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1020306

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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 recent assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of universal credit on the level of claimants’ rent arrears in the (a) private rented and (b) social rented sector.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	199472
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>I refer the hon Member to the reply to Question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons%2clords&amp;uin=181577" target="_blank">181577</a> on 29 October.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 10/12/2018 11:48:21 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1020385

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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: Sheffield
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 commencement of universal credit in the Sheffield Woodhouse Jobcentre Plus area on 12 December 2018, if she will guarantee that new claims for that benefit will be paid before Christmas 2018.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
uin	199295
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>The Department has extensive experience of paying claimants over holiday periods. We have also rolled out and paid Universal Credit to significant numbers of claimants over previous Christmas periods.</p><p> </p><p>All new claimants to Universal Credit have always been able to apply for a Universal Credit Advance in their first month if they need some financial support until the first regular payment of Universal Credit is made. This is up to 100% of the indicative award available and can be repaid over 12 months.</p><p> </p><p>We also provide an additional payment of 2 weeks of Housing Benefit to support claimants when they transition to Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/12/2018 14:46:08 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

1020386

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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: Sheffield
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has plans to create a universal credit service centre in Sheffield.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
uin	199296
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>Every Universal Credit claimant in Sheffield has a dedicated case manager based in the Universal Credit Service Centre in Makerfield.</p><p> </p><p>There are currently no plans to create a new Universal Credit Service Centre in Sheffield</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/12/2018 14:05:54 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

1020387

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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: Sheffield
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is for an initial information-gathering interview at the Cavendish Court Job Centre Sheffield; and whether that waiting time has an effect on the time taken to pay universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
uin	199297
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>Not all claimants will require any initial evidence interview at the start of their Universal Credit claim.</p><p> </p><p>If an interview is required, claimants will receive notification to book an interview via their online Universal Credit account at the start of their claim and are encouraged to make contact at the earliest opportunity. In addition, a further prompt will be sent after 7 days if no interview has been booked.</p><p> </p><p>Cavendish Court Jobcentre went live with Universal Credit full service on 7 November.</p><p> </p><p>The average waiting period at Cavendish Court Jobcentre for initial interview (working days) was as follows:</p><p> </p><p>W/E 16/11 – 3 days</p><p>W/E 23/11 – 5 days</p><p>W/E 30/11 – 2 days</p><p> </p><p>For comparison, the average waiting period within the District of South Yorkshire for initial interview (working days) was as follows:</p><p> </p><p>W/E 16/11 – 3 days</p><p>W/E 23/11 – 3 days</p><p>W/E 30/11 – 2 days</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We strive to deliver a quick and effective service to all claimants. Claimants have 30 days in which to make contact to book an initial interview. The closer the date of the initial interview is to the end of the 30 day period could potentially impact on the date a first payment is made. In many cases where full payment is not made on time, it is due to unresolved issues such as claimants not accepting their Claimant Commitment or passing identity checks, satisfying the Habitual Residency Test, or having outstanding verification issues, such as housing costs and self-employed earnings.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/12/2018 18:01:37 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

1020388

registered interest
date	05/12/2018
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	Jobcentres: Sheffield
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 total (a) cost of (i) redundancy payments, (ii) transfers for staff at the Eastern Avenue Jobcentre Plus site, (iii) travel for those staff and (iv) the alteration work required to the Cavendish Court site and (b) potential proceeds of the sale of the Eastern Avenue Jobcentre Plus site.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield South East
tabling member printed	Mr Clive Betts
uin	199298
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>The business case for the merger of Eastern Avenue Jobcentre into Cavendish Court Jobcentre considered the estimated costs of redundancies, excess fares for staff and building work at Cavendish Court Jobcentre.</p><p> </p><p>DWP did not own Eastern Avenue Jobcentre and its future is a matter for the landlord.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/12/2018 14:34:50 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	394 label Biography information for Mr Clive Betts

1019863

registered interest
date	04/12/2018
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	Post Office Card Account
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of (a) disability benefits and (b) the state pension have their benefits paid into a Post Office Card Account.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	198724
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions provides Post Office card accounts to ensure that customers can continue to access their benefits and pensions in this way.</p><p> </p><p>As of October 2018 there were just under 1.2m active Post Office card accounts. In line with our wider policy on financial inclusion, we have always made it clear that payment into a bank, building society or credit union is the preferred way for all benefits to be paid.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested about the number of disabled social security and pension recipients is not available.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 198328 question first answered 10/12/2018 12:07:37 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1019902

registered interest
date	04/12/2018
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, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of widening the entitlement to UK welfare payments for EU citizens fleeing domestic violence in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	198882
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>This Government is committed to tackling violence against all people, including domestic abuse which shatters the lives of victims and families.</p><p> </p><p>EU citizens are permitted to claim income-related benefits if they are legally and habitually resident in the UK and satisfy the eligibility conditions.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s consultation, ‘Transforming the Response to Domestic Abuse’, which ended in May 2018, sought views on protection and support for victims of domestic abuse, including those with no recourse to public funds. The Home Office is currently analysing the consultation responses and will publish the Government’s response in due course.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/12/2018 13:47:41 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1019914

registered interest
date	04/12/2018
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: Disqualification
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 28 November 2018 to Question 193447 on Social Security Benefits: Disqualification, if she will review the (a) purpose, (b) merits and (c) economic and health effects of sanctioning social security claimants in receipt of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	198808
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>In October this year, the Work and Pensions Select Committee set out recommendations relating to the economic and health effects of sanctions, which the Department is considering and will be responding to in due course.</p><p> </p><p>Sanctions are only used in a small percentage of cases, and that is when people fail to meet their agreed commitments without good reason. Latest data, published 12 November in the Benefit Sanction Statistics, shows that in August 2018, 2.9% of people subject to conditionality on Universal Credit had a deduction taken from their benefit award as a result of a sanction.</p><p> </p><p>When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good cause, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/12/2018 18:03:54 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1020006

registered interest
date	04/12/2018
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	Children: Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much child support arrears are concerned in (a) Motherwell and Wishaw, (b) North Lanarkshire Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, and (c) Scotland, under the Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2018.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	198884
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>As of June 2018 (most recent published regional data, rounded to nearest thousand), there were the following amounts of unpaid maintenance from Child Support Agency cases:</p><p> </p><p>(a) Motherwell and Wishaw parliamentary constituency - £4,034,000 of child support arrears</p><p> </p><p>(b) North Lanarkshire Local Authority - £17,366,000 of child support arrears</p><p> </p><p>(c) Scotland - £ 225,269,000 of child support arrears</p><p> </p><p>Figures for b and c are published in the regional tables of the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-june-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-june-2018</a></p><p> </p><p>These amounts include all Child Support Agency cases with arrears. This includes cases where recent payments have been made and those where there has been no payment made within the last 3 months. The vast majority of these cases have received no recent payment, and it is only these cases that will be addressed under the Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2018.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 10/12/2018 10:21:05 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1020011

registered interest
date	04/12/2018
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: Training
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 contracts with external companies to train Departmental staff delivering the Universal Credit programme.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	198859
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2018 answer text <p>The department does not have contracts with external companies to train staff who are delivering Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>Work Coaches and other staff delivering Universal Credit undergo comprehensive training designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants. Specific training and guidance is provided for working with different vulnerable groups and those with complex needs.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/12/2018 17:58:33 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood