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1400408

registered interest
date	06/01/2022
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	Winter Fuel Payment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to promote awareness of (a) winter fuel payments and (b) associated welfare provision.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
tabling member printed	Stuart Anderson
uin	99068
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>Winter fuel payments are supporting over 11 million pensioners with their energy bills. We are also continuing to encourage those eligible for Pension Credit to make a claim. Pension Credit provides invaluable financial support for vulnerable pensioners. Around 1.4 million eligible pensioners across Great Britain receive some £5bn in Pension Credit, which tops up their retirement income and is a passport to other financial help such as support with housing costs, council tax, heating bills and a free TV licence for those over 75.</p><p> </p><p>Cold Weather Payments are also available and help vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits to meet additional heating costs, during periods of unseasonably cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. This includes older people in receipt of Pension Credit.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is responsible for the warm home discount scheme and the majority of those in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit receive their rebate automatically without needing to claim.</p><p> </p><p>Details of all three schemes can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme</a></p><p> </p><p>The Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Act 2021 introduced a double lock and allowed the Government to increase pensions by the higher of inflation or 2.5%. From April 2022 state pensions will be increased by 3.1% and this represents an additional £4bn spend on pensioner benefits in 2022/23.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 12/01/2022 12:37:16 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4742 label Biography information for Stuart Anderson

1400516

registered interest
date	06/01/2022
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	Health and Safety: Mothers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many requests for advice from workers and employers on health and safety for new and expectant mothers were made to the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years; and in how many of those cases enforcement action was taken.
tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
uin	98935
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Concerns and Advice Team respond to questions and concerns from employers and members of the public. Over the last five financial years and current year to date, the number of enquiries related to the terms 'pregnant', 'pregnancy' and 'new mother' are:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Financial Year</p></td><td><p>Pregnancy/New mother Related</p></td><td><p>Total Concerns Received</p></td><td><p>% of total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>16/17</p></td><td><p>167</p></td><td><p>22,497</p></td><td><p>0.74%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>17/18</p></td><td><p>156</p></td><td><p>26,507</p></td><td><p>0.59%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>18/19</p></td><td><p>146</p></td><td><p>29,476</p></td><td><p>0.50%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>19/20</p></td><td><p>173</p></td><td><p>32,490</p></td><td><p>0.53%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>20/21</p></td><td><p>282</p></td><td><p>46,103</p></td><td><p>0.61%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>21/YTD</p></td><td><p>93</p></td><td><p>18,226</p></td><td><p>0.51%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>There has been no enforcement action taken over this period related to the same terms.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 12/01/2022 11:20:18 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 42461 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

1400517

registered interest
date	06/01/2022
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	Health and Safety: Mothers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to update health and safety guidance for employers to (a) reflect recent case law and (b) clarify that employers must carry out an individual risk assessment when notified that a woman is (i) pregnant, (ii) has given birth in the last six months or (iii) is breastfeeding.
tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
uin	98936
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has noted new case law requiring employers to carry out individual risk assessments when notified a worker is pregnant, has given birth in the last 6 months or is breastfeeding. HSE is in the process of amending its guidance accordingly and will work with stakeholders and interested parties to communicate and promote the amended guidance to support employers in carrying out individual risk assessments.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 12/01/2022 11:26:47 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 42462 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

1400050

registered interest
date	05/01/2022
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: Medical Equipment
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 adequacy of financial support available to people who operate and require the use of medical equipment within their homes.
tabling member constituency	Falkirk
tabling member printed	John McNally
uin	98328
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>We are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to realise their potential and live independently. Dedicated financial support for equipment at home is available to some disabled people and can be explored through <a href="https://www.gov.uk/apply-home-equipment-for-disabled" target="_blank">Apply for equipment for your home if you're disabled - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a> or <a href="https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled" target="_blank">Financial help if you're disabled - GOV.UK</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department recognises the extra costs disabled people can face in their everyday lives. Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment are intended to help with these extra costs. Claimants are able to use their benefit according to their own priorities. These benefits are tax-free, non-contributory and are uprated annually in line with inflation. They are paid in addition to other benefits which someone may be able to receive.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 12/01/2022 12:33:27 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1399232

registered interest
date	04/01/2022
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	Employment Support Allowance and Universal Credit: Telephone Services
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 implementing a feature on calls relating to (a) universal credit and (b) employment support allowance where in the event that the caller does not progress with automated telephony services they are automatically transferred to a human operator.
tabling member constituency	Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
tabling member printed	Drew Hendry
uin	96949
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>All except two of the many freephone lines that DWP provides operate with a menu of options for customers to select before the call is routed to a human operator. The two lines which operate differently with a form of automation are the Benefit Enquiry Line and the Jobcentre Enquiry Line. These freephone lines use a function called Natural Language Call Steering which, if the customer is not understood, does not understand the question, or chooses not to speak, will revert to a menu of options before transfer to a human operator.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 12/01/2022 16:10:31 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4467 label Biography information for Drew Hendry

1399305

registered interest
date	04/01/2022
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: Habitual Residence Test
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claims were issued with a negative decision on the grounds that the claimant failed the habitual resident test, as a proportion of total claims, in each month from January 2014 to December 2021.
tabling member constituency	Edmonton
tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
uin	96987
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>The table attached gives relevant proportions and volumes of total Universal Credit (UC) claims that failed their Habitual Residency Test (HRT) in each month from June 2015 to September 2021.</p><p> </p><p>The Department currently holds information for HRTs failed by UC claimants from June 2015 to September 2021.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p> </p><ol><li>Numbers failing the HRT are updated monthly and retrospectively as outcomes are resolved. Current numbers and the proportions on which these are based may therefore be different from those shared at an earlier time for the same period.</li><li>The rise in numbers failing the HRT since 2015 reflects the gradual roll out of UC and rising UC caseload.</li><li>Only single-person claims were included on the early UC caseload until December 2018 when the UC full service began rollout.</li><li>Proportions in table attached are based on unrounded numbers.</li><li>Any numbers shown below 100 are rounded to the nearest 10.</li><li>Any numbers shown above 100 are rounded to the nearest 100.</li></ol> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 12/01/2022 16:54:29 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley attachment 1 file name PQ96987- table (1).xlsx title Table 1
tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor

1399306

registered interest
date	04/01/2022
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: 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 8 December 2021 to Question 84427 on Social Security Benefit: Disqualification, how many of the 149,057 cases that were suspended under the Risk Review Process remain suspended as of December 2021.
tabling member constituency	Edmonton
tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
uin	96988
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p /> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 97004 question first answered 12/01/2022 11:46:28 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor

1399307

registered interest
date	04/01/2022
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: 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 8 December 2021 to Question 84427 on Social Security Benefit: Disqualification and with reference to the 149,057 cases that were suspended under the Risk Review Process, what steps her Department has taken to ensure the process of suspension does not result in the discrimination of claimants and is compliant with the Equality Act 2010.
tabling member constituency	Edmonton
tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
uin	96989
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>The Risk Review Team does not capture demographic data on any claims they suspend. All claims subject to the Risk Review Process are suspected of fraud. This is not linked to nationality.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 96999 question first answered 12/01/2022 17:29:26 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor

1399314

registered interest
date	04/01/2022
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	Personal Independence Payment: 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 discussions she has had with stakeholders on merging personal independence payments into universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Hyndburn
tabling member printed	Sara Britcliffe
uin	97176
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>The Health and Disability Green Paper aimed to explore ways to improve the design of the benefits system and posed illustrative ideas, such as a single benefit covering both PIP and UC, to generate discussion.</p><p> </p><p>During the consultation period we held more than 40 events with stakeholders to hear their views on the proposals in the Green Paper, including on options for simplifying the benefits system.</p><p> </p><p>Although the formal consultation period has now ended, we will continue to engage stakeholders regularly, particularly on the broader aspects of the paper that focus on future reform.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 12/01/2022 12:27:19 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4838 label Biography information for Sara Britcliffe

1399337

registered interest
date	04/01/2022
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	Jobcentres: Coronavirus
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 made an assessment of the risk to job centre staff of covid-19 transmission as a result of continuing face-to-face services for all appointments during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
tabling member printed	Dr Lisa Cameron
uin	96922
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>DWP takes the safety of colleagues and customers very seriously and all of our offices are COVID secure. We have a suite of Health &amp; Safety risk assessments in place developed following extensive consultation with departmental trade union representatives that cover all of the measures in place to protect staff and customers. These risk assessments are regularly reviewed, for example following changes to government guidance, including that from the respective governments in the devolved nations.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 96923 question first answered 12/01/2022 14:37:00 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4412 label Biography information for Dr Lisa Cameron