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1240323

	registered interest
	date	05/10/2020
	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	Foster Care: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing statutory sick pay to foster carers during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	99146
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2020 answer text <p>Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides a minimum level of income for employees when they are off work sick, or deemed incapable of work. It is paid in full by employers. To receive SSP from their employer, individuals must meet all SSP eligibility conditions, including being classed as an employee.</p><p> </p><p>SSP is just one part of the government’s safety net and the support to people in times of need during the pandemic. Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick or self-isolating, for example where they are not eligible for SSP, and they require further financial support they may be able to claim Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on individual circumstances. Working people on low incomes who are required to remain at home by NHS Test and Trace to help stop the spread of the virus and cannot work from home can also now receive £500.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Background</strong></p><ul><li>SSP is paid at a flat rate of £95.85 per week to eligible employees.</li><li>We have already strengthened our wider safety net by temporarily increasing the standard allowance of Universal Credit by the equivalent of £20 per week, meaning that claimants will be up to £1,040 better off for the 20/21 tax year.</li></ul> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/10/2020 13:51:44 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1673723

	registered interest
	date	28/11/2023
	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	Pensions Ombudsman: Standards
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the waiting times for the Pensions Ombudsman to respond to enquiries that the Early Resolution Team have escalated.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	4291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>TPO’s Early Resolution team (ERT) investigates complaints where TPO believes the complaint may be resolved informally. Over 80% of cases that go to ERT are resolved there, but where this is not possible, the complaint is passed to TPO’s Adjudication Team. Cases may then be escalated to the Pensions Ombudsman where the complainant does not agree with the adjudicator’s decision.</p><p> </p><p>DWP have recently provided additional funding to TPO towards reducing waiting times. This funding has been used to create a new casework support team. This has significantly increased case clearances.</p><p> </p><p>Due to variation in the complexity of cases, TPO does not currently hold validated data on the average time for cases to pass through the Adjudication Team and Ombudsman.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 04/12/2023 14:28:37 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1562995

	registered interest
	date	19/12/2022
	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	State Retirement Pensions: Females
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is taking steps to help support single, female pensioners, who were given inadequate notice of State Pension age changes, including support over the winter months.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	113450
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/01/2023 answer text <p>The Government decided over 25 years ago that it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women. Both the High Court and Court of Appeal have found no fault with the actions of the DWP, under successive governments dating back to 1995, finding we acted entirely lawfully and did not discriminate on any grounds.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to providing a financial safety net for those who need it through the welfare system, including when they near or reach retirement. In addition, we supported people with the cost of living through £37 billion of support in 2022-23. We are acting to ensure support continues. To ensure stability and certainty for households, in the Autumn Statement the Government has announced £26bn in cost of living support for 2023/24. This includes Cost of Living Payments for the most vulnerable households, an additional £1 billion to help with the cost of household essentials next year and the amended Energy Price Guarantee which will save the average UK household £500 in 2023-24.</p><p> </p><p>Pensioners who are entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023, will get an extra payment of £300 per household paid with their normal payment from November 2022 meaning this winter over 8 million pensioner households across the UK will receive an increased Winter Fuel Payment. Households with someone of State Pension age will receive £500 and households with someone aged 80 or over will receive £600.</p><p> </p><p>This increased Winter Fuel Payment will be paid on top of any other one-off support a pensioner household is entitled to, for example where they are on Pension Credit or receive eligible disability benefits.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 09/01/2023 16:10:57 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1216234

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2020
	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	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, for what reason employment and support allowance was not increased in line with the uplift in universal credit in March 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	62688
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government has announced a suite of measures that can be quickly and effectively operationalised to benefit those facing the most financial disruption during the pandemic. The Department was experiencing significantly increased demand and had to prioritise the safety and stability of the benefits system overall. The IT system which supports Universal Credit has more capacity to make the necessary changes than the systems that support legacy benefits. It also uses different technology from other DWP systems and these older systems have complex interactions and interdependencies. We estimate that 2.5m households receiving Universal Credit will have benefited straight away from the increase in the standard allowances which was announced on 20 March, and which is additional to the planned annual uprating. New claimants who have either become unemployed, or whose earnings or work hours have decreased because of the outbreak, will benefit too; subject to their eligibility.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>We have also made a number of changes to legacy and other working age benefits in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including increasing certain entitlements, such as Local Housing Allowance. Up-to-date information about the employment and benefits support available, including Employment and Support Allowance, can be found here: <a href="https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/employment-and-benefits-support/" target="_blank">https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/employment-and-benefits-support/</a></p><p> </p><p>Taken together, DWP’s pandemic measures represent an injection of over £6.5 billion into the welfare system and, along with the other job and business support programmes announced by the Chancellor, represent one of the most comprehensive packages of support introduced by an advanced economy in response to COVID19.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 30/06/2020 15:29:13 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1216231

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2020
	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	Disability: Coronavirus
	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 effect of the easing of covid-19 lockdown restrictions on disabled people.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	62685
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting disabled people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people using existing and new data sources.</p><p> </p><p>The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has had discussions with charities, disabled people's organisations and individuals to understand the range of experiences disabled people have had during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the support needed as lockdown restrictions are eased.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is ensuring that disabled people continue to have access to accessible communications, updated guidance, including workplace and transport related guidance, as well as other support during the Covid-19 outbreak. All equality and discrimination laws and obligations continue to apply during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>The Cabinet Office Disability Unit continues to work with disability stakeholders and across Government Departments to ensure that the needs of disabled people are considered in the UK Government’s response to COVID-19.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 62686 question first answered 30/06/2020 15:25:00 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1216232

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2020
	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	Disability: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with representatives from disabled people on the easing of covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	62686
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting disabled people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people using existing and new data sources.</p><p> </p><p>The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work has had discussions with charities, disabled people's organisations and individuals to understand the range of experiences disabled people have had during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the support needed as lockdown restrictions are eased.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is ensuring that disabled people continue to have access to accessible communications, updated guidance, including workplace and transport related guidance, as well as other support during the Covid-19 outbreak. All equality and discrimination laws and obligations continue to apply during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>The Cabinet Office Disability Unit continues to work with disability stakeholders and across Government Departments to ensure that the needs of disabled people are considered in the UK Government’s response to COVID-19.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 62685 question first answered 30/06/2020 15:25:00 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1673728

	registered interest
	date	28/11/2023
	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	Pensions Ombudsman: Complaints
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints the Pensions Ombudsman Early Resolution Team escalated to the Pensions Ombudsman in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022; and how much funding his Department provided the Pensions Ombudsman in those years.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	4293
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) is reviewing its Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and data as part of its business planning for 2024/25.</p><p> </p><p>TPO does not hold data in a format that could produce a validated response as the information requested does not form part of TPO’s current KPI’s. It will consider this as a metric in the work between the department and TPO when agreeing 2024/25 KPI’s.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions provided TPO with funding of £8,870,000 in 2020/21, £7,931,195 in 2021/22, £10,413,705 in 2022/23, and £11,268,672 in 2023/24.</p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 04/12/2023 14:31:11 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1250377

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2020
	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	State Retirement Pensions
	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 the Chancellor of the Exchequer on financial support for people in receipt of the state pension.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	113673
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2020 answer text <p>The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Chancellor on a range of issues. The Government is committed to ensuring that older people are able to live with the dignity and respect they deserve and the State Pension is the foundation of state support for older people. It is supported by further measures for older people, which include the provision of free bus passes, free prescriptions, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/11/2020 13:59:52 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1235207

	registered interest
	date	16/09/2020
	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	Statutory Sick Pay: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department is providing to people with covid-19 symptoms who are required to self-isolate and do not qualify for statutory sick pay in (a) Erith and Thamesmead constituency and (b) England.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	91170
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2020 answer text <p>The guidance given to customers is dependent on their own personal circumstances. They will be signposted to the most relevant benefit.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 21/09/2020 12:42:02 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1664638

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2023
	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	Pension Credit: Applications
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there were significant changes in the level of uptake of pension credit claims after the launch of the invitation to claim trial.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	202491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2023 answer text <p>The invitation to claim trial is a small-scale test and learn exercise taking place across 10 local authority areas. Evaluation of the test and learn is underway, and we plan to report on the results towards the end of the year when further data is available.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 23/10/2023 14:53:01 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare