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1328077

registered interest
date	26/05/2021
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	Pensions Regulator: Universities Superannuation Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to establish an inquiry into the (a) governance of and (b) role of the Pensions Regulator in the Universities Superannuation Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	7845
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/06/2021 answer text <p>No. The Pensions Regulator was created in 2004 by the then Labour Government to be independent.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 07/06/2021 16:13:07 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1328081

registered interest
date	26/05/2021
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	State Retirement Pensions : Internet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the HMRC data errors that created incorrect pension information on the check your state pension online service in 2019 have now been fully corrected.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	7846
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2021 answer text <p>DWP has worked closely with HMRC since issues were first raised around forecasts for State Pension. A change to the Check your State Pension forecast service was applied in April 2021.</p><p> </p><p>This change ensures that individuals who are at greatest risk of having errors or omissions on their National Insurance record that may affect their State Pension forecast, are identified at the point where they request a State Pension forecast. Such individuals are advised that HMRC will take the corrective action needed in order to update their National Insurance record. Once this work is completed, a State Pension forecast will be made available.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 10/06/2021 13:51:14 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1328085

registered interest
date	26/05/2021
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information she holds on the number of households in (a) in Bristol West constituency and (b) the UK who used a (i) food bank, (ii) food club and (iii) similar organisation for the first time during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	7850
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2021 answer text <p>Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation. There is no consistent and accurate measure of food bank usage at a constituency or national level.</p><p> </p><p>We take the issue of food insecurity seriously, which is why we added internationally used food security questions to the Family Resources Survey in 19/20 and published the data in March this year. (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-2019-to-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-2019-to-2020</a>). Food insecurity data from the Family Resources survey for 20/21 is not yet available.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, including by increasing the living wage, and by spending an estimated £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2020/21. This included around £7.4 billion of Covid-related welfare policy measures.</p><p> </p><p>We introduced our Covid Winter Grant Scheme providing funding to Local Authorities in England to help the most vulnerable children and families stay warm and well fed during the coldest months. It will now run until June as the Covid Local Support Grant, with a total investment of £269m.</p><p> </p><p>We are investing up to £220m in the Holiday Activities and Food programme which has been expanded to every local authority across England this year. Children eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals will have the option to join a holiday club programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays in 2021. We also increased the value of Healthy Start Vouchers from £3.10 to £4.25 in April.</p><p> </p><p>As the economy recovers, our ambition is to help people move into and progress in work as quickly as possible based on clear evidence around the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty in all its forms. We are investing over £30 billion in our ambitious Plan for Jobs which is already delivering for people of all ages right across the country.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 7852 question first answered 10/06/2021 16:36:38 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1328087

registered interest
date	26/05/2021
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
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 eradicate the need for foodbanks.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	7852
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2021 answer text <p>Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation. There is no consistent and accurate measure of food bank usage at a constituency or national level.</p><p> </p><p>We take the issue of food insecurity seriously, which is why we added internationally used food security questions to the Family Resources Survey in 19/20 and published the data in March this year. (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-2019-to-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-resources-survey-financial-year-2019-to-2020</a>). Food insecurity data from the Family Resources survey for 20/21 is not yet available.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, including by increasing the living wage, and by spending an estimated £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2020/21. This included around £7.4 billion of Covid-related welfare policy measures.</p><p> </p><p>We introduced our Covid Winter Grant Scheme providing funding to Local Authorities in England to help the most vulnerable children and families stay warm and well fed during the coldest months. It will now run until June as the Covid Local Support Grant, with a total investment of £269m.</p><p> </p><p>We are investing up to £220m in the Holiday Activities and Food programme which has been expanded to every local authority across England this year. Children eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals will have the option to join a holiday club programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays in 2021. We also increased the value of Healthy Start Vouchers from £3.10 to £4.25 in April.</p><p> </p><p>As the economy recovers, our ambition is to help people move into and progress in work as quickly as possible based on clear evidence around the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty in all its forms. We are investing over £30 billion in our ambitious Plan for Jobs which is already delivering for people of all ages right across the country.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 7850 question first answered 10/06/2021 16:36:38 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1310954

registered interest
date	21/04/2021
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	Self-employed: Adoption
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 review the adequacy of financial support available for self-employed people who are adopting children.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	185404
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises that it is crucial to the success of an adoption placement that an adopter is able to take time off work to care for and bond with their child.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that affordability may limit the time away from work that some self-employed adopters can take which is why statutory adoption guidance says that Local Authorities should consider making a payment - equivalent to Maternity Allowance - in cases where adopters do not qualify for any statutory payment because of their self-employed status.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 28/04/2021 12:50:46 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1243360

registered interest
date	14/10/2020
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, pursuant to Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 69600 and Answer of 1 July 2020 to Question 63208, what progress has been made on implementing the decision of the court of appeal on 22 June 2020 on universal credit systems taking account of the day that a monthly salary is paid.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	103554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2020 answer text <p>On 20<sup>th</sup> October I laid secondary legislation in response to the Court of Appeal Judgment made on 22 June in the case of Johnson, Woods, Barrett and Stewart, which concerned claimants who receive two calendar monthly payments of earnings in one Universal Credit assessment period. This will allow us to reallocate a payment of earnings reported via the Real Time Information service to a different Universal Credit assessment period, either because it was reported in the wrong assessment period or (in the case of calendar monthly paid employees) it is necessary to maintain a regular payment cycle. This will mean that claimants who are paid calendar monthly will therefore have one salary payment taken into account in each assessment period. It also means that certain claimants will also benefit from any applicable work allowance.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/10/2020 16:41:40 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1234592

registered interest
date	15/09/2020
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	Disability: Coronavirus
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 22 July 2020 to Question 905164, what new and existing data sources her Department is monitoring to understand the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on people who are (a) disabled or (b) have a health condition; and if she will publish her Department's analysis of that data.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	90162
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2020 answer text <p>We continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people and those with health conditions using a range of sources. There will however be a period until the data needed to fully assess the impact becomes available.</p><p> </p><p>The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is publishing a rolling programme of data and articles relating to the social and economic impacts of COVID-19, with specific outputs on disabled people in Great Britain.</p><p> </p><p>The ONS also publishes quarterly statistics on the labour market status of disabled people.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions publishes statistics annually on the employment of disabled people. The first report was published in March 2020, including data from the Labour Force Survey, Annual Population Survey and Understanding Society.</p><p> </p><p>Research into the long-term health symptoms and impacts of COVID-19 and the number of people likely to be experiencing them is ongoing.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 21/09/2020 13:14:56 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1228667

registered interest
date	28/08/2020
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	Social Security Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will carry out a review into deaths of benefits claimants.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	82063
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2020 answer text <p>The Department interacts with millions of people, and among them are some of the most vulnerable people in our society. There are many reasons why people pass away whilst claiming a DWP benefit and it would not be appropriate for the Department to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of every individual. This is a consideration and decision for a Coroner.</p><p> </p><p>As a department we want to do all we can to ensure people get the support they need. We are striving towards becoming a learning organisation, for example through the Serious Case Panel, which considers themes and systemic issues that come out of serious cases and makes recommendations for improvements.</p><p> </p><p>Where the Department is made aware of a death and there is a suggestion or allegation that the Department’s actions or omissions may have negatively contributed to the customer’s circumstances an Internal Process Review will be conducted. Internal Process Reviews are not designed to identify or apportion blame, but to look at whether processes were followed correctly and what learning we can derive from this.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 03/09/2020 13:57:27 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1228709

registered interest
date	28/08/2020
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	Personal Independence Payment: Bristol
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 14 July to Question 69599, what steps she is taking to bring the performance at the Bristol personal independence payment assessment centre back to the published service standard of 90% of claimants being examined within 30 minutes of their appointment time; and if she will make an estimate of when that standard will be achieved.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	82062
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2020 answer text <p>All face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits are currently suspended in line with public health advice. During the Covid-19 period we continue to assess people based on written evidence alone, where that is possible, and have introduced telephone assessments. Telephony-based assessments do not fall within the same waiting time criteria. Once face-to-face assessment are reinstated we will work closely with suppliers to improve the waiting times whilst maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 03/09/2020 13:41:39 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1224664

registered interest
date	14/07/2020
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
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 5 May 2020 to Question 40669 on universal credit, prior to raising the local housing allowance to the 30th percentile, what assessment she made of the levels of need this would match.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	73885
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>Raising the local housing allowance (LHA) rate to the 30<sup>th</sup> percentile ensured over 1 million households will see an increase, on average, of £600 this year.</p><p> </p><p>This increase means that 30% of properties in each broad rental market area charge a rent within the LHA rate, with the exception of 15 rates in central and inner London where the national maximum caps continue to apply. The national caps have also been increased and are now based on the Outer London LHA rate plus 20%.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 20/07/2020 17:22:02 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 38775 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire