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1485178

registered interest
date	30/06/2022
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	Cost of Living Payments: Employment and Support Allowance
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 people in receipt of Employment Support Allowance contributions do not qualify for the £650 cost of living payment; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	28433
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2022 answer text <p>The Government is rightly targeting the £650 Cost of Living Payment support at low-income households in receipt of qualifying means tested benefits.</p><p>Contributory Employment and Support Allowance is not a means tested income replacement benefit. Non-means tested benefits are not eligible benefits, but low-income recipients can claim an eligible means tested benefit alongside them. Many of those in receipt of contributory Employment Support Allowance are also in receipt of a means tested benefit. For example, as of November 2021 there were around 400,000 claimants getting both income and contributory Employment and Support Allowance, and around 100,000 claimants getting Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit.</p><p>In addition, individuals may be able eligible for the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment if they are in receipt of a qualifying disability benefits.</p><p>The guidance with the full list of support can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-support-for-the-cost-of-living-factsheet" target="_blank">Overall government support for the cost of living: factsheet - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p>People in receipt of Contributory Employment Support Allowance can also benefit from the support being provided for by the Government. This includes £400 of support for energy bills through the expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme and an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, bringing the total funding for this support to £1.5 billion. In England, £421m will be used to further extend the Household Support Fund (October 2022 – March 2023). Guidance and individual local authority indicative allocations for this further extension to the Household Support Fund will be announced in due course.</p><p>Further measures to help people with the cost of living challenges including frozen fuel duty, raising the NICs threshold, the £150 council tax rebates and the further rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 an hour from April 2022.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 05/07/2022 16:55:00 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1453004

registered interest
date	21/03/2022
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
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 Households Below Average Income statistics, how many households were categorised as living in poverty after housing costs in each year since 2000.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	143737
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2022 answer text <p>Table 1: Households in poverty after housing costs</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Relative Poverty AHC (millions)</p></td><td><p>Relative Poverty AHC (percentage)</p></td><td><p>Absolute Poverty AHC (millions)</p></td><td><p>Absolute Poverty AHC (percentage)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2000/2001*</p></td><td><p>5.9</p></td><td><p>24.4%</p></td><td><p>7.4</p></td><td><p>30.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2001/2002*</p></td><td><p>5.7</p></td><td><p>23.7%</p></td><td><p>6.6</p></td><td><p>27.2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2002/2003</p></td><td><p>5.7</p></td><td><p>22.9%</p></td><td><p>6.4</p></td><td><p>25.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2003/2004</p></td><td><p>5.4</p></td><td><p>21.8%</p></td><td><p>5.9</p></td><td><p>23.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2004/2005</p></td><td><p>5.1</p></td><td><p>20.5%</p></td><td><p>5.4</p></td><td><p>21.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2005/2006</p></td><td><p>5.3</p></td><td><p>21.0%</p></td><td><p>5.5</p></td><td><p>21.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006/2007</p></td><td><p>5.6</p></td><td><p>22.2%</p></td><td><p>5.6</p></td><td><p>22.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007/2008</p></td><td><p>5.6</p></td><td><p>22.0%</p></td><td><p>5.5</p></td><td><p>21.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008/2009</p></td><td><p>5.6</p></td><td><p>21.6%</p></td><td><p>5.5</p></td><td><p>21.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/2010</p></td><td><p>5.7</p></td><td><p>21.9%</p></td><td><p>5.5</p></td><td><p>21.2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/2011</p></td><td><p>5.5</p></td><td><p>21.0%</p></td><td><p>5.5</p></td><td><p>21.0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/2012</p></td><td><p>5.6</p></td><td><p>21.0%</p></td><td><p>5.8</p></td><td><p>21.8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/2013</p></td><td><p>5.6</p></td><td><p>21.0%</p></td><td><p>5.9</p></td><td><p>22.0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/2014</p></td><td><p>5.7</p></td><td><p>21.1%</p></td><td><p>5.9</p></td><td><p>21.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/2015</p></td><td><p>5.8</p></td><td><p>21.3%</p></td><td><p>5.6</p></td><td><p>20.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/2016</p></td><td><p>6.0</p></td><td><p>21.8%</p></td><td><p>5.5</p></td><td><p>20.0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/2017</p></td><td><p>6.3</p></td><td><p>22.5%</p></td><td><p>5.6</p></td><td><p>20.0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/2018</p></td><td><p>6.0</p></td><td><p>21.9%</p></td><td><p>5.4</p></td><td><p>19.4%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/2019</p></td><td><p>6.1</p></td><td><p>21.8%</p></td><td><p>5.4</p></td><td><p>19.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019/2020</p></td><td><p>6.3</p></td><td><p>22.3%</p></td><td><p>5.1</p></td><td><p>18.2%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>*Data before 2002/2003 is for Great Britain. Data from 2002/2003 onwards is for the United Kingdom.</p><p> </p><p>This government prefers to look at absolute poverty over relative poverty as relative poverty can provide counter-intuitive results. Relative poverty is likely to fall during recessions, due to falling median incomes. Under this measure, poverty can decrease even if people are getting poorer. The absolute poverty line is fixed in real terms, so will only ever worsen if people are getting poorer, and only ever improve if people are getting richer.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 24/03/2022 17:22:09 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1452422

registered interest
date	18/03/2022
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	Means-tested Benefits: Homes for Ukraine Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the £350 payments made under the Homes for Ukraine scheme will be treated as an income for means tested benefits.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	142466
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2022 answer text <p>We are ensuring that those who have stepped up to sponsor a Ukrainian individual or family do not see their household benefit entitlements affected as a result. Payment of the £350 ‘thank you’ payment can be disregarded as a payment of local welfare provision made by local authorities.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 23/03/2022 17:54:01 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1452423

registered interest
date	18/03/2022
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	Housing Benefit and Universal Credit: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Ukrainian refugees will be able to claim assistance with housing costs in their universal credit claim or claim housing benefit, including in circumstances where a sponsor is receiving the £350 per month support package.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	142467
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2022 answer text <p>Sponsors for the Homes for Ukraine scheme should not charge rent to the people they are hosting. We appreciate people’s generosity and we know there will be costs associated with helping out, so we are offering an optional ‘thank you’ payment of £350 per month to sponsors.</p><p> </p><p>Ukrainian evacuees who are supported through the Homes for Ukraine scheme will be able to apply for housing costs support in Housing Benefit or Universal Credit if they have a rental liability when they move on from the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 23/03/2022 17:29:55 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1434013

registered interest
date	22/02/2022
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: 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 she has made on the potential effect of not uprating benefits in line with current rates of inflation on levels of child poverty in Kilmarnock and Loudoun constituency.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	127466
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2022 answer text <p>No such assessment has been made. The Government is up-rating benefits in line with inflation. The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions with reference to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). 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. The relevant benefits are increasing by 3.1% from April.</p><p> </p><p>The latest statistics on the number and proportion of children who are in low income families by local area, covering the six years, 2014/15 to 2019/20, can be found in the annual publication: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-in-low-income-families-local-area-statistics-2014-to-2020" target="_blank">Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)</a>.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families, and believes work is the best route out of poverty. Our approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment – particularly where it is full-time – in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 25/02/2022 15:02:36 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1419809

registered interest
date	04/02/2022
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, what assessment the Government has made of the implications for its policies of the findings of Action for Children’s Coronavirus during Childhood report, published in October 2020.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	118561
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2022 answer text <p>We have not made any specific assessment of the implications of the findings of Action for Children’s report on the Department’s policies.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling child poverty and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions continues to lead cross-Government action to ensure a co-ordinated approach to supporting low-income households. DWP’s published Outcome Delivery Plan, places addressing poverty through enabling progression in the workforce and increasing financial resilience at the heart of its mission.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 118563 118564 118568 question first answered 09/02/2022 16:56:58 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1419810

registered interest
date	04/02/2022
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	Cost of Living and Inflation: Low Incomes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of the impact of rising inflation and cost of living on low-income families with children.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	118562
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2022 answer text <p>The Government is 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> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 09/02/2022 16:41:18 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1419811

registered interest
date	04/02/2022
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, whether the Government has a strategy for tackling child poverty.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	118563
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2022 answer text <p>We have not made any specific assessment of the implications of the findings of Action for Children’s report on the Department’s policies.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling child poverty and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions continues to lead cross-Government action to ensure a co-ordinated approach to supporting low-income households. DWP’s published Outcome Delivery Plan, places addressing poverty through enabling progression in the workforce and increasing financial resilience at the heart of its mission.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 118561 118564 118568 question first answered 09/02/2022 16:56:58 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1419812

registered interest
date	04/02/2022
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, whether the Government has a cross-departmental strategy to reduce child poverty.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	118564
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2022 answer text <p>We have not made any specific assessment of the implications of the findings of Action for Children’s report on the Department’s policies.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to tackling child poverty and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions continues to lead cross-Government action to ensure a co-ordinated approach to supporting low-income households. DWP’s published Outcome Delivery Plan, places addressing poverty through enabling progression in the workforce and increasing financial resilience at the heart of its mission.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 118561 118563 118568 question first answered 09/02/2022 16:56:58 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1419813

registered interest
date	04/02/2022
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	Child Poverty Unit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of reinstating the cross-departmental Child Poverty Unit, that was jointly sponsored by her Department, HM Treasury and the Department for Education, and was abolished in 2017.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	118565
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2022 answer text <p>A key function of the previous Child Poverty Unit was to support the delivery of the child poverty targets that we abolished in 2016, which we have no plans to reintroduce. 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.</p><p> </p><p>Ministers and officials engage extensively across Government to ensure a coordinated approach to tackling poverty and we will we continue to do so in the future.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 09/02/2022 16:36:26 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown