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985775

registered interest
date	11/10/2018
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Written Questions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what cost threshold her Department uses to determine which parliamentary questions should not be answered on disproportionate cost grounds.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	178220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions follows guidance from Cabinet Office in setting the Disproportionate Cost Threshold (DCT). Since 1991 the threshold has been set at eight times the average marginal cost of answering Written Parliamentary Questions. Marginal cost is judged as the direct cost of Civil Servants' time. The threshold is increased in £50 steps to avoid the need for frequent small changes. The current Disproportionate Cost Threshold across Government is £850.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 09:27:55 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

984502

registered interest
date	09/10/2018
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	Social Security Benefits: Overpayments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's Repayment Negotiation Framework.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	177185
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>This framework is contained within the Benefit Overpayment Recovery Guide which can be found on Gov.uk via the link below. The Repayment Negotiation Framework can be found on page 38, paragraph 5.68.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/616116/benefit-overpayment-recovery-guide.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/616116/benefit-overpayment-recovery-guide.pdf</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 10:00:23 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

984503

registered interest
date	09/10/2018
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	Maternity Allowance: Adoption
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 potential merits of extending statutory maternity allowance to adopting parents.
tabling member constituency	Saffron Walden
tabling member printed	Mrs Kemi Badenoch
uin	177370
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), and Maternity Allowance (MA), are paid to women to replace earnings to help them take time off work before and after their baby is born. They are primarily paid in the interests of women and their babies’ health and wellbeing. It would not therefore be appropriate to extend maternity benefits to adopting parents.</p><p> </p><p>Statutory Adoption Pay is available for employees who take time off to adopt a child. Prospective adopters and children they intend to adopt are also entitled to an assessment of their family’s needs. This includes a range of support including discretionary means-tested financial support, advice, information, counselling, and support services.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 09:57:31 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4597 label Biography information for Kemi Badenoch

982484

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services
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 April 2018 to Question 134635 on the Department for Work and Pensions: telephone services, how many times her Department has made a referral to the National Trading Standards Board about a website that has failed to publicise the cost of a call to her Department since the introduction of freephone numbers in 2017.
tabling member constituency	Stockton South
tabling member printed	Dr Paul Williams
uin	176702
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>Since the introduction of freephone numbers at the end of 2017, the Department for Work and Pensions has referred 6 websites to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau following concerns about the how the information relating to the cost of calls is displayed.</p><p> </p><p>The referrals were made to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau rather than the National Trading Standards Board due to the nature of the concerns relating to the information on the cost of calls.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 16:07:15 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4666 label Biography information for Dr Paul Williams

982560

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
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	Children: Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) passports and (b) driving licenses have been removed from people for non-payment of child maintenance; and how many people received a custodial sentence for non-payment of child maintenance in the last year for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	South West Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Andrew Selous
uin	176035
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>The Child Support regulations recently laid in Parliament include changes to enable the Child Maintenance Service to disqualify a paying parent with child maintenance arrears from holding or obtaining a UK passport. These changes are expected to come into force in November subject to them gaining Parliamentary approval.</p><p>The number of driving licences removed and the number of custodial sentences as a result of non-payment of child maintenance for the period of June 2017 to June 2018 is as follows:</p><ul><li>Immediate disqualification from driving 7</li><li>Immediate imprisonment 4</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 09:32:14 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous

983073

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
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	Child Maintenance Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to undertake a review of the enforcement powers of the Child Maintenance Service.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	176655
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>Effective, consistent enforcement is crucial to making sure that Child Maintenance arrangements hold, and deliver the best outcomes for children. My Department already has a range of enforcement powers at its disposal, including the ability to deduct directly from a non-resident parent’s earnings and bank accounts; the use of enforcement agents to take control of goods; and forcing the sale of the non-resident parent’s property.</p><p> </p><p>Following consultation earlier this year, my department recently laid regulations to support our new compliance and arrears strategy. Alongside making more effective use of existing enforcement powers, these regulations will allow the Child Maintenance Service to make deductions from joint and business accounts; and to apply to the courts to disqualify non-compliant paying parents from holding a passport, where appropriate.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 09:36:30 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

983135

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
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	Social Security Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people affected by the lower benefit cap in May 2018 were also affected by the cap in February 2017.
tabling member constituency	Poplar and Limehouse
tabling member printed	Jim Fitzpatrick
uin	175879
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>The Lower Benefit Cap was introduced on 7<sup>th</sup> November, 2016. There were 27,000 households who had their Housing Benefit capped in both February 2017 and May 2018. 1,000 households had their Universal Credit capped in both February 2017 and May 2018.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 16:13:00 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	197 label Biography information for Jim Fitzpatrick

983136

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
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	Social Security Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people no longer affected by the lower benefit cap became exempt because they became in receipt of (a) employment and support allowance (support group), (b) personal independent payments and (c) another exempting benefit.
tabling member constituency	Poplar and Limehouse
tabling member printed	Jim Fitzpatrick
uin	175880
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>The breakdown of information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>The total number of households that no longer had their Housing Benefit capped at May 2018 because they became exempt as they were in receipt of an exempt benefit is published here: <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://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 09:52:31 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	197 label Biography information for Jim Fitzpatrick

983153

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
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	Children: Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the level of successful collections of child maintenance for (a) employed payees and (b) self employed payees.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	176376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>The Child Maintenance Service includes two service types: ‘Direct Pay’ where payments are arranged and agreed between parents, and ‘Collect &amp; Pay’ where payments are collected and paid to the receiving parent by Child Maintenance Service.</p><p>The Department does not record data for direct pay compliance. If the paying parent <ins class="ministerial">does not</ins><del class="ministerial">don't</del> pay they can be moved onto the Collect and Pay at the discretion of the child maintenance service. The department does hold data on the compliance of Collect and Pay arrangements. Please refer to Table 7 of the Child Maintenance Service Statistics.</p><p> </p><p>Data on compliance is recorded separately to data on employment status<ins class="ministerial"> and cannot be easily linked. The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost</ins>.<del class="ministerial"> Although the department does hold some of the data to answer your question we estimate the cost of complying with your request would exceed the appropriate limit for central government, set by regulation at £600.This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3 and half working days in determining whether the department holds the information, locating, retrieving and extracting it. We believe it would take longer than 3 and half days to match the compliance of a paying parent with their employment status. As a result, under section 12 of the Freedom of information Act the department is not therefore obliged to comply with your request and we will not be processing it further.</del></p><p> </p><p>The Child Maintenance Service Statistics <del class="ministerial">which shows overall compliance</del> <ins class="ministerial">ca</ins>n be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-august-2013-to-june-2018-experimental" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-maintenance-service-august-2013-to-june-2018-experimental</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 16:11:07 question first ministerially corrected 12/11/2018 12:22:59 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson previous answer version 78842 answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

983230

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
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	Independent Case Examiner
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 26 June 2018 to Question 155403 on Independent Case Examiner: Complaints, if how much additional resource has been allocated to the Independent Case Examiner in 2018-19 to reduce the current 60 week waiting time for a decision.
tabling member constituency	Kensington
tabling member printed	Emma Dent Coad
uin	176686
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>The Independent Case Examiner’s Office has received funding to recruit thirteen addititonal staff in the 2018/19 reporting year.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 16/10/2018 09:45:30 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4683 label Biography information for Emma Dent Coad