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1123636
registered interest false more like this
date less than 2019-04-29more like thismore than 2019-04-29
answering body
Department for Work and Pensions more like this
answering dept id 29 more like this
answering dept short name Work and Pensions more like this
answering dept sort name Work and Pensions more like this
hansard heading Universal Credit: Housing remove filter
house id 1 more like this
legislature
25259
pref label House of Commons more like this
question text To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of new claimants for universal credit received two weeks’ run-on housing benefit while waiting for their first payment (a) in the last six months and (b) in the last month for which information is available. more like this
tabling member constituency Airdrie and Shotts more like this
tabling member printed
Neil Gray more like this
uin 248698 more like this
answer
answer
is ministerial correction false more like this
date of answer less than 2019-05-07more like thismore than 2019-05-07
answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. However, since it was introduced in April 2018, all Housing Benefit claimants, whose Housing Benefit award was ended because of a new claim to Universal Credit, have been awarded the two-week Transition to Universal Credit Housing Payment.</p> more like this
answering member constituency Colchester more like this
answering member printed Will Quince more like this
question first answered
less than 2019-05-07T11:36:53.437Zmore like thismore than 2019-05-07T11:36:53.437Z
answering member
4423
label Biography information for Will Quince remove filter
tabling member
4365
label Biography information for Neil Gray more like this
1123637
registered interest false more like this
date less than 2019-04-29more like thismore than 2019-04-29
answering body
Department for Work and Pensions more like this
answering dept id 29 more like this
answering dept short name Work and Pensions more like this
answering dept sort name Work and Pensions more like this
hansard heading Universal Credit: Housing remove filter
house id 1 more like this
legislature
25259
pref label House of Commons more like this
question text To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of claimants of universal credit who have a deduction for housing rent arrears in the first month of their claim in the last month for which data is available. more like this
tabling member constituency Airdrie and Shotts more like this
tabling member printed
Neil Gray more like this
uin 248699 more like this
answer
answer
is ministerial correction false more like this
date of answer less than 2019-05-07more like thismore than 2019-05-07
answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Universal Credit already has procedures and regulations in place to protect claimants from excessive deductions. Last resort deductions can be applied to protect vulnerable claimants from eviction and/or having their gas, electricity and water cut off, by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of these essential services. 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 their deductions be considered.</p><p> </p><p>The latest available data is for eligible claims to UC Full Service that are due a payment in December 2018. Of those claims with a payment in December 2018 relating to the first month of their claim, 2% have a deduction to repay rent arrears. This equates to 3,000 claims.</p><p> </p><p>Notes</p><ul><li>Rent arrears deductions are defined as arrears of rent and/or service charges relating to a rented property</li><li>Figures for rent arrears deduction include only those claims with a non-zero rent arrears deduction.</li><li>Figures rounded to nearest 1,000.</li></ul>
answering member constituency Colchester more like this
answering member printed Will Quince more like this
question first answered
less than 2019-05-07T11:49:27.943Zmore like thismore than 2019-05-07T11:49:27.943Z
answering member
4423
label Biography information for Will Quince remove filter
tabling member
4365
label Biography information for Neil Gray more like this
1121462
registered interest false more like this
date less than 2019-04-11more like thismore than 2019-04-11
answering body
Department for Work and Pensions more like this
answering dept id 29 more like this
answering dept short name Work and Pensions more like this
answering dept sort name Work and Pensions more like this
hansard heading Universal Credit: Housing remove filter
house id 1 more like this
legislature
25259
pref label House of Commons more like this
question text To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she had made of the effect of the roll out of universal credit on levels of rent arrears in the London borough of Croydon. more like this
tabling member constituency Croydon North more like this
tabling member printed
Mr Steve Reed more like this
uin 244110 more like this
answer
answer
is ministerial correction false more like this
date of answer less than 2019-04-24more like thismore than 2019-04-24
answer text <p>We have not made an assessment of this nature, as it is wrong to attribute any change in rent arrears solely to Universal Credit. The initial analytical work we have carried out with a single housing provider suggests that many tenants are arriving on Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears, that their arrears tend to increase prior to making a claim for Universal Credit, and that Universal Credit actually appears to be helping to clear arrears over time. We are currently extending this analysis to include a number of housing providers. It will be published when completed. Furthermore, according to latest figures (November 2018) only about 8% of social rented households were on Universal Credit; therefore it is difficult to see how a national trend can be attributed to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>We have responded to concerns in this area by putting a number of safeguards in place - 100% advances repayable over 12 months, increasing to 16 months in October 2021; a two-week Transition to Universal Credit Housing Payment; a new Help to Claim service; and Managed Payment to Landlord Arrangements, which allow for payments direct to the landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments, is unlikely to pay their rent or is in rent arrears equivalent to eight weeks.</p>
answering member constituency Colchester more like this
answering member printed Will Quince more like this
question first answered
less than 2019-04-24T10:17:09.407Zmore like thismore than 2019-04-24T10:17:09.407Z
answering member
4423
label Biography information for Will Quince remove filter
tabling member
4268
label Biography information for Steve Reed more like this
1110573
registered interest false more like this
date less than 2019-04-09more like thismore than 2019-04-09
answering body
Department for Work and Pensions more like this
answering dept id 29 more like this
answering dept short name Work and Pensions more like this
answering dept sort name Work and Pensions more like this
hansard heading Universal Credit: Housing remove filter
house id 1 more like this
legislature
25259
pref label House of Commons more like this
question text To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that universal credit adequately supports social housing tenants paying rent weekly to meet their obligations in relation to the 53 week year. more like this
tabling member constituency East Ham more like this
tabling member printed
Stephen Timms more like this
uin 242667 more like this
answer
answer
is ministerial correction false more like this
date of answer less than 2019-04-15more like thismore than 2019-04-15
answer text <p>No year contains 53 weeks. This perceived issue of their being 53 weeks in a year arises where a landlord charges rent weekly on a Monday and, because of the way the calendar falls every 5 or 6 years, seeks 53 rent payments in a year, with the 53rd payment in part covering the tenancy for the first few days of the following year.</p><p>Universal Credit payments are designed to mirror the world of work, with monthly payments reflecting the way many working people are paid. This model of monthly payments allows claimants to take responsibility for budgeting their own income and helps prepare them for getting back to work. The Money and Pension Service can provide debt advice and money guidance to claimants if they need support managing their monthly Universal Credit payments.</p><p>We are aware of a separate issue with respect to the way the calculation in the Universal Credit regulations converts a weekly liability into a monthly allowance. The conversion is achieved by multiplying the weekly rent by 52 and then dividing by 12. This effectively means one day’s rent a year (two days in a leap years) are not covered by UC. We are currently considering whether this formulation around weekly rents, and potentially other weekly amounts in the UC calculation, should be amended.</p>
answering member constituency Colchester more like this
answering member printed Will Quince more like this
question first answered
less than 2019-04-15T14:48:11.82Zmore like thisremove minimum value filter
answering member
4423
label Biography information for Will Quince remove filter
tabling member
163
label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms more like this