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1420728

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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	Poverty: Newport West
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 potential impact of the planned uprating to benefits in April 2022 on levels of absolute poverty in Newport West constituency.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
uin	120914
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/02/2022 answer text <p><strong></strong>No such assessment has been made. National Statistics on the number of individuals in absolute low income are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Data for Newport West constituency is unavailable due to insufficient sample size.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions based on inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), for the year to September. All benefit up-rating since April 1987 has been based on the increase in the relevant price inflation index in the 12 months to the previous September, as happens now.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 15/02/2022 15:13:54 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1420810

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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	Household Support Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has for the Household Support Fund beyond March 2022.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	120812
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2022 answer text <p>The Household Support Fund covers the period 06 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 inclusive. Other support for those on low incomes will also still be available after this point. For example, we have increased the value of Healthy Start Food Vouchers to £4.25, helping eligible low-income households buy basic foods like milk, fruit and vitamins. In Scotland, similar support is provided through Best Start Foods.</p><p> </p><p>We are investing over £200m a year from 2022 to continue our Holiday Activities and Food programme which is already providing enriching activities and healthy meals to children in all English Local Authorities.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is also providing £12 billion of support to ease cost of living pressures, with help targeted at working families, low-income households and the most vulnerable. A further £9 billion has been announced to protect against the impact of rising global energy prices.</p><p><em> </em></p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 21/02/2022 18:10:00 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1420813

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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 single universal credit claims have been closed following a claimant moving in with their partner and submitting a new joint claim in the last 12 months for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	120815
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2022 answer text <p>When a single claimant becomes part of a couple, they form a benefit unit with their new partner. As the claimant(s) is now part of a benefit unit, their single claim becomes a joint claim as a change of circumstance has occurred. As a result, the claim continues with a partner being added to the household, without the need for a new claim.</p><p> </p><p>The information attached shows the number of single claims to Universal Credit where a joint claim change of circumstances had been submitted.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 21/02/2022 16:29:26 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley attachment 1 file name PQ120815 table.xlsx title Table 1
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1420939

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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: Uprating
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 impact of the discontinuation of the £20 per week uplift to universal credit on levels of (a) destitution, (b) relative poverty and (c) fuel insecurity.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	120771
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2022 answer text <p>It is not possible to produce a robust estimate of the impact of discontinuing the temporary £20 per week uplift to universal credit on poverty. It would involve projecting forward the impact of the pandemic on every household’s income, which is not possible to do with a sufficient degree of confidence.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 21/02/2022 13:14:11 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1420992

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2021 to Question 79262 on Local Housing Allowance, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Equality Impact Assessment that was carried out by her Department on freezing local housing allowance rates at 2020-21 levels for financial years 2021-22 and 2022-23.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	120618
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2022 answer text <p>A copy of Equalities Analyses 2021-22 and 2022-23 will be placed in the Library.</p><p> </p><p>In April 2020 we increased LHA rates to the 30<sup>th</sup> percentile of local rents, costing nearly £1 billion providing 1.5 million claimants with £600 more housing support on average over 2020-21 than they would otherwise have received.</p><p> </p><p>LHA rates have been maintained at their increased levels in 2021-22 and 2022-23, so that everyone who benefitted from the increase will continue to do so.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 12/04/2022 15:31:19 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1420993

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2021 to Question 79261 on Local Housing Allowance, if her officials will produce that estimate.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	120619
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2022 answer text <p>The information requested on 30<sup>th</sup> November 2021, to estimate the additional number of private renters who would experience a shortfall if Local Housing Allowance rates are frozen, is not readily available and to provide it would incur a disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 11/02/2022 11:36:54 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1420994

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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 and what proportion of households in receipt of housing benefit who were affected by the benefit cap in 2020-21 were in receipt of (a) jobseekers allowance, (b) employment support allowance, (c) income support, (d) child tax credit or (e) another benefit.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	120620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/02/2022 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>The available information on the number of households receiving Housing Benefit subject to the Benefit Cap by benefit claimed is published every three months and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-cap-statistics" target="_blank">Benefit cap statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 15/02/2022 15:19:50 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1420995

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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, with reference to the oral Statement of 22 July 2019, Official Report, column 1146, what steps her Department is taking in line with the listen-and-adapt, evidence-based approach in managing the migration of legacy benefit claimants onto universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	120621
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2022 answer text <p>The pilot that had been active in Harrogate was suspended as the Department focused on delivering its part of the Government’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>As we restart managed migration this year, our approach will initially focus on improving our understanding across a number of key areas, to ensure we can move people over to Universal Credit smoothly. While noting the differing circumstances of legacy claimants, we want to understand how to best notify claimants about their move. We will consider where barriers to the service may exist and the different levels of support required to make a successful claim.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 11/02/2022 11:44:49 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1420996

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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	Poverty: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Government Response to the Concluding Observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2016, what steps her Department has taken to set up accountability mechanisms for the eradication of child poverty by (a) re-establishing targets with a set time frame, (b) measurable indicators and (c) regular monitoring and reporting on child poverty reduction.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	120622
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2022 answer text <p>The child poverty targets set out in the Child Poverty Act 2010 were abolished in 2016 and we have no plans to reintroduce them. We believe that an approach to tackling child poverty focused primarily on meeting income-based targets, can drive action that focuses primarily on moving the incomes for those ‘just in poverty’ just above a ‘poverty line’ whilst doing nothing to help those on the very lowest incomes or to improve children’s future prospects. In their place, we introduced two new statutory indicators to track progress on parental worklessness and children’s educational attainment – the two areas which can make the biggest difference to children’s long-term outcomes.</p><p>DWP tracks and monitors many different aspects of poverty, including our four statutory measures of relative income, absolute income, combined low income and material deprivation and persistent poverty.</p><p> </p><p>National Statistics on the number of people in low income and children and pensioners in material deprivation are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2020" target="_blank">Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>We also measure poverty’s root causes and long-term impacts as part of our Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families publication: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-lives-helping-workless-families-indicators-2021" target="_blank">Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families indicators 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>Measures of persistent poverty are published annually in Income Dynamics: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-dynamics-2010-to-2019" target="_blank">Income Dynamics: 2010 to 2019 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 14/02/2022 11:08:26 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1420997

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Concluding Observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2016, whether her Department has undertaken the comprehensive assessment of the cumulative impact of the full range of social security and tax credit reforms introduced between 2010 and 2016 on children, including children with disabilities and children belonging to ethnic minority groups.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	120623
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/02/2022 answer text <p>Since 2010 the Government has regularly published cumulative analysis of the impacts of its tax, welfare and public spending policies on households. The most recent assessment was published at Budget 2021. It showed that, in 2021/22, the poorest 60% of households will receive more in public spending than they contribute in tax. And households in the lowest income decile will receive more than £4 in public spending for every £1 they pay in tax on average.</p><p> </p><p>This cumulative distributional analysis (by HM Treasury) is the most comprehensive available, covering not only the effects of direct cash transfers between households and government, but also the effects of frontline public service provision. Welfare spending is not the only way to help families with children; further support, including health spending, employment support, and investment in infrastructure are important enablers to the removal of barriers to participation.</p><p> </p><p>It would be very challenging to produce analysis, of the same high quality, across other characteristics such as disability and ethnicity. Many benefits and services are paid or provided to households rather than individuals. Modelling would have to make strong assumptions about how income (and the benefits of wider service provision) is shared within households and the analysis results would be heavily dependent on these specific assumptions.</p><p> </p><p>Nonetheless, the Treasury, along with other relevant departments, carefully considers the impact of its decisions on those sharing protected characteristics, such as disability and ethnicity, including at Budgets and other fiscal events, in line with both its legal obligations and with its strong commitment to promoting fairness.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 16/02/2022 12:28:19 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck