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1183378

registered interest
date	09/03/2020
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	Local Housing Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of local housing allowance rates.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	901399
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2020 answer text <p>Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is designed to ensure a fair balance between public spending and supporting vulnerable people to meet their housing costs.</p><p>LHA rates are not intended to meet all rents in all areas.</p><p>From April 2020 LHA rates will be increased by CPI, for people in particular circumstances who may require more support, discretionary housing payments are available.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/03/2020 17:24:27 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1183379

registered interest
date	09/03/2020
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	What assessment her Department has made of the effect of the roll-out of universal credit on referrals to food banks.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North West
tabling member printed	Taiwo Owatemi
uin	901400
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2020 answer text <p>The Department does not keep official statistics on food bank use, so no such assessment has been completed.</p><p> </p><p>There are many reasons people use food banks and their growth cannot be linked to a single cause.</p><p> </p><p>Some food aid providers produce statistics on the number of food parcels distributed, but the Government has no plans to require individual food banks to keep records, as this would place a significant burden on charitable organisations.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/03/2020 17:14:45 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4779 label Biography information for Taiwo Owatemi

1183381

registered interest
date	09/03/2020
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: Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps she is taking to ensure that universal credit claimants benefit financially from moving into work.
tabling member constituency	East Hampshire
tabling member printed	Damian Hinds
uin	901405
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government has made significant investment to improve work incentives including: the reduction in the Universal Credit taper rate from 65% to 63% in 2017, and an extra £1.7 billion a year put into work allowances for working parents and disabled claimants to increase them by £1,000 a year from April 2019. This is providing a boost to the incomes of the lowest paid and result in 2.4 million families keeping an extra £630 per year of what they earn.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/03/2020 18:09:04 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds

1183045

registered interest
date	05/03/2020
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, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2020 to Question 10759, what the value of deductions to universal credit payments has been, by parliamentary constituency; and from how many claimants those deductions were taken, in each of the 12 months prior to August 2019.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	25694
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2020 answer text <p>This Government is committed to providing a strong welfare safety-net for those who need it. Our deductions policy strikes a fair balance between a claimant’s need to meet their financial obligations and their ability to ensure they can meet their day-to-day needs. Since October 2019, Universal Credit deductions are set at a maximum of 30% of a claimant’s standard allowance, down from 40% previously.</p><p> </p><p>The requested information surrounding deductions to Universal Credit payments by parliamentary constituency is shown in the attached table.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 25696 question first answered 24/04/2020 08:30:04 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince attachment 1 file name PQs 25694, 25696- Chris Stephens- Additional Data Deductions incl. table.xlsx title Additional data deductions table
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1182614

registered interest
date	04/03/2020
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	Local Housing 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 assessment she has made of the adequacy of local housing allowance rates in (a) the London Borough of Lewisham, (b) London and (c) England.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
uin	25160
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2020 answer text <p>Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum financial support available for renters in the private rented sector. In response to COVID-19, this Department has increased LHA rates to the 30<sup>th</sup> percentile of local market rents from April for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants, giving additional financial support for private renters.</p><p> </p><p>All LHA rates are now at the 30<sup>th</sup> percentile including those in the London Borough of Lewisham, with the exception of 15 LHA rates in Central and Inner London where the national maximum caps continue to apply. The national caps have also been increased and are now based on the Outer London LHA rate plus 20%.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 01/05/2020 13:42:10 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1182712

registered interest
date	04/03/2020
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: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the time it takes to (a) process and (b) decide on disputes lodged by universal credit claimants regarding their real-time information calculations.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	25114
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2020 answer text <p>The data requested is not available.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/03/2020 17:12:07 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1182804

registered interest
date	04/03/2020
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: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to ensure that new universal credit claimants with children are made aware of the two child limit.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	25029
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2020 answer text <p>The Department publishes information for claimants on Universal Credit’s support for a maximum of two children on GOV.UK and this can be viewed at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-families-with-more-than-2-children-information-for-claimants" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-families-with-more-than-2-children-information-for-claimants</a></p><p>Further advice can be provided to claimants through the freephone Universal Credit helpline and Jobcentres.</p><p>Providing support for a maximum of two children, or qualifying young persons in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit, ensures fairness between claimants and those taxpayers who support themselves solely through work.</p><p>We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family, which is why exceptions have been put in place to protect certain groups. On migration to Universal Credit, families’ existing entitlement will be protected.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/03/2020 17:10:40 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1182205

registered interest
date	03/03/2020
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, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the time taken for a claimant to receive their first universal credit payment on the financial situation of those claimants; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
uin	24231
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2020 answer text <p>Universal Credit is now the main system of working age welfare support across the country. It is available in every Jobcentre, with a caseload of 2.8 million claimants, growing every month, now able to access the additional support and flexibilities it offers.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 months. We have announced that from October 2021, the repayment period for these advances will be extended further, to 16 months. Claimants who utilise this support have more money in the first 6 months than on legacy benefits.</p><p> </p><p>Our Work Coaches gauge claimants’ financial needs from their first interview. As part of this, every claimant is offered an advance payment on application. Proposed repayments of the advance are explained, and all claimants are advised to request a level of advance which is manageable both now and when considering the repayments required.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has delivered a number of improvements to support claimants during their first assessment period, such as removing waiting days and paying those claimants moving from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit a two-week run-on. We are also introducing a two-week run-on for eligible claimants of Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance from July 2020.</p><p> </p><p>Data surrounding Universal Credit payments made in full and on time is published at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk </a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html </a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/03/2020 18:09:53 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

1182338

registered interest
date	03/03/2020
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, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2020 to Question 21155 on Universal Credit, which organisation has the responsibility for setting and adjusting the rate at which a court fine is deducted from a universal credit claim.
tabling member constituency	Wallasey
tabling member printed	Ms Angela Eagle
uin	24248
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2020 answer text <p>The Department’s deductions policy strikes a fair balance between a claimant’s need to meet their financial obligations and their ability to ensure they can meet their day-to-day needs. Deductions for court fines are based on rates provided in legislation.</p><p> </p><p>HMCTS have the ultimate responsibility for setting the amount of a court fine, which the Department will then make deductions for at their request.</p><p> </p><p>The rate of Universal Credit deductions for court fines is detailed in the Fines (Deduction from Income Support) Regulations 1992, Regulation 4(1B). This piece of legislation was amended to include Universal Credit and can be viewed at: <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/2182/regulation/4" target="_blank">https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/2182/regulation/4</a>.</p><p>Since October 2019, all standard Universal Credit deductions are a maximum of 30% of a claimant’s standard allowance down from 40% previously.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/03/2020 17:16:53 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	491 label Biography information for Dame Angela Eagle

1182355

registered interest
date	03/03/2020
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, what progress her Department has made in implementing the recommendations of the Social Security Advisory Committee on alternative ways of claiming universal credit other than online.
tabling member constituency	Wallasey
tabling member printed	Ms Angela Eagle
uin	24251
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2020 answer text <p>We want the application process for Universal Credit to be as quick and easy as possible to ensure that claimants receive their money at the earliest opportunity.</p><p>The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. Comprehensive support is available to claimants to use our digital service, however we recognise there will be occasions when people are unable to make or maintain their claim online, so telephone applications can be accepted. In these instances, information normally available through a claimant’s online account will be communicated in an alternative format, which is best suited to an individual’s circumstances.</p><p>Job Centre staff can refer claimants to personalised provisions which support those who find navigating technology challenging. We are currently testing a range of additional support offerings and employment provision, including more integrated health and employment support. This includes the Local Supported Employment trailblazer, which will be focusing on people with a learning disability or autism who are known to Adult Social Care, or those in touch with mental health services.</p><p>The most recent report from SSAC suggests 80% of claimants are comfortable with using the online features such as the journal, and recent interaction with stakeholders suggests a high proportion’ of claimants were very comfortable with claiming online.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 09/03/2020 17:13:32 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	491 label Biography information for Dame Angela Eagle