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1127991

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
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	Occupational Money Purchase Schemes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to bring forward legislation to introduce collective defined contribution pension schemes in the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord Hain
uin	HL15876
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2019 answer text <p>This Government has recently published a response to a Collective Defined Contribution schemes consultation setting out its plans, and has engaged extensively with key stakeholders.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 05/06/2019 15:16:53 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	567 label Biography information for Lord Hain

1127442

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
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	Poverty: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 16 May (HL15606), whether they will now answer the question put.
tabling member printed	Baroness Primarolo
uin	HL15853
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>The information on numbers of children entering and exiting poverty is not available. However, figures for percentages of children moving in and out of poverty are collected in the Income Dynamics publication. These are available in Table 8.1, and in the table below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2010-2011 to 2011-2012</p></td><td><p>2011-2012 to 2012-2013</p></td><td><p>2012-2013 to 2013-2014</p></td><td><p>2013-2014 to 2014-2015</p></td><td><p>2014-2015 to 2015-2016</p></td><td><p>2015-2016 to 2016-2017</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>% children entering poverty</strong></p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>% children exiting poverty</strong></p></td><td><p>34</p></td><td><p>35</p></td><td><p>37</p></td><td><p>33</p></td><td><p>33</p></td><td><p>35</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The percentage of children entering poverty is the percentage of only those children who were <em>not in poverty</em> in the earlier year but who were in poverty the following year. The percentage of children exiting poverty is the percentage of only those children who were <em>in poverty </em>in the earlier year but who were out of poverty the following year. Entry and exit rates are very different (since entry / exit rates are expressed as a percentage of only those not previously in poverty / previously in poverty respectively).</p><p /><p>The threshold used is 60 per cent of median equivalised household income Before Housing Costs (BHC). Since household incomes are subject to measurement error, and the threshold is subject to sampling and measurement error, the analysis only includes ‘clear’ transitions. For an entry/exit to count, household incomes must cross the 60 per cent of median income threshold and be at least 10 per cent higher / lower than the threshold in the following year.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 04/06/2019 16:27:01 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	217 label Biography information for Baroness Primarolo

1127259

registered interest
date	16/05/2019
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: Staff
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are currenty employed directly by the Office for Disability Issues; and how many people were employed by the Office for Disability Issues at the end of each calendar year since its inception in 2005.
tabling member printed	Lord Shinkwin
uin	HL15812
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/05/2019 answer text <p>On 9 May 2019 the current number of staff in Office for Disability Issues is 16.</p><p>The numbers of staff in preceding years was;</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>1 Jan 2019</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 Jan 2018</p></td><td><p>11.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 Jan 2017</p></td><td><p>13.65</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 Jan 2016</p></td><td><p>20.4</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Information not available between April 2012 to December 2015 as the ODI data was subsumed into that of a larger team.</p><p> </p><p>For 2010 to 2012 figures are available for end of financial year only</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>March 2012</p></td><td><p>29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2011</p></td><td><p>42</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2010</p></td><td><p>48</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Prior to March 2010 no information is available due to the ODI data being subsumed into that of a larger team.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 30/05/2019 12:50:52 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4557 label Biography information for Lord Shinkwin

1127260

registered interest
date	16/05/2019
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	Employment: Disability
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their command paper Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability, Cm 9526, published November 2017, what progress they have made on the commitment to establish a voluntary reporting framework; which data sets employers are reporting; and how many employers have adopted this reporting framework.
tabling member printed	Lord Shinkwin
uin	HL15813
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/05/2019 answer text <p>We have worked with large employers and expert partners to develop a voluntary reporting framework to support organisations to record and voluntarily report information on disability, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. This framework was published on 22<sup>nd</sup> November 2018 and is aimed at large employers with 250 or more employees. The framework encourages employers to report what steps they are taking to support their disabled employees and employee health and wellbeing as well as the percentage of individuals within their organisation with a disability or a long-term physical or mental health condition. Government are working with partners to actively promote the framework and to monitor and review its effectiveness.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 30/05/2019 12:51:49 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4557 label Biography information for Lord Shinkwin

1127016

registered interest
date	15/05/2019
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applicants for Universal Credit have made their application by means other than the online application system since its introduction; and what are the available methods for doing so.
tabling member printed	Baroness Sherlock
uin	HL15777
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/05/2019 answer text <p>The Universal Credit Full Service Claimant Survey found that 98 per cent of claimants claimed online.</p><p> </p><p>For those claimants who are unable to access or use our digital services, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. Face-to-face support is also available in Jobcentres. In exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, the Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim and receive their first full correct payment on time. It is available online, over the phone and face to face through local Citizens Advice services across Great Britain.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 29/05/2019 13:36:32 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4147 label Biography information for Baroness Sherlock

1126310

registered interest
date	13/05/2019
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	Working Links: Insolvency
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Working Links going into administration on the charities to which it owed money.
tabling member printed	Lord Hogan-Howe
uin	HL15670
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department considered the impact on stakeholders and sub-contractors, based on the Administrator’s statement of affairs at the point of Working Links going into administration, and has worked with both the Administrator and Fedcap, who have taken over a number of Working Links contracts, to minimise the impact on those supply chain partners owed monies by Working Links at the point of administration.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 28/05/2019 14:19:29 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4693 label Biography information for Lord Hogan-Howe

1124869

registered interest
date	07/05/2019
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	Food Banks: Somerset
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports showing a 23 per cent increase in demand for food parcels between 2017 and 2019 at Somer Valley foodbank, Somerset; and what assessment they have made of the reasons for any such increase.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL15544
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government does not collect official data on the use of food banks, therefore has not made such assessments.</p><p>We have worked with food insecurity experts, the Office for National Statistics and the Scottish Government to introduce a new set of food security questions in the Family Resources Survey starting from April 2019. This means that we will in future be able to monitor the prevalence and severity of household food insecurity across the UK and for specific groups, to better understand the drivers of food insecurity and identify which groups are most at risk.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 21/05/2019 14:32:30 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1124057

registered interest
date	30/04/2019
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	Social Security Benefits: Disability
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 29 April (HL15269), what existing forums they were engaged with on the design of the feasibility test for a single assessment for Employment and Support Allowance/Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL15439
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>We committed to working with stakeholders to inform our approach to Work Capability Assessment (WCA) reform in the <em>Improving Lives</em> Command Paper published in 2017 and have been engaging on this broader issue through a number of forums. This has included our Policy Forum, a small group involving academics, think tanks and a number of disability charities.</p><p> </p><p>Specifically, on the single assessment, we are currently gathering evidence to support the design of the feasibility test and will be involving stakeholders to inform this in the coming months. The outcomes from the feasibility test will enable us to establish if a single assessment would improve the customer journey and deliver quality and accurate outcomes.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 08/05/2019 14:32:19 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1123769

registered interest
date	29/04/2019
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	Eastman Kodak: Pensions Protection Fund
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for oversight of matters regarding the Pensions Protection Fund (PPF) and Kodak; and whether they plan to commission an independent review of the handling of Kodak by the PPF and the Pensions Regulator and the advice received by both.
tabling member printed	Lord Myners
uin	HL15407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The Pension Protection Fund is a statutory public corporation led by its Board and accountable to Parliament through the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions.</p><p> </p><p>The original decision in the Kodak case, which provided savers with the potential to receive benefits above Pension Protection Fund levels, was finely balanced and carefully assessed with the benefit of the due diligence carried out for the trustees. Regulated Apportionment Arrangements, a restructuring mechanism which allows a financially troubled employer to detach itself from its liabilities in respect of a defined benefit scheme, are rare and The Pensions Regulator will only agree to them if stringent criteria are met, with entry into the Pension Protection Fund the expected outcome, and the Pension Protection Fund must not object to the Regulated Apportionment Arrangements. The Pensions Regulator published a section 89 regulatory intervention report in November 2014 describing in detail the considerations leading to the decision in this case.</p><p> </p><p>As a condition of approving the successor Kodak pension scheme in 2014, a memorandum of understanding was put in place giving The Pensions Regulator the power to closely monitor the progress of the scheme and if necessary trigger its wind up. This has allowed The Pensions Regulator, with the Pension Protection Fund, to remain actively involved in discussions about the scheme’s future. Due to underperformance of the underlying business it was concluded that the scheme would be unable to meet its long term funding requirements. Action has therefore been taken to bring the scheme into a Pension Protection Fund assessment period which commenced on the 25 March 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Specialist firms with extensive Pension Protection Fund experience have been brought in to manage the administration of the pension scheme and to oversee its efficient passage through the assessment process.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the Kodak case is a significant claim, the Pension Protection Fund remains in a robust financial position. In its last reported accounts, the Pension Protection Fund had a £6.7 billion reserve and is currently on track to reach its funding objective. There has been no immediate impact on the Pension Protection Fund Levy arising from this case. The Pension Protection Fund aims to collect £500m in levy in 2019/20 which is £50m lower than it aimed to collect in 2018/19.</p><p> </p><p>The Pensions Regulator aims to learn from every major pensions restructuring case and has refined its approach to complex pension restructurings in light of the lessons learned in the Kodak case and successive cases. A letter was sent on the 17<sup>th</sup> October 2018 from Lesley Titcomb, the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Pensions Regulator, addressed to the Chair of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, Rt Hon Frank Field MP, summarising the lessons learnt in the Kodak case.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 14/05/2019 15:29:45 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	3869 label Biography information for Lord Myners

1123298

registered interest
date	25/04/2019
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Information Commissioner's Office's criticisms of Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) policy on Universal Credit representative recognition, what plans they have to revise guidance to DWP staff and others so as to enable effective communications between Universal Credit claimants' advisers and that Department.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL15354
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2019 answer text <p>We have had a number of workshops with stakeholders during which consent has been discussed, and we plan to do further work. This will include working with claimants and their representatives to ensure the process works effectively for vulnerable claimants to access the service.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 10/05/2019 12:45:09 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett