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1156116

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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	Office for Disability Issues
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress the Government has made on establishing a new cross-government disability team.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	4911
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>On 25 June the Government announced that a cross-government Disability Unit would be created. Since then the Cabinet Office has recruited officials from across government, including secondees from DWP, BEIS, DCMS, DfT, DHSC, MHCLG, MoJ and ONS.</p><p> </p><p>Officials from the Office for Disability Issues in the Department of Work and Pensions will transfer to the new Disability Unit in November 2019. The Disability Unit will sit alongside the Government Equalities Office and the Race Disparity Unit in a new Cabinet Office Equalities Hub.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/10/2019 13:49:42 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1156117

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting the direct payment of housing costs to landlords prior to eight weeks of arrears being built up, by giving all tenants the option at the outset of their claim of having their housing costs paid directly to their landlord.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	4926
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit payments are deliberately designed to mirror the world of work, where people take responsibility for budgeting their own income in order to be financially independent. In turn, this helps those not already working to prepare for moving back into employment. For claimants needing additional advice and support with personal budgeting, help is available from work coaches and case managers.</p><p> </p><p>Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs), such as a managed payment to landlord (MPTL), are available to enable the housing costs element to be paid directly to the landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments, or is in rent arrears. They can be requested by a claimant at any point during their claim. APAs will only be considered where a lack of financial capability poses a risk to the claimant, or their family, and the decision to implement one is assessed on a case by case basis.</p><p> </p><p>Staff work closely with claimants and are trained to gauge a claimant’s financial needs at their initial interview, and throughout their claim, based on their personal circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 29/10/2019 16:36:59 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1156130

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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 his Department defines what a reasonable chance of collection is before deciding to write-off arrears accrued under the Child Support Agency.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	5054
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>Where a receiving parent makes representations for the arrears to be collected, the Service will make every effort to trace the paying parent associated with the case and verify the arrears. The paying parent will also be given an opportunity to make representations as part of the process. Once the debt is moved to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) it will exhaust all available collection methods available in an attempt to secure a payment.</p><p> </p><p>Some of the collection options available to the CMS include imposing a deduction from earnings order and lump sum deduction orders. If all attempts are unsuccessful the debt may then be deemed uncollectable and write-off considered.</p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 29/10/2019 16:40:36 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1156131

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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, what estimate she has made of the number of receiving parent's arrears accrued under the Child Support Agency that were written off while a Deduction from Earnings Order was in place.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	5055
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>Only cases with CSA debt that haven’t made payments for the last three months are in scope for selection as part of the Compliance &amp; Arrears Strategy. Cases with a paying Deduction from Earnings Order in Place will not be selected.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 29/10/2019 16:45:29 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1156132

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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, for what reason receiving parents were not compensated for the decision to write-off arrears for money they were owed which accrued under the Child Support Agency.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	5056
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>Writing off some historic Child Support Agency (CSA) arrears was not a quick or easy decision, and involved exhausting other approaches to deal with the debt, including using debt collection agencies without success. Much of the debt that accrued under the CSA is now old and generally uncollectable, and most parents accept this.</p><p> </p><p>It is a long-established principle of the child maintenance system that where non-resident parents do not pay the maintenance they are legally required to pay, the obligation on the government is to do its best to ensure collection – not for the taxpayer to pay the maintenance.</p><p> </p><p>We are making one last attempt to collect the debt, where it is cost effective to do so and there is a reasonable chance of collection. Debts of smaller amounts may be written off as part of the process.</p><p> </p><p>Attempting to collect would have cost around £1.5bn, and would have recovered between £0.1bn and £0.6bn. Had we not written off we would have needed to maintain the debt indefinitely at a cost of £30 million per year.</p><p> </p><p>Addressing these cases will enable us to close the CSA completely and focus on collecting money that will benefit today’s children, and avoid the build-up of arrears in the Child Maintenance Service.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 5057 question first answered 29/10/2019 16:49:20 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1156133

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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, what recourse is available to receiving parents whose arrears accrued under the Child Support Agency have been written off.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	5057
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>Writing off some historic Child Support Agency (CSA) arrears was not a quick or easy decision, and involved exhausting other approaches to deal with the debt, including using debt collection agencies without success. Much of the debt that accrued under the CSA is now old and generally uncollectable, and most parents accept this.</p><p> </p><p>It is a long-established principle of the child maintenance system that where non-resident parents do not pay the maintenance they are legally required to pay, the obligation on the government is to do its best to ensure collection – not for the taxpayer to pay the maintenance.</p><p> </p><p>We are making one last attempt to collect the debt, where it is cost effective to do so and there is a reasonable chance of collection. Debts of smaller amounts may be written off as part of the process.</p><p> </p><p>Attempting to collect would have cost around £1.5bn, and would have recovered between £0.1bn and £0.6bn. Had we not written off we would have needed to maintain the debt indefinitely at a cost of £30 million per year.</p><p> </p><p>Addressing these cases will enable us to close the CSA completely and focus on collecting money that will benefit today’s children, and avoid the build-up of arrears in the Child Maintenance Service.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 5056 question first answered 29/10/2019 16:49:20 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1156136

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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	Retail Trade: Unemployment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to help workers from the retail industry who have lost their jobs transition to new roles.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	4921
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>Jobcentre Plus is geared-up to offer advice to those claiming welfare benefits.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit has replaced six working age benefits with one; to simplify the welfare system and make work pay. As a result, people claiming Universal Credit move into work faster, stay in work longer and spend more time looking to increase their earnings. Universal Credit also provides more help with childcare costs, a dedicated Work Coach and scraps the 16, 24 and 30 hour ‘cliff edges’.</p><p> </p><p>Through Jobcentre Plus, individuals can get advice on finding a job; help with retraining or skills advice, CV and job applications; and access to new vacancies we record every day. They can also access a range of tailored opportunities to improve their likelihood of entering or re-entering the labour market, including demand-led training for higher skilled jobs in specific sectors.</p><p> </p><p>Jobcentre Plus also provides numerous leads and good practice ideas to help people direct their job search in the most effective manner.</p><p> </p><p>DWP also supports people affected by redundancy through the Rapid Response Service (RRS). This is designed to give tailored support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with redundancy. Each Jobcentre Plus district deploys resources according to the situation and the requirements of those affected. The RRS is delivered in partnership with a range of national and local partners, including National Careers Service and local service providers.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 29/10/2019 16:30:06 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1156175

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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	Pensioners: Personal Independence Payment
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 Answer of 5 September 2019 to Question 282280, what proportion of claimants transferring from disability living allowance who were over 65 on the date of their application for personal independence payment have (a) requested a mandatory reconsideration and (b) appealed to a tribunal.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	4976
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>On 12<sup>th</sup> September 2019 the Department published new experimental statistics tracking initial decisions following a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment through to Mandatory Reconsiderations (MR) or appeals, available here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-july-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-july-2019</a></p><p> </p><p>Based on these new experimental statistics, 24% of claimants transferring from Disability Living Allowance who were over 65 on the date of their application for PIP have requested an MR and 11% have lodged an appeal, after an initial decision following a PIP assessment.</p><p> </p><p>These figures cover initial decisions following a PIP assessment since PIP was introduced up to March 2019, and for MRs and appeals to June 2019. They do not include decisions, MRs and appeals relating to decisions prior to an assessment being completed (disallowances due to failure of basic eligibility criteria or non-return of the Part 2 form within the time limit and have not been marked as requiring additional support, or disallowances following the claimant failing to attend the assessment without good reason).</p><p> </p><p>PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.</p><p> </p><p>MR and appeal figures include those awarded PIP at initial decision as well as those disallowed.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to MR or appeal.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/10/2019 14:32:29 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1156177

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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
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 Answer of 5 September 2019 to Question 281695, how many people over 65 claiming disability living allowance have not yet been advised by her Department to apply for personal independence payment.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	4977
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>The specific information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/10/2019 14:35:45 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1156206

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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, whether people are entitled to claim universal credit by telephone; and if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's internal guidance for staff on accepting telephone claims for universal credit.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Laura Pidcock
uin	5094
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants, and wants the application process for Universal Credit to be as quick and easy as possible, ensuring that claimants receive money at the earliest opportunity. It is designed to be a ‘digital-first’ service, ensuring we make best use of technology to deliver a modern and effective working-age welfare system, allowing our staff to concentrate on those people who require additional support.</p><p> </p><p>We are already committed to placing Universal Credit guidance in the House’s Library and last updated it on 28 March 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Our Universal Credit Claimant Survey, found that 98 per cent of claimants have internet access and did claim online, and the majority of those said they found the claim process overall to be straightforward. This can be accessed at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-service-claimant-survey" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-service-claimant-survey</a></p><p> </p><p>All Jobcentre Plus offices across the country have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet. For those that are still unable to access or use digital services, or are not able to travel, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline – which is clearly displayed on GOV.UK.</p><p> </p><p>Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have been delivering the ‘Help to Claim’ service on a pilot basis since April 2019. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time, and is available online, on the phone and face-to-face through local Citizen’s Advice services.</p><p> </p><p>Although the Department offers comprehensive support for claimants to use our digital service, there will be occasions when people are unable to make their claim online, and so telephone applications can be accepted. In these instances, information normally available through a claimant’s online account, will be communicated in an alternative format which is best suited to an individual’s circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 5095 5097 5098 question first answered 29/10/2019 16:42:10 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4665 label Biography information for Laura Pidcock