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1132228

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
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: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria her Department uses to categorise universal credit applicants as gainfully self-employed.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	264731
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department provides tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through our work coaches to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can refer low-earning claimants to mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance providers and sign-post claimants to the other extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.</p><p> </p><p>All claimants with earnings from self-employment, whether gainfully self-employed or not, are required to self-report these each month to ensure that any Universal Credit (UC) payments take into account all household earnings. Monthly reporting allows UC to be adjusted monthly. Claimants are required to report the total of actual payments into and out of their business in each month, minus any Income Tax, National Insurance, permitted business expenses and relievable pension contributions actually paid. This gives a net profit figure, which is treated as the self-employed earnings total in the UC calculation. Any drawings from business to personal accounts or, where a claimant has incorporated their business, payment of salary from their company to their personal account, is disregarded in this calculation to avoid double counting.</p><p> </p><p>When a claim is made to Universal Credit the Department will, on the basis of the information provided by the claimant, assess whether the claimant may reasonably be expected to work. If a claimant is in a group expected to work, the number of hours they may be expected to work is a maximum of 35 but may be lower, for example to take account of caring responsibilities or a health condition.</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant is self-employed and in a group expected to work, the Department then considers a number of factors to establish whether someone is gainfully self-employed. A claimant is considered to be in gainful self-employment where all of the following apply:</p><p> </p><ul><li>the claimant is carrying on a trade, profession or vocation as their main employment</li><li>their earnings from that trade, profession or vocation are self-employed earnings</li><li>the trade, profession or vocation is organised, developed, regular and carried out in expectation of profit</li></ul><p> </p><p>If all of the above are satisfied, then the claimant is considered gainfully self-employed. A Minimum Income Floor (MIF) is calculated by multiplying the number of hours the gainfully self-employed claimant is expected to work by the relevant National Minimum Wage for their age, minus notional deductions for Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions. Gainfully self-employed claimants with a MIF applied to their claim are free from requirements to seek other work and are free to undertake those activities that they consider will maximise their profit including decisions about when and how to work most effectively.</p><p> </p><p>As we announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, we are extending the 12-month start-up period where claimants are exempt from the Minimum Income Floor to all gainfully self-employed claimants who are new to Universal Credit. This start-up period will provide time for self-employed claimants to establish and grow their business, or to adjust to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>On average earnings from self-employment are lower than from employment and the self-employed make up a significant proportion of those in in-work poverty. The Government believes the MIF, by incentivising claimants to earn more from self-employment, or alternatively enter employment, offers the most effective way of tackling in-work poverty for the self-employed.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 264733 264734 question first answered 24/06/2019 15:58:34 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1132229

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
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: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants are categorised as self-employed in (a) Arfon, (b) Wales and (c) the UK.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	264732
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department plans to publish statistics on Universal Credit and self-employment, including claimant numbers, in the future. The Government’s commitment remains to helping self-employed claimants with viable businesses to thrive, while protecting public funds.</p><p>We provide tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through our work coaches to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can also sign-post claimants to the extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.</p><p>As we announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, we will be extending the 12-month start-up period where claimants are exempt from the Minimum Income Floor to all gainfully self-employed claimants who are new to Universal Credit. This start-up period will provide time for self-employed claimants to establish and grow their business, or to adjust to Universal Credit.</p><p>The Department has also extended mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance mentors to Universal Credit claimants with earnings below their Minimum Income Floor, to help them to develop a plan to grow their earnings.</p><p /> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/06/2019 13:38:46 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1132231

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
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: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria her Department use to assess whether a self-employed universal credit applicant is working 35 hours per week or more in paid employment.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	264733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department provides tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through our work coaches to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can refer low-earning claimants to mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance providers and sign-post claimants to the other extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.</p><p> </p><p>All claimants with earnings from self-employment, whether gainfully self-employed or not, are required to self-report these each month to ensure that any Universal Credit (UC) payments take into account all household earnings. Monthly reporting allows UC to be adjusted monthly. Claimants are required to report the total of actual payments into and out of their business in each month, minus any Income Tax, National Insurance, permitted business expenses and relievable pension contributions actually paid. This gives a net profit figure, which is treated as the self-employed earnings total in the UC calculation. Any drawings from business to personal accounts or, where a claimant has incorporated their business, payment of salary from their company to their personal account, is disregarded in this calculation to avoid double counting.</p><p> </p><p>When a claim is made to Universal Credit the Department will, on the basis of the information provided by the claimant, assess whether the claimant may reasonably be expected to work. If a claimant is in a group expected to work, the number of hours they may be expected to work is a maximum of 35 but may be lower, for example to take account of caring responsibilities or a health condition.</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant is self-employed and in a group expected to work, the Department then considers a number of factors to establish whether someone is gainfully self-employed. A claimant is considered to be in gainful self-employment where all of the following apply:</p><p> </p><ul><li>the claimant is carrying on a trade, profession or vocation as their main employment</li><li>their earnings from that trade, profession or vocation are self-employed earnings</li><li>the trade, profession or vocation is organised, developed, regular and carried out in expectation of profit</li></ul><p> </p><p>If all of the above are satisfied, then the claimant is considered gainfully self-employed. A Minimum Income Floor (MIF) is calculated by multiplying the number of hours the gainfully self-employed claimant is expected to work by the relevant National Minimum Wage for their age, minus notional deductions for Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions. Gainfully self-employed claimants with a MIF applied to their claim are free from requirements to seek other work and are free to undertake those activities that they consider will maximise their profit including decisions about when and how to work most effectively.</p><p> </p><p>As we announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, we are extending the 12-month start-up period where claimants are exempt from the Minimum Income Floor to all gainfully self-employed claimants who are new to Universal Credit. This start-up period will provide time for self-employed claimants to establish and grow their business, or to adjust to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>On average earnings from self-employment are lower than from employment and the self-employed make up a significant proportion of those in in-work poverty. The Government believes the MIF, by incentivising claimants to earn more from self-employment, or alternatively enter employment, offers the most effective way of tackling in-work poverty for the self-employed.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 264731 264734 question first answered 24/06/2019 15:58:35 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1132233

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
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: Self-employed
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 differentiates between annual turnover and salary when assessing the incomes of self-employed applicants of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	264734
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department provides tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through our work coaches to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can refer low-earning claimants to mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance providers and sign-post claimants to the other extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.</p><p> </p><p>All claimants with earnings from self-employment, whether gainfully self-employed or not, are required to self-report these each month to ensure that any Universal Credit (UC) payments take into account all household earnings. Monthly reporting allows UC to be adjusted monthly. Claimants are required to report the total of actual payments into and out of their business in each month, minus any Income Tax, National Insurance, permitted business expenses and relievable pension contributions actually paid. This gives a net profit figure, which is treated as the self-employed earnings total in the UC calculation. Any drawings from business to personal accounts or, where a claimant has incorporated their business, payment of salary from their company to their personal account, is disregarded in this calculation to avoid double counting.</p><p> </p><p>When a claim is made to Universal Credit the Department will, on the basis of the information provided by the claimant, assess whether the claimant may reasonably be expected to work. If a claimant is in a group expected to work, the number of hours they may be expected to work is a maximum of 35 but may be lower, for example to take account of caring responsibilities or a health condition.</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant is self-employed and in a group expected to work, the Department then considers a number of factors to establish whether someone is gainfully self-employed. A claimant is considered to be in gainful self-employment where all of the following apply:</p><p> </p><ul><li>the claimant is carrying on a trade, profession or vocation as their main employment</li><li>their earnings from that trade, profession or vocation are self-employed earnings</li><li>the trade, profession or vocation is organised, developed, regular and carried out in expectation of profit</li></ul><p> </p><p>If all of the above are satisfied, then the claimant is considered gainfully self-employed. A Minimum Income Floor (MIF) is calculated by multiplying the number of hours the gainfully self-employed claimant is expected to work by the relevant National Minimum Wage for their age, minus notional deductions for Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions. Gainfully self-employed claimants with a MIF applied to their claim are free from requirements to seek other work and are free to undertake those activities that they consider will maximise their profit including decisions about when and how to work most effectively.</p><p> </p><p>As we announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, we are extending the 12-month start-up period where claimants are exempt from the Minimum Income Floor to all gainfully self-employed claimants who are new to Universal Credit. This start-up period will provide time for self-employed claimants to establish and grow their business, or to adjust to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>On average earnings from self-employment are lower than from employment and the self-employed make up a significant proportion of those in in-work poverty. The Government believes the MIF, by incentivising claimants to earn more from self-employment, or alternatively enter employment, offers the most effective way of tackling in-work poverty for the self-employed.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 264731 264733 question first answered 24/06/2019 15:58:35 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1083634

registered interest
date	07/03/2019
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 the total number and proportion of universal credit claimants who have applied for advance payments is in each of the past five years; and what number and proportion of such applications have been approved.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	229665
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2019 answer text <p>Applications for a Universal Credit advance can be made in a number of ways: in person, by telephone and also online. To identify and collate the total number of applications made would incur disproportionate cost. Consequently, we do not hold the information requested.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit claimants may be eligible for an advance payment, in order to provide extra financial support for those who need it most. The Department has increased the maximum advance a claimant may receive at the start of their claim to 100 per cent of their indicative award and has extended the repayment period to 12 months. From October 2021, this maximum repayment period will be extended further to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>Around 60% of eligible new claims to Universal Credit received an advance in January 2019. This shows that claimants are being made aware of advances and that our advance system is being utilised so people receive help when they need it.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 15/03/2019 15:24:23 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1083635

registered interest
date	07/03/2019
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 the process is for her Department when it considers an application for an advance payment for universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	229666
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>If a claimant meets the conditions for an advance we aim to make the payment within 72 hours. However, an advance can be paid on the same day the claimant applies if they or their household would suffer genuine hardship if they had to wait 72 hours for the payment.</p><p>Applications for a Universal Credit advance payment can be made in person, by telephone or online depending on the claimant’s circumstances. Depending on the type of advance payment application, we will consider whether the claimant satisfies the eligibility conditions for receiving the advance. If the claimant is eligible we will agree the amount of the advance and the period over which the advance will be recovered from their future Universal Credit payments. The outcome of the application is explained to the claimant and their online journal updated.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 22/05/2019 13:37:44 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1083636

registered interest
date	07/03/2019
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, how long it takes on average to process an advance payment application for universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	229667
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2019 answer text <p>If a claimant meets the conditions for an advance we aim to make the payment within 72 hours. However, an advance can be paid on the same day the claimant applies if they or their household would suffer genuine hardship if they had to wait 72 hours for the payment.</p><p>Applications for a Universal Credit advance payment can be made in person, by telephone or online depending on the claimant’s circumstances. Depending on the type of advance payment application, we will consider whether the claimant satisfies the eligibility conditions for receiving the advance. If the claimant is eligible we will agree the amount of the advance and the period over which the advance will be recovered from their future Universal Credit payments. The outcome of the application is explained to the claimant and their online journal updated.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/03/2019 15:34:04 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1061210

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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, for what reason her Department decided to track only the first 10,000 successful applicants through the managed migration pilot and not to track unsuccessful applications.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	221636
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>Subject to parliamentary approval, we have sought powers to conduct a pilot phase of Managed Migration, to track up to a maximum of 10,000 claimants through the process. The goal of the pilot is to learn as much as possible and to increase numbers as slowly and gradually as necessary, and there will be safeguards in the process to ensure that no-one is left behind. We will report on our findings from the pilot before bringing forward legislation to extend managed migration.</p><p> </p><p>We have said that all individuals will be tracked all the way through the pilot process and understanding the reasons for unsuccessful applications will be an important part of the pilot. However, there will be safeguards in place to protect those who might otherwise fail to make a successful claim.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is committed to finding those who will need support and will help them through the process, including home visits where necessary. This will give an indication of the size of the support requirement which will be key information for any future scaling.</p><p> </p><p>Our stakeholders and partners will also play a key role and we will work with partners to ensure we reach people who might otherwise be missed, and the further development of these delivery relationships is a major aspect of this phase of the programme.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/02/2019 16:46:53 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1043743

registered interest
date	18/01/2019
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 17 January to Question 208315 on universal credit, which stakeholders her Department is working with to design the managed migration process.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	210033
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2019 answer text <p>The Department is working with a diverse group of around 80 stakeholder organisations to ensure the widest possible range of insights are played into the design of the process to move existing claimants who do not have a change in circumstances onto Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is committed to engaging with these stakeholders in a respectful and professional manner and it would not reflect our agreed working relationship of partnership, reciprocation and trust for us to name those stakeholders participating without first seeking their express permission.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/01/2019 17:25:53 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1039027

registered interest
date	10/01/2019
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, how many applications for universal credit have been made in the Welsh language.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	207167
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit claims in the Welsh language is available to anyone making a new claim in Wales now that roll-out is complete.</p><p> </p><p>The Department’s Welsh Language Scheme also offers legacy claimants the ability to be communicated with, orally or written, via the medium of Welsh; they do not have to wait to be moved over to Universal Credit via managed migration to take advantage of Welsh language services.</p><p> </p><p>Our internal data suggests that 290 Universal Credit claimants (or 1.6% of new claims made in Wales since 5 December 2018) have declared a Welsh language preference.</p><p> </p><p>We have agreed to pilot the initial approach to migration slowly and gradually, but (as set out in Written Statement <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statements/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons,lords&amp;use-dates=True&amp;answered-from=2019-01-11&amp;answered-to=2019-01-11&amp;dept=29" target="_blank">HCWS1243</a> on 11 January 2019) this does not affect the timeline for the overall delivery of Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 207168 question first answered 17/01/2019 17:30:03 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams