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519371

registered interest
date	18/05/2016
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the rate of take-up of carer's allowance; and what steps he is taking to improve that rate.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	37081
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2016 answer text <p>There are a number of qualifying conditions that have to be met in order for a claimant to receive Carer’s Allowance. These include providing care for 35 hours a week to a disabled person in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit; earning less than £110 net a week; and not being in full time education. There is no basis on which we could accurately make such an assessment on take-up rates given that these and other conditions have to be satisfied to receive Carer’s Allowance, and they can only be tested when an actual claim is made.</p><p> </p><p>Information on Carer’s Allowance is widely available, including on Gov.UK. We have also introduced a new online claiming service for Carer’s Allowance, which was designed using customer insight. This has proved extremely popular with claimants, with around seven out of ten claims now being made that way and customer satisfaction rates of 90 per cent. Performance data is available on Gov.UK at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/performance/carers-allowance" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/performance/carers-allowance</a></p><p> </p><p>DWP also works closely with stakeholders to promote Carer’s Allowance, this includes regular engagement with Carers UK; a Carer’s Allowance Unit Outreach Manager who regularly attends events throughout England, Scotland and Wales promoting Carer’s Allowance; and engagement with Carers groups through the DWP National Partnership Team. Further information on Carer’s Allowance is available on Gov.UK at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/05/2016 14:47:15 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

518451

registered interest
date	10/05/2016
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people who have decreased their working hours in order to remain eligible for the carers allowance since the introduction of the National Living Wage.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
uin	36994
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2016 answer text <p>I have made no such estimate and I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her on the 25 April 2016 to Question <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-04-20/34752/" target="_blank">UIN34752</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 12/05/2016 07:25:10 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

514554

registered interest
date	20/04/2016
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the new national living wage on carers who will lose their eligibility for the carer's allowance for working 16 hours per week.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
uin	34896
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2016 answer text <p>The primary purpose of Carer's Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring, nor is it intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.</p><p> </p><p>The earnings limit for Carer's Allowance is a net figure which is the figure left once income tax, National Insurance contributions and half of any contributions to an occupational or personal pension are deducted from earnings. There are also a number of other deductions which can be made that mean that people can earn significantly more than £110 per week and still be eligible for Carer's Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>The Carer's Allowance earnings limit is not linked to the number of hours worked. Instead, it is set at a level that aims to encourage those who give up full time work in order to undertake caring responsibilities to maintain a link with the labour market through part time work.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the Government does not link the earnings limit to any other particular factor (including the National Living Wage), we do keep it under regular review and increase it when it is warranted and affordable, and this will continue to be our approach. Most recently in April 2015 the earnings limit was increased by 8% to £110, far outstripping the general increase in earnings.</p><p> </p><p>For those carers working around 16 hours a week on a low income and receiving Working Tax Credit, Carer's Allowance is taken fully into account as income. That means that any loss in Carer's Allowance is likely to be offset by an increase in Working Tax Credit, and this is one of the changes of circumstances that results in an immediate change to Tax Credits. Going forward the earnings taper in Universal Credit will help ensure that people are always better off in work.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 34752 34897 question first answered 25/04/2016 14:44:03 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

514555

registered interest
date	20/04/2016
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the new national living wage on (a) carers and (b) the eligibility of carers who work 16 hours per week for carer's allowance.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
uin	34897
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2016 answer text <p>The primary purpose of Carer's Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring, nor is it intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.</p><p> </p><p>The earnings limit for Carer's Allowance is a net figure which is the figure left once income tax, National Insurance contributions and half of any contributions to an occupational or personal pension are deducted from earnings. There are also a number of other deductions which can be made that mean that people can earn significantly more than £110 per week and still be eligible for Carer's Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>The Carer's Allowance earnings limit is not linked to the number of hours worked. Instead, it is set at a level that aims to encourage those who give up full time work in order to undertake caring responsibilities to maintain a link with the labour market through part time work.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the Government does not link the earnings limit to any other particular factor (including the National Living Wage), we do keep it under regular review and increase it when it is warranted and affordable, and this will continue to be our approach. Most recently in April 2015 the earnings limit was increased by 8% to £110, far outstripping the general increase in earnings.</p><p> </p><p>For those carers working around 16 hours a week on a low income and receiving Working Tax Credit, Carer's Allowance is taken fully into account as income. That means that any loss in Carer's Allowance is likely to be offset by an increase in Working Tax Credit, and this is one of the changes of circumstances that results in an immediate change to Tax Credits. Going forward the earnings taper in Universal Credit will help ensure that people are always better off in work.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 34752 34896 question first answered 25/04/2016 14:44:03 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

514567

registered interest
date	20/04/2016
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the eligibility threshold for carer's allowance to enable carers working 16 hours per week on the new National Living Wage to keep their entitlement to that allowance.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
uin	34752
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2016 answer text <p>The primary purpose of Carer's Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. It is not, and was never intended to be, a carer’s wage or a payment for the services of caring, nor is it intended to replace lost or forgone earnings in their entirety.</p><p> </p><p>The earnings limit for Carer's Allowance is a net figure which is the figure left once income tax, National Insurance contributions and half of any contributions to an occupational or personal pension are deducted from earnings. There are also a number of other deductions which can be made that mean that people can earn significantly more than £110 per week and still be eligible for Carer's Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>The Carer's Allowance earnings limit is not linked to the number of hours worked. Instead, it is set at a level that aims to encourage those who give up full time work in order to undertake caring responsibilities to maintain a link with the labour market through part time work.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the Government does not link the earnings limit to any other particular factor (including the National Living Wage), we do keep it under regular review and increase it when it is warranted and affordable, and this will continue to be our approach. Most recently in April 2015 the earnings limit was increased by 8% to £110, far outstripping the general increase in earnings.</p><p> </p><p>For those carers working around 16 hours a week on a low income and receiving Working Tax Credit, Carer's Allowance is taken fully into account as income. That means that any loss in Carer's Allowance is likely to be offset by an increase in Working Tax Credit, and this is one of the changes of circumstances that results in an immediate change to Tax Credits. Going forward the earnings taper in Universal Credit will help ensure that people are always better off in work.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 34896 34897 question first answered 25/04/2016 14:44:03 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

449529

registered interest
date	01/02/2016
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral contribution of 7 December 2015, Official Report, column 699, if he will place in the Library summary information on (a) earnings limits for recipients of carer's allowance and (b) the means by which claimants of that allowance are advised of those limits.
tabling member constituency	East Renfrewshire
tabling member printed	Kirsten Oswald
uin	25143
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2016 answer text <p>Claimants who go online can find a summary of the Carer’s Allowance earnings rules on GOV.UK - <a href="https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility</a>. Those people who want to make their claim in writing are sent similar information on earnings with their claim pack. In addition, the letter claimants get when they are awarded Carer’s Allowance informs them of the need to report employment to the department and they are reminded of the need to report earnings and the relevant limits in the annual “uprating” letter.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 04/02/2016 13:16:41 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4413 label Biography information for Kirsten Oswald

443753

registered interest
date	11/01/2016
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many carers were (a) in receipt of and (b) have an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance as a result of caring for someone who is in receipt of (i) attendance allowance, (ii) personal independence payment and (iii) disability living allowance.
tabling member constituency	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
tabling member printed	Dr Poulter
uin	21795
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2016 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 21794 question first answered 18/01/2016 11:42:09 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter

443754

registered interest
date	11/01/2016
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of carer's allowance were in receipt of (a) attendance allowance and (b) personal independence payment in the most recent period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
tabling member printed	Dr Poulter
uin	21794
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2016 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 21795 question first answered 18/01/2016 11:42:09 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter

436350

registered interest
date	08/12/2015
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the judgment in the case of R v Secretary of State [2015] EWHC 3382 (Admin).
tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
uin	19231
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2015 answer text <p>The Government is considering the judgment and will set out its position in due course.</p><br /> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 14/12/2015 17:32:11 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

428531

registered interest
date	16/11/2015
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2015 to Question 15934, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in receipt of carer's credit in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	16494
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2015 answer text <p>Historical information on the number of people in receipt of Carers Credit in each of the last five years is not available. To comply with Data Protection, dormant Carers Credit cases which have been closed for 14 months or more are removed from the Carers Credit Operating System and clerical records destroyed.</p><br /><ul><li>An estimated 8908 people are currently in receipt of Carers Credit (November 2015).</li><li>15,477 Carers Credit applications have been made since it was introduced in April 2010.</li></ul> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/11/2015 15:14:22 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham