it her policy to (a) remove the requirement for explicit consent for universal credit and (b) enable representatives to speak on a client's behalf.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	93509
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2020 answer text <p>The Universal Credit (UC) system is structured around an online personal account which contains all the information relevant to the claim. This includes claimants’ bank account details, savings, capital, medical history, family relationships and address information, which means that we have a responsibility to ensure that a high level of security and protection is in place, and that we take all reasonable steps to protect our claimants and their data which includes ensuring that consent is explicitly given to share it.</p><p> </p><p>As the amount of personal data available on UC is far greater than in the legacy benefit systems, any data breach has far reaching consequences for claimants, and so we need to balance consent against this risk. Therefore, a policy of explicit consent exists to help reduce the risk of fraud by ensuring that claimants’ data is kept safe from unscrupulous organisations and individuals. The emphasis here is not to hinder people receiving support to help them make and manage their claim, but to make sure we protect claimants’ personal data and other information.</p><p> </p><p>Where explicit consent is needed it can be quickly given in different ways; over the phone or via the online journal, at any time during a UC claim. This is a far simpler and more straightforward process than in the legacy benefit systems. Once consent is given, we will work with claimants’ representatives.</p><p> </p><p>Following the Social Security Advisory Committee’s report into consent in UC on</p><p>8 September 2020, the Department continues to consider how best to safeguard personal data moving forward, whilst allowing those claimants needing support from representatives to do so in a safe and secure manner.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/09/2020 13:56:17 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1239010

	registered interest
	date	29/09/2020
	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, with reference to the Information Commissioner’s decision requiring the publication of the 2017 Universal Credit Programme Board papers, if she will place in the Library copies of the Universal Credit Programme Board papers for (a) 2018 and (b) 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	96761
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/10/2020 answer text <p>In line with the Universal Credit Programme Board publication strategy deposited in the House of Commons library on 1 November 2018 (<a href="http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1083/Letter_-__Future_Publication.pdf" target="_blank">http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1083/Letter_-__Future_Publication.pdf</a>), Universal Credit Programme Board papers are deposited in the House of Commons library after two years, twice yearly and in 6 monthly batches.</p><p> </p><p>The next batch of papers will be deposited in October 2020 and will cover the period March 2018 – September 2018. The following scheduled deposit will be in April 2021 and will cover the period October 2018 – March 2019</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/10/2020 14:58:10 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1236679

	registered interest
	date	22/09/2020
	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, with reference to the Information Commissioner's Office's recommendation of 10 April 2019, RFA0715409, if she will publish, alongside her Department's published policy on universal credit, a ready-to-use template form for explicit consent for universal credit for a representative to act on behalf of an individual client.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	93510
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2020 answer text <p>The Universal Credit (UC) system is structured around an online personal account which contains all the information relevant to the claim. This includes claimants’ bank account details, savings, capital, medical history, family relationships and address information, which means that we have a responsibility to ensure that a high level of security and protection is in place, and that we take all reasonable steps to protect our claimants and their data which includes ensuring that consent is explicitly given to share it.</p><p> </p><p>As the amount of personal data available on UC is far greater than in the legacy benefit systems, any data breach has far reaching consequences for claimants, and so we need to balance consent against this risk. Therefore, a policy of explicit consent exists to help reduce the risk of fraud by ensuring that claimants’ data is kept safe from unscrupulous organisations and individuals. The emphasis here is not to hinder people receiving support to help them make and manage their claim, but to make sure we protect claimants’ personal data and other information.</p><p> </p><p>Where explicit consent is needed it can be quickly given in different ways; over the phone or via the online journal, at any time during a UC claim. This is a far simpler and more straightforward process than in the legacy benefit systems. Once consent is given, we will work with claimants’ representatives.</p><p> </p><p>Following the Social Security Advisory Committee’s report into consent in UC on 8 September 2020, the Department continues to consider how best to safeguard personal data moving forward, whilst allowing those claimants needing support from representatives to do so in a safe and secure manner.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/09/2020 14:05:13 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1311003

	registered interest
	date	21/04/2021
	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	Universal Credit
	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 Universal Credit Programme Board minutes, Paper 1, deposited in the Library on 15 April 2021, what the evidential basis is for her assessment of the merits of people going immediately onto universal credit and fewer people needing Transitional Protection as a result of the end date for managed migration being moved to the end of 2023 from March 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	185272
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2021 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Universal Credit Programme Board papers deposited in the Library relate to meetings held between October 2018 and March 2019.</p><p> </p><p>In Spring 2020, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Department refocused considerable resource to ensuring that all those who needed support during this time could access it, and be paid in full and on time. Since that time, the volume of people on the Universal Credit has doubled to 6 million, which means that our planning for those requiring Transitional Protection has evolved accordingly. We currently anticipate that the process of moving legacy benefit claimants to Universal Credit will be completed by the end of 2024.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit offers many advantages over the legacy benefit system: from improved support and access to Work Coaches to improved incentives to increase earnings through the taper rate and Work Allowance. As a consequence, it is reasonable to assume that there will be claimants who do not wish to wait to be moved, or experience a change in their circumstances, which prompts them to claim Universal Credit, and we are looking at how we can support those claimants.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 26/04/2021 17:00:06 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1311010

	registered interest
	date	21/04/2021
	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	Universal Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, who determines whether a paper presented to the Universal Credit Programme Board is a below the line item and therefore not automatically deposited in the Library after two years.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	185276
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>In accordance with the Universal Credit Programme Board publication strategy deposited in the House of Commons library on 1 November 2018 (<a href="http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1083/Letter_-__Future_Publication.pdf" target="_blank">http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1083/Letter_-__Future_Publication.pdf</a>), all papers, including those which are below the line and circulated to Board members for information only and not subject to discussion, are deposited in the Library after two years, twice yearly and in 6 monthly batches. A below the line paper does not require a decision by Programme Board. An example of this would be an update following a previous decision paper sent to Programme Board.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 28/04/2021 17:00:44 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1328878

	registered interest
	date	27/05/2021
	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, whether the Universal Credit Programme Board was provided with any further direct claimant feedback to review at its meeting on 21 March 2019 in addition to the file entitled, 54. I - Paper BTL02 – UC Claimants: In Their Own Words.
	tabling member constituency	Westminster North
	tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
	uin	8532
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2021 answer text <p>The Universal Credit Programme Board was not provided with any further direct claimant feedback to review at its meeting on 21 March 2019.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/06/2021 14:58:05 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck