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1136530

registered interest
date	03/07/2019
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 and what proportion of universal credit payments were subject to a deduction, excluding sanctions, in the latest month for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	272806
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2019 answer text <p>Of all eligible claims to Universal Credit Full Service due a payment in Feb 2019, 57 per cent (840,000 claims) had a deduction.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p>Deductions include advance repayments and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.</p><p>Claim numbers may not match official statistics caseloads due to small methodological differences.</p><p>Claim numbers are rounded to the nearest 1,000.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 12/07/2019 13:39:38 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1136357

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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 24 June 2019 to Question 264329 on universal credit, of the 749,000 claimants with deductions from universal credit for non-universal credit debits, how many of those tax credit overpayments were repaid by each year to which those overpayments were made to those claimants.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	272126
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>Tax Credit overpayments were referred to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Debt Management from 2016/17.</p><p> </p><p>The table shows Tax Credit recoveries for 2018/19 apportioned across the financial year in which the Tax Credit overpayment ended*.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Tax Credit Overpayment</strong> <strong> Period End Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Percentage of Recoveries by Value</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Unknown</p></td><td><p>Less than 0.05%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2003-04</p></td><td><p>0.10%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2004-05</p></td><td><p>0.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2005-06</p></td><td><p>0.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006-07</p></td><td><p>0.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007-08</p></td><td><p>1.2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008-09</p></td><td><p>2.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009-10</p></td><td><p>1.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>2.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>4.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>4.9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>6.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>7.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>9.0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-17</p></td><td><p>14.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017-18</p></td><td><p>26.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018-19</p></td><td><p>18.2%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Universal Credit (UC) is expected to lead to savings across welfare as we are able to adjust benefit entitlement in line with changing circumstances in real time. Internal and external data matches are increasingly helping inform benefit payments and alerting staff to check for any undeclared changes in people’s circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>When recovering benefit overpayments, the DWP ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants from any undue financial hardship.</p><p> </p><p><em>*The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the DWP. All figures have been rounded to one decimal place. Due to this rounding, the figures will not sum 100%. </em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 08/07/2019 16:50:19 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1136380

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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: Overpayments
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 June 2019 to Question 257458 on Universal Credit: Overpayments, how many overpayments were waived in (a) full and (b) part as a result of applications made by (i) claimants and (ii) their representatives in 2014-15.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	272129
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>In 2014/15 there were fewer than 5 successful applications for the full waiving of a Universal Credit overpayment and fewer than 5 successful partial waiver applications for UC overpayments*.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has an obligation to ensure that public funds are administered responsibly and to abide by the principles set out in Her Majesty’s Treasury’s guidance on Managing Public Money (which can be found on gov.uk). Waivers are only granted in limited circumstances including where the recovery of an overpayment is causing substantial financial and/or medical hardship and clear supporting evidence of this is provided.</p><p> </p><p>We are unable to provide a breakdown of how many applications were made by claimants or their representatives as this information is not stored.</p><p> </p><p><em>*The figures provided in this response have been sourced from internal management information and were not intended for public release. They should therefore not be compared to any other figures subsequently released by the Department. We are not able to report exact figures that are lower than 5, therefore this have been listed as “less than 5”.</em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 08/07/2019 16:53:18 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1136399

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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, whether welfare advisers have the discretion not to impose job seeking conditions on a claimant in their (a) customer agreement and (b) claimant commitment when that claimant is no longer entitled to employment and support allowance and is advised to claim universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	272130
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>When people move from ESA to UC due to a change of circumstances (e.g. house move) not connected to their WCA, they will move into the equivalent conditionality group. Work search requirements are not imposed on people who have been found to have Limited Capability for Work or Limited Capability for Work and Work Related activity.</p><p> </p><p>When people move from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit (UC) due to being found ‘fit for work’ at their work capability assessment (WCA) their UC conditionality will be decided based on their individual and household circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>There are a range of circumstances on UC where work-related requirements must be switched off temporarily because people are experiencing difficult personal circumstances and our work coaches do have the discretion to reduce or suspend job seeking conditions on their Claimant Commitment. Even for people who have been found fit for work, work coaches may still agree to tailor the number of hours, type, and location of work, to take account of the person’s health condition. Work coaches receive training on how to adjust conditionality to reflect a person’s individual circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>People who are full time carers or have caring responsibility for a child under 1 will not be asked to complete any work related requirements when they move to UC in recognition of their current situation.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 08/07/2019 17:00:22 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1135809

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals
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 informed any EU nationals that they have no recourse to public funds since June 2018.
tabling member constituency	Salford and Eccles
tabling member printed	Rebecca Long Bailey
uin	271477
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>Whether someone has recourse to public funds is a matter for the Home Office. However, where a person’s claim for benefit has been refused, DWP will inform the claimant of this decision and how they can request a reconsideration.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 09/07/2019 14:18:37 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4396 label Biography information for Rebecca Long Bailey

1135825

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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 estimate she has made of the proportion of people working in the gig economy that are in receipt of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	271364
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>The term “gig economy” covers a wide range of roles and working practices and the information requested is not held.</p><p> </p><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.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit encourages all claimants with a work expectation to find and progress in work. To support those already in, or considering self-employment, we have extended the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) scheme from April 2019 onwards. The NEA provides support and mentoring for claimants who are looking to start or develop their business.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 04/07/2019 14:40:37 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1135920

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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 estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of universal credit payments and administration in each year since 2014.
tabling member constituency	Bridgend
tabling member printed	Mrs Madeleine Moon
uin	271423
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2019 answer text <p>The table below shows the cost to the public purse of Universal Credit Payments, this information has been published in the Spring Statement in April 2019 and can also be found via this link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2019</a></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Expenditure by benefit, £ million, nominal terms</strong></p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>56</p></td><td><p>491</p></td><td><p>1,585</p></td><td><p>3,322</p></td><td><p>8,116</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The table below shows the estimate of the total cost of Benefit Handling Processes in UC for each financial year from 2014. Benefit Handling Processes are the cost DWP has incurred administering claims to UC and making UC payments.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>2018/19</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Benefit Handling Processes, £ million</p></td><td><p>10.6</p></td><td><p>75.3</p></td><td><p>142.5</p></td><td><p>261.8</p></td><td><p>272.0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 09/07/2019 13:41:11 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1490 label Biography information for Mrs Madeleine Moon

1135962

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether an EU national granted settled status in the UK is classified as having a right to be habitually resident for the purposes of applying for (a) universal credit and (b) other benefits.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	271381
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>Eligibility for income-related (means-tested) benefits, such as Universal Credit, depends on a person’s immigration status in the UK. Claimants must be exercising a legal right to reside and be habitually resident before they are eligible to claim. This is assessed through the Habitual Residence Test (HRT).</p><p> </p><p>EU nationals who have been granted settled status (indefinite leave to remain) by the Home Office will satisfy the legal right to reside element of the HRT. All claimants, regardless of nationality, must also demonstrate that they are factually habitually resident in the UK in order to be eligible to claim UC. In general, a period of 3 months residence is sufficient to meet this requirement.</p><p> </p><p>For certain non-contributory benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment, an individual must also satisfy the Past Presence Test (PPT), which requires them to have been present in Great Britain for 104 weeks out of the previous 156 weeks.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the nationality of those refused Universal Credit within the last 12 months is still being analysed, not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 271382 question first answered 04/07/2019 14:33:02 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

1135963

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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: EU Nationals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many EU nationals have been refused universal credit in the last 12 months on the grounds that they have not demonstrated a right to be habitually resident.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	271382
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>Eligibility for income-related (means-tested) benefits, such as Universal Credit, depends on a person’s immigration status in the UK. Claimants must be exercising a legal right to reside and be habitually resident before they are eligible to claim. This is assessed through the Habitual Residence Test (HRT).</p><p> </p><p>EU nationals who have been granted settled status (indefinite leave to remain) by the Home Office will satisfy the legal right to reside element of the HRT. All claimants, regardless of nationality, must also demonstrate that they are factually habitually resident in the UK in order to be eligible to claim UC. In general, a period of 3 months residence is sufficient to meet this requirement.</p><p> </p><p>For certain non-contributory benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment, an individual must also satisfy the Past Presence Test (PPT), which requires them to have been present in Great Britain for 104 weeks out of the previous 156 weeks.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the nationality of those refused Universal Credit within the last 12 months is still being analysed, not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 271381 question first answered 04/07/2019 14:33:02 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

1135484

registered interest
date	28/06/2019
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	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, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2019 to Question 268401, what information she holds on the reasons why those 156,000 claimants with deductions from universal credit for non-universal credit debts are not repaying their debts.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	270705
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>The table below provides information on why the specified claimants were not repaying their debts.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Zero balance**</p></td><td><p>92,776</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Business as usual/head of work (Includes future instalment confirmation)</p></td><td><p>48,196</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Awaiting Financial Reconciliation</p></td><td><p>12,452</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>In progress – Awaiting further information (e.g. customer correspondence/contact)</p></td><td><p>4,214</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Managed by external contractor (Debt collection agency)</p></td><td><p>618</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Awaiting appeal outcome</p></td><td><p>534</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Waiting for customer to call back</p></td><td><p>306</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>477</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><em>*The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department.</em></p><p> </p><p><em>** The zero balance category is made up of debts that have been fully repaid, but are yet to be removed from the Debt Manager system. It is important to note that no further recovery action will be taken in these cases</em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 15/07/2019 15:06:25 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead