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1171847

registered interest
date	20/01/2020
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	Food Banks: Greater Manchester
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 number of food parcels distributed by food banks in (a) Salford and (b) Worsley and Eccles South in 2018-19.
tabling member constituency	Worsley and Eccles South
tabling member printed	Barbara Keeley
uin	5376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government does not collect data on the number of food parcels distributed by food banks and there is no official data on food bank use in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>In order to develop a better understanding of the drivers of food insecurity and identify which groups are most at risk we have introduced a new set of food security questions in the Family Resources Survey questionnaire from April 2019 onwards.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/01/2020 16:19:38 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1588 label Biography information for Barbara Keeley

1172107

registered interest
date	20/01/2020
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 number of universal credit claimants who have had a (a) waiver and (b) reduction in deductions to their monthly payments on the grounds of hardship in the latest period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	5464
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2020 answer text <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. Waiver applications have to be considered in line with this guidance. Debts can only be waived if recovery is causing substantial medical and/or financial hardship to a claimant or their immediate family.</p><p> </p><p>In 2019/20 (up to 31<sup>st</sup> December 2019), there were 10 Universal Credit claimants who had their debts waived.</p><p> </p><p>We understand the impact that debt can have on the wellbeing of claimants and we endeavour to ensure that the recovery of any overpayment is managed in a way that takes account of the claimant’s individual circumstances. Where a person says they cannot afford the proposed rate of recovery, a reduction in their rate of repayment may be agreed.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>In 2019/20 (up to 31<sup>st</sup> December 2019), 159,000 Universal Credit claimants had the rate at which they were repaying a benefit overpayment reduced.</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 similar figures subsequently released by the Department. The figure relating to the number of debts waived has been rounded to the nearest 10, and the figure relating to reductions in repayment rates has been rounded to the nearest 1,000. It is important to note that debts waived may not all relate to Universal Credit.</em></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/01/2020 16:30:45 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1172109

registered interest
date	20/01/2020
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 value of universal credit deductions made to repay administrative errors in the latest period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	5466
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2020 answer text <p>As a Department, we understand the impact that debt can have on the wellbeing of claimants and we endeavour to ensure that the recovery of any overpayment is managed in a way that takes account of the claimant’s individual circumstances. Where a person says they cannot afford the proposed rate of recovery, a reduction in their rate of repayment may be agreed.</p><p> </p><p>Section 105 of The Welfare Reform Act 2012 amended the Social Security Act 1992, such that for Universal Credit, New Style JSA and New Style ESA, any payment in excess of the entitlement is recoverable, regardless of how the overpayment of entitlement occurred. This policy was brought in to reflect the need for a better value for money welfare system and to reinforce the overarching aim that Universal Credit mirrors work.</p><p> </p><p>In 2018/19, working with local authorities, the Department recovered £1.1bn in overpayments. Of this, £19.3m related to Universal Credit overpayments arising as a result of Departmental errors.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/01/2020 16:38:35 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1172110

registered interest
date	20/01/2020
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, if she will place in the Library the (a) code of practice and (b) decision-making process governing universal credit deductions.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	5467
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2020 answer text <p>The Department’s deductions policy strikes a fair balance between a claimant’s need to meet their obligations and their ability to ensure they can meet their day-to-day needs. From October 2019, Universal Credit deductions have been reduced to 30% of a claimant’s standard allowance down from 40% to better achieve these objectives.</p><p> </p><p>Deductions are made following the priority order, which determines the order in which items should be deducted. ‘Last resort’ deductions, such as rent or fuel costs, are at the top of the priority order, ensuring that claimant welfare is prioritised, followed by social obligation deductions, such as child maintenance, and finally benefit debt, such as Social Fund loans and benefit overpayments.</p><p> </p><p>The Department collects and analyses data on Universal Credit regularly, including on the rate of deductions. Alongside this, the Department is always building our understanding on the impact deductions can have on claimants, and has heard evidence from external organisations on this issue. We have to balance these impacts with the need for claimants to meet their obligations.</p><p> </p><p>The Code of Practice ‘What happens if you are overpaid Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance?’ was deposited in the Library 6 May 2014. Deposit reference ‘DEP2014-0790’ refers.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/business-papers/commons/deposited-papers/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/business-papers/commons/deposited-papers/</a></p><p /><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/01/2020 16:48:27 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1171581

registered interest
date	17/01/2020
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	Food Poverty: Surveys
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on the inclusion of food insecurity questions in the Family Resources Survey; and what the timeframe is for publication of the results of that survey.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	4754
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2020 answer text <p>Food security questions were included in the Family Resources Survey questionnaire from April 2019 onwards. Data are being collected throughout the current financial year. The extent of information published will be subject to the usual quality assurance processes, which are applied to both survey responses and DWP statistical publications. If the data on food security are sufficiently robust, publication would take place in the first quarter of 2021.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/01/2020 13:27:26 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1171374

registered interest
date	16/01/2020
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Families
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 a single individual who is responsible for leading on her Department's application of the Family Test.
tabling member constituency	St Austell and Newquay
tabling member printed	Steve Double
uin	4382
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2020 answer text <p>As the lead department for the Family Test, DWP is currently leading on work to strengthen implementation of the Family Test across government. As part of this work, we set up the Family Test Network, which was designed to bring departments together to share best practice and work collaboratively to strengthen implementation of the Family Test.</p><p> </p><p>Each department has a Family Test lead who is part of our Family Test Network. This Network is the central forum through which we have sought input and comments on the support departments need to help with Family Test implementation. This includes Network members feeding into improvements to the existing guidance for officials in all departments on Family Test implementation.</p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/01/2020 12:07:50 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4452 label Biography information for Steve Double

1171398

registered interest
date	16/01/2020
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: Greater London
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Written Statement of 13 January 2020, Official Report HCWS 29, whether she has additional plans to reduce the gap between rents in London and local housing allowance.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	4429
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2020 answer text <p>From April 2020 Local Housing Allowance rates will be uprated by CPI, 1.7% in line with wider benefit uprating – ending the benefit freeze.</p><p>In addition to ending the freeze, we also recently announced an extra £40 million in Discretionary Housing Payments for 2020/21, helping to tackle the most acute affordability pressures in the private rented sector.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 21/01/2020 18:22:08 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1171418

registered interest
date	16/01/2020
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: Torfaen
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people transferred onto universal credit in Torfaen constituency in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Torfaen
tabling member printed	Nick Thomas-Symonds
uin	4415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2020 answer text <p>Universal Credit is now the main system of working age welfare support across the country. It is available in every Jobcentre, with a caseload of over 2.8 million claimants, growing every month, now able to access the additional support and flexibilities it offers.</p><p> </p><p>Most people only move to Universal Credit because they have had a significant change in their circumstances which would previously have led them to make a new claim to a legacy benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Data surrounding the number of households on Universal Credit in the parliamentary constituency of Torfaen and across Wales, along with payments issued in full and on time is published online and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>The Department has committed to updating Parliament and stakeholders on progress surrounding our Move to Universal Credit pilot.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 4416 4417 4418 question first answered 21/01/2020 18:24:48 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4479 label Biography information for Nick Thomas-Symonds

1171419

registered interest
date	16/01/2020
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: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Wales are claiming universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Torfaen
tabling member printed	Nick Thomas-Symonds
uin	4416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2020 answer text <p>Universal Credit is now the main system of working age welfare support across the country. It is available in every Jobcentre, with a caseload of over 2.8 million claimants, growing every month, now able to access the additional support and flexibilities it offers.</p><p> </p><p>Most people only move to Universal Credit because they have had a significant change in their circumstances which would previously have led them to make a new claim to a legacy benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Data surrounding the number of households on Universal Credit in the parliamentary constituency of Torfaen and across Wales, along with payments issued in full and on time is published online and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>The Department has committed to updating Parliament and stakeholders on progress surrounding our Move to Universal Credit pilot.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 4415 4417 4418 question first answered 21/01/2020 18:24:48 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4479 label Biography information for Nick Thomas-Symonds

1171420

registered interest
date	16/01/2020
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: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Wales have transferred onto universal credit in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Torfaen
tabling member printed	Nick Thomas-Symonds
uin	4417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2020 answer text <p>Universal Credit is now the main system of working age welfare support across the country. It is available in every Jobcentre, with a caseload of over 2.8 million claimants, growing every month, now able to access the additional support and flexibilities it offers.</p><p> </p><p>Most people only move to Universal Credit because they have had a significant change in their circumstances which would previously have led them to make a new claim to a legacy benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Data surrounding the number of households on Universal Credit in the parliamentary constituency of Torfaen and across Wales, along with payments issued in full and on time is published online and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>The Department has committed to updating Parliament and stakeholders on progress surrounding our Move to Universal Credit pilot.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 4415 4416 4418 question first answered 21/01/2020 18:24:48 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4479 label Biography information for Nick Thomas-Symonds