Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1135167

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
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, what assessment she has made of the effect of the (a) wait for payment and (b) monthly payment of universal credit on the number of weeks of benefit paid annually to claimants compared with the number they were paid under their legacy benefits.
tabling member constituency	Derby North
tabling member printed	Chris Williamson
uin	270345
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2019 answer text <p>There is no need to wait for a Universal Credit payment, as 100 per cent advances are available from day one of a claim. Advance payments are simply an advance of entitlement, meaning that by month 12 of a claim, a claimant would normally have received exactly the same Universal Credit regardless of whether they had an advance or not.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, frequency of payment should not affect the total amount of Universal Credit paid over the course of a year. Whilst legacy benefits were paid in two-weekly arrears, Universal Credit is paid in monthly arrears to help reduce welfare dependency by mirroring the world of work, where currently around 70 per cent of tax credit claimants are paid monthly or four weekly.</p><p> </p><p>We know that claimants are currently not getting all the entitlements for which they are eligible on legacy benefits. Requiring claimants to make a new Universal Credit claim will ensure that people will not miss out on any entitlements. This will result in an additional £2.4 billion going to 700,000 families who currently do not take up their full benefit entitlement.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 05/07/2019 13:04:00 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	3976 label Biography information for Chris Williamson

1135188

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
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: County Durham
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 26 June 2019 to Question 267733 on Personal Independence Payment: County Durham, what key performance indicators his Department uses to monitor the processing of personal independence payments mandatory reconsiderations.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	270340
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>There is no target in law for processing mandatory reconsideration (MR) applications. Decisions are made without delay, but the focus is on making sure that the decision under dispute is thoroughly reviewed.</p><p> </p><p>We are engaging with stakeholders to explore how we can improve the MR process. We have also recently implemented a new approach in PIP which includes contacting claimants, where appropriate, to see if there is information that would enable us to change the decision ourselves at an earlier stage. To support this, we are investing additional time and resource for communication, evidence gather and review, which means that some cases can take longer. However, this approach supports our aim; to make the right decision as early as possible so that claimants don’t need to progress to the Appeal stage.</p><p> </p><p>Introducing performance indicators - be they in relation to outcomes or the speed of clearance - would compromise the Department’s quality-driven approach. But as explained in my previous reply, from late May 2019 claimants have been advised that as a guide, and to manage their expectations, that they should hear from the Department within 10 weeks.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 270341 question first answered 02/07/2019 15:20:39 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1135189

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
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, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2019 to Question 267733 on Personal Independence Payment: County Durham, if she will make it her policy to (a) establish and (b) publish a waiting time target for processing personal Independence payment mandatory reconsiderations.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	270341
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>There is no target in law for processing mandatory reconsideration (MR) applications. Decisions are made without delay, but the focus is on making sure that the decision under dispute is thoroughly reviewed.</p><p> </p><p>We are engaging with stakeholders to explore how we can improve the MR process. We have also recently implemented a new approach in PIP which includes contacting claimants, where appropriate, to see if there is information that would enable us to change the decision ourselves at an earlier stage. To support this, we are investing additional time and resource for communication, evidence gather and review, which means that some cases can take longer. However, this approach supports our aim; to make the right decision as early as possible so that claimants don’t need to progress to the Appeal stage.</p><p> </p><p>Introducing performance indicators - be they in relation to outcomes or the speed of clearance - would compromise the Department’s quality-driven approach. But as explained in my previous reply, from late May 2019 claimants have been advised that as a guide, and to manage their expectations, that they should hear from the Department within 10 weeks.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 270340 question first answered 02/07/2019 15:20:39 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1135215

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
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	Pension Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding the Government allocated to charities that work with older people to support them in promoting the take-up of pension credit in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17 and (c) 2017-18.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	270400
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that older people receive the support they are entitled to. We work with a wide range of stakeholders, including charities to ensure that accurate information about benefits including Pension Credit is available in the places where people are most likely to go to seek information.</p><p> </p><p>The DWP knows that one of the best ways to reach eligible customers is through trusted stakeholder organisations working in the community and that is why we have developed and resourced the Pension Credit toolkit, as an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up. It can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit</a></p><p> </p><p>The toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The toolkit also provides links to information about disability and carers benefits.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Stakeholders and potential customers alike can use the Pension Credit calculator at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator</a> to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive.</p><p> </p><p>Most recently we have provided to relevant stakeholders a fact sheet about Pension Credit and the changes introduced on 15 May for mixed age couples to ensure they are able to communicate the most up-to-date information to potential claimants.</p><p> </p><p>DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 03/07/2019 14:07:54 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman previous answer version 126660 answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1135227

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
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, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of giving universal credit claimants the option of monthly payments or four weekly payments.
tabling member constituency	Ochil and South Perthshire
tabling member printed	Luke Graham
uin	270402
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2019 answer text <p>The amount of Universal Credit paid to claimants reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period.</p><p> </p><p>Monthly assessment periods align to the way the majority of employees are paid and how utility companies and other service providers collect payments. It also allows Universal Credit to be adjusted each month, this means that if a claimant’s income falls, they will not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>We have recently reviewed and updated guidance to help ensure claimants, staff and representatives are aware of the importance of employers reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles.</p><p> </p><p>We know that some people find managing their money challenging and Alternative Payment Arrangements (APA) can be provided to help them manage that change. These include: managed payment of the Universal Credit housing cost to landlords; making payments more frequently; and splitting the payment between partners within the household.</p><p> </p><p>APAs can be requested by a claimant at any point during their claim and are considered on a case by case basis and assessed by Universal Credit staff. 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><p> </p><p>We continuously review Universal Credit using feedback from claimants and stakeholders. We are currently trialling new ways of working around more frequent payments, monitoring the outcomes to further inform improvements to the service.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 05/07/2019 13:54:32 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4622 label Biography information for Luke Graham

1135249

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
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	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, what plans the Government has to restore local housing allowance rates to cover the cheapest third of local rents to improve affordability for residents in receipt of that allowance who seek to live in private accommodation.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	270236
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>There are no plans to extend or maintain the Benefit Freeze after March 2020. Specific decisions on how to uprate the Local Housing Allowance from April 2020 will form part of the discussions in support of fiscal events later this year.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 02/07/2019 10:47:16 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1135262

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
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	Pension Credit: Easington
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase the uptake of pension credit in Easington constituency.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	270344
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government wants to ensure that <em>all </em>pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled. We welcome and encourage initiatives to promote take up of Pension Credit by local organisations who may often be best placed to understand the local circumstances and needs in the community.</p><p>On a national basis, the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances. The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about benefits to potential customers; including information on <a href="https://gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://gov.uk/</a>, in leaflets and by telephone. DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p>Potential customers can use the Pension Credit <a href="https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator</a> to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive. People wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by calling 0800 99 1234.</p><p>One of the best ways to reach eligible customers is through trusted stakeholder working in the community and we have developed the Pension Credit toolkit, as an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up. It can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit</a></p><p>The toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The toolkit also provides links to information about disability and carers benefits.</p><p>Most recently we have provided to relevant stakeholders a fact sheet about Pension Credit and the changes introduced on 15 May for mixed age couples to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information. In Easington there are just over 3000 pensioners already claiming Pension Credit.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 02/07/2019 13:55:42 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1135274

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
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	Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact assessment her Department has conducted on the effect of leaving the EU without a deal on people with disabilities.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
uin	270408
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>No formal impact assessment has been conducted by the Department of the effect on people with disabilities of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a deal.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the primary legislation in the UK protecting the rights of disabled people is the Equality Act 2010, which is domestic legislation. Neither our ratification of the UN Convention or the Equality Act 2010 would change as a result of the UK leaving the European Union without a deal. Furthermore, there will be no changes in entitlement for UK nationals to disability and carers’ benefits in the UK as a result of our exit from the EU.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 02/07/2019 15:36:39 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

1135298

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
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	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is her Department's policy that pension schemes can already invest in funds with performance fees.
tabling member constituency	Wallasey
tabling member printed	Ms Angela Eagle
uin	270297
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>Private Pension schemes which are not used for automatic enrolment are free to invest in funds with performance fees.</p><p> </p><p>To protect savers who are automatically enrolled into a pension scheme and make no choice of investment fund, the Government introduced a charge cap on 6 April 2015. Performance fees have always been subject to the charge cap. However, the way that schemes used for automatic enrolment verify compliance with the charge cap limits the use of most performance fees.</p><p> </p><p>Earlier this year DWP consulted on proposals to extend the ways that pension schemes verify compliance with the charge cap to accommodate performance fees (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/defined-contribution-pensions-investments-and-consolidation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/defined-contribution-pensions-investments-and-consolidation</a>), as long as members invested over the whole year were not charged more than 0.75% of their funds under management or an equivalent combination charge.</p><p> </p><p>Our consultation met with broad support. We are considering next steps, but we do not intend to remove performance fees – in any form – from the automatic enrolment charge cap.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 03/07/2019 14:05:10 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman previous answer version 126653 answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	491 label Biography information for Dame Angela Eagle

1135300

registered interest
date	27/06/2019
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	Workplace Pensions
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 make it her Department's policy to continue to include performance fees within the pensions charge cap.
tabling member constituency	Wallasey
tabling member printed	Ms Angela Eagle
uin	270298
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>Performance fees of all types have been subject to the automatic enrolment charge cap since 6 April 2015, when the Charges and Governance regulations (<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/2015/879" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/2015/879</a> ) came into force.</p><p>It remains our policy that these fees should be subject to the cap. Savers who join a workplace pension scheme without choosing where to save or whether to save should not pay more than 0.75% or an equivalent combination charge over the year</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 03/07/2019 13:53:03 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	491 label Biography information for Dame Angela Eagle