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48050

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will provide a simple route for people to donate their universal benefits back to the state; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Windsor
tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
uin	196078
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The majority of winter fuel payments are sent out automatically. However, people can simply return their winter fuel payment to the office that issues it. They can also write to the Department requesting not to receive a winter fuel payment for future years, either in advance of first getting a payment, or after they have received one or more payments.</p><p> </p><p>Anyone aged 75 or over is entitled to a free TV Licence for their main address. The free licence is not issued automatically and needs to be applied for. Once issued, licences are renewed automatically every year unless the customer does not have a National Insurance Number in which case TV Licensing will contact them to confirm their circumstances have not changed each year. An over 75 licence can be cancelled at any time and a paid-for licence requested.</p><p> </p><p>The concessionary travel benefit is optional. An eligible person can choose not to take up the entitlement. The National Travel Survey 2011 shows that in GB, 79 per cent of people eligible for an older persons' bus pass held one.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

47696

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made on his Department's child maintenance arrears and compliance strategy for 2012 to 2017; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
tabling member printed	Kate Green
uin	195739
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>Since 2008 we have considerably slowed down the growth of arrears via faster case processing and better enforcement. The successful introduction of the new 2012 Child Maintenance Scheme allows most paying parents to be assessed more quickly, which reduces the number of cases that accrue arrears. The new Child Maintenance Scheme is also built to trigger notification of missed payments so we can investigate non-compliance earlier, reducing the time in which arrears could build.</p><p> </p><p>We are also looking at new techniques for collecting older debt. The trial of the process of reclassifying arrears has concluded and we are analysing how this initiative might be used in the future.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green

47697

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take to ensure the effectiveness of the Sorting Out Separation Web app in providing constructive support to assist collaboration for longer-term separated parents in response to the evaluation commissioned by his Department which indicated that the Web app had little relevance or use for this group.
tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
tabling member printed	Kate Green
uin	195737
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>DWP research report 863: <em>Sorting Out Separation Web App: evaluation of effectiveness</em> highlighted that the longer-term separated found the Sorting out Separation Web app less relevant because they were more likely to know most of the information provided.</p><p> </p><p>The evaluation confirmed that we need better to understand the needs of this group. Several projects funded in the second round of the Innovation Fund are specifically focussing on what type of support works to help longer-term separated couples to collaborate. When these projects have been completed and evaluated, we will be able to consider how further to improve support for longer-term separated parents.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green

47700

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) timetable and (b) process will be under which debt suspension in older Child Support Agency (CSA) cases will be reviewed during the forthcoming CSA case closure process; and what process will be put in place to enable the participation of the parents in that process.
tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
tabling member printed	Kate Green
uin	195740
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Child Support Agency (CSA) plans to close all 1993 and 2003 scheme cases over a three year period starting in 2014.</p><p> </p><p>When a client's ongoing maintenance liability has ended, the case will be reviewed to ensure any arrears balance is accurate. This process will include any suspended debt to ensure the reason for suspension remains valid and, if not, the debt will be reinstated. Whether the CSA need to contact the client during this process will depend on the circumstances of the individual case.</p><p> </p><p>When the review has been completed, both clients will be informed of the arrears balance and can contact the CSA about this should they wish to do so.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green

47706

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when each of the 10 Help and Support for Separated Families Innovation Fund projects announced by his Department in December 2013 will start.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh East
tabling member printed	Sheila Gilmore
uin	195695
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The round two projects delivered by the Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships, Mediation Now, Family Matters Mediate, Family Lives, Children 1st, Sills and Betteridge, Headland Future and National Family Mediation have all started. Projects being run by NACCC and Pinnacle People have started to recruit parents to the project and will start seeing them before the end of April.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	3965 label Biography information for Sheila Gilmore

47707

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 7 April 2014, Official Report, column 103W, on separated people: finance, whether the proposed external independent evaluation of the Help and Support for Separated Families Innovation Fund projects will include as a consistent measure across the different projects the increase in the number of children benefiting from regular child maintenance payments to meet their day-to-day living costs as a result of the interventions being tested.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh East
tabling member printed	Sheila Gilmore
uin	195696
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p>External independent evaluation of the Innovation Fund projects will measure improvement in the relationship between parents, and therefore, their likely ability to reach agreement on a range of issues affecting their children, including agreeing financial arrangements. As the primary aim of these projects is helping parents to resolve conflict and work together, we will not specifically be measuring the number of children benefiting from regular child maintenance payments</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	3965 label Biography information for Sheila Gilmore

47738

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what criteria he is distributing the additional £5 million discretionary housing payment for the least densely-populated areas announced on 30 July 2013.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	195839
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The £5million rural Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) fund for 2013/14 was allocated to those local authorities (LA) with the smallest population per square metre. The fund was then proportionally distributed using LAs share of the original DHP allocation, i.e. if an LA had an 8% share of the total DHP allocation of the least populated LAs, then they received 8% of the rural fund.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The £5m funding provided in 2014/15 is intended to avoid a disproportionate impact on those affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy in remote and isolated communities. The Government has assessed that the geography in some areas means that potential remedies such as finding work or alternative accommodation, are less readily available, and as a result transitions may take more time.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

47739

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 level of need in rural communities for discretionary housing payments beyond 2014-15.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	195835
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>An assessment has not yet been made about the level of need in rural communities for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) beyond 2014/15. DHP funding after 2014/15 will be agreed in due course and will be informed by evidence on the use and demand for DHPs, including in rural communities. The Department is currently collecting data on the use of Discretionary Housing Payments in the 2013/14 financial year.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

47740

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to continue discretionary housing payments for rural communities beyond 2014-15.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	195837
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>In January 2014 the Government announced that the additional £5 million funding for the 21 least densely populated local authorities would be maintained in 2014/15. Information about individual DHP allocations to local authorities was published in the Subsidy Circular S1/2014. This can be accessed on the Government website GOV.UK through the following link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hb-subsidy-circular-s12014-discretionary-housing-payments-for-local-authorities-2014-to-2015" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hb-subsidy-circular-s12014-discretionary-housing-payments-for-local-authorities-2014-to-2015</a></p><p> </p><p>An assessment has not yet been made about the level of need in rural communities for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) beyond 2014/15. DHP funding after 2014/15 will be agreed in due course and will be informed by evidence on the use and demand for DHPs, including in rural communities. The Department is currently collecting data on the use of Discretionary Housing Payments in the 2013/14 financial year.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

47333

registered interest
date	07/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions the Government has had with the government of Russia on the failure of certain Russian companies to fulfil their obligations in relation to pension payments to UK citizens following those companies acquiring the assets of UK businesses.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	195639
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The responsibility for the oversight of work-based pensions in the UK rests with the Pensions Regulator which was set up under the Pensions Act 2004. Parliament gave the Pensions Regulator operational independence, which means that Ministers are not involved in decisions to exercise its powers or able to intervene in its casework. It would therefore not be appropriate for Ministers to comment on any individual pension scheme. Where it appears that scheme abandonment has taken place, it is a matter for the Regulator to establish whether the legal tests in relation to its ‘anti-avoidance' powers, including the power to issue contribution notices, are met.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis