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 question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1537256

registered interest
date	31/10/2022
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	Workplace Pensions: Monitoring
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure effective oversight of workplace pension schemes.
tabling member constituency	Cheadle
tabling member printed	Mary Robinson
uin	901927
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2022 answer text <p>The Pension Schemes Act 2021 provides The Pensions Regulator with new powers to target people who intentionally or knowingly mishandle pension schemes, or put workers’ pensions at risk.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 31/10/2022 16:26:36 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4406 label Biography information for Mary Robinson

1537257

registered interest
date	31/10/2022
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: Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help support people recovering from drug and alcohol addiction into work.
tabling member constituency	Burton
tabling member printed	Kate Kniveton
uin	901929
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2022 answer text <p>DWP offers a range of tailored support to help individuals recovering from a dependency move into work.</p><p> </p><p>The Individual Placement and Support for Drug and Alcohol Dependency programme blends intensive job-search and in-work support with clinical treatment to enable individuals with a dependency to overcome barriers to employment. IPS teams are currently operating in 46 Local Authority areas and the programme will rolled out to Local Authorities in England by 2025.</p><p> </p><p>Individuals with a history of drug or alcohol dependence can also receive tailored support from our dedicated work coaches, such as the adjustment of Universal Credit work-search requirements and access to the Access to Work grant for any adaptations required in the workplace. They are also able to gain priority access to the Work and Health Programme, which supports people to enter and stay in work.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 31/10/2022 17:09:30 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4773 label Biography information for Kate Kniveton

1537258

registered interest
date	31/10/2022
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: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the average waiting time for mandatory reconsideration of benefit decisions.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	901930
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2022 answer text <p>The average (median) waiting times for Mandatory Reconsiderations are 57 calendar days for PIP, 51 calendar days for UC, and 10 calendar days for ESA-WCA.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst we endeavour to complete Mandatory Reconsiderations without delay, our overarching focus is on taking the time necessary to thoroughly review all the available evidence to help ensure we make the right decision.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 31/10/2022 16:19:35 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1537259

registered interest
date	31/10/2022
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	Work and Health Programme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress he has made on delivering the Work and Health Programme.
tabling member constituency	Blackpool North and Cleveleys
tabling member printed	Paul Maynard
uin	901931
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2022 answer text <p>The Work and Health Programme provides support primarily to help inactive and unemployed disabled people and disadvantaged groups who are motivated to work and expect to find work within 12 months. Participants receive up to 15 months pre-employment support and up to six months light touch in-work support.</p><p> </p><p>As of May 2022, the programme has delivered personalised support for 220,000 inactive and unemployed people, including 170,000 disabled people. 88,000 participants have achieved first earnings from employment and 53,000 participants have achieved a job outcome. In the most recent three months to May 2022, both measures exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Over three quarters of starts, first earnings and job outcomes on the programme are disabled people.</p><p> </p><p>We are extending referrals to the programme from November 2022 to September 2024, providing additional support for around 100,000 people; we expect most of these to be disabled people.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 31/10/2022 16:24:19 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard

1537411

registered interest
date	31/10/2022
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: Fraud
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish data on current levels of social security fraud; and what steps he is taking to reduce social security fraud.
tabling member constituency	Ealing Central and Acton
tabling member printed	Dr Rupa Huq
uin	74809
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2022 answer text <p>Data on the levels of fraud in the benefit system is published annually, with the latest figures available via the following link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2021-to-2022-estimates" target="_blank">Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>Our Fraud Plan, Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System, published on 19 May 2022, sets out our plans for reducing the level of fraud and error in the welfare system by:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Investing in DWP’s frontline counter-fraud professionals and data analytics, including recruiting 2,000 trained specialists to review over two million Universal Credit cases.</li><li>Creating new legal powers to investigate potential fraud and punish fraudsters (subject to legislation).</li><li>Bringing together the full force of the public and private sectors to keep one step ahead.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The full document can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fighting-fraud-in-the-welfare-system" target="_blank">Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System-GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is investing £1.4bn of funding over the next three years to combat fraud and error. This includes additional invest to save funding, which will help stop over £2.0bn of loss in fraud and error during this time.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 03/11/2022 11:56:20 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4511 label Biography information for Dr Rupa Huq

1537432

registered interest
date	31/10/2022
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	Terminal Illnesses: Cost of Living
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 support people with terminal illnesses during the period of increases to the cost of living.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	74940
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government wants to do all it can to alleviate the pressures on those nearing the end of their lives, and on their families.</p><p>The main way that the department does this is through special benefit rules, sometimes referred to as “the Special Rules”. These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment, serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.</p><p>Furthermore, the Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so, from now until April next year. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year, which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. Also included in the £37bn is a Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 to six million people who are receiving additional-needs disability benefits, and up to £650 in cost of living payments (paid in two separate payments of £326 and £324) for the eight million households in receipt of a means-tested benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Pensioner households entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment will receive a pensioner Cost of Living Payment this winter of £300 per household. This will be paid as a top up to their Winter Fuel Payment and payments will be increased to £500 for a household with someone of State Pension age and £600 for a household with someone aged 80 or over.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 03/11/2022 12:02:49 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1537433

registered interest
date	31/10/2022
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 and Support Allowance: Cost of Living Payments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will extend eligibility for the £650 Cost of Living payment to people in receipt of Contributory Employment and Support Allowance.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	74941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2022 answer text <p>The Cost of Living Payment is being targeted at low income households who are in receipt of a means-tested income replacement benefit. Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance is a non-means tested benefit. Non-means tested benefits are not qualifying benefits for the Cost of Living Payment in their own right because people receiving these benefits may have other financial resources available to them. We have no plans to change the current eligibility criteria.</p><p> </p><p>This payment comes on top of extensive Government support with the cost of living, including six million disabled people having been paid a separate £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>These payments are part of the Government’s £15bn package of support and sit alongside:</p><p> </p><ul><li>a £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment to anyone entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023;</li><li>the extension of the Household Support Fund with an additional £421 million to support households in England with the cost of essentials;</li><li>a £150 Council Tax rebate sent earlier this year to those in Council Tax bands A-D in England, creating a total of at least £1,200 in direct support for millions;</li><li>a £400 reduction on energy bills given to all domestic electricity customers over the coming months, and the Energy Price Guarantee is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs, and the Chancellor made clear it will continue to do so from now until April next year.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The guidance with the full list of support can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-support-for-the-cost-of-living-factsheet/government-support-for-the-cost-of-living-factsheet" target="_blank">Overall government support for the cost of living: factsheet - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 03/11/2022 11:59:41 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1537823

registered interest
date	31/10/2022
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: Pensioners
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to keep the (a) triple lock on pensions, (b) winter fuel payment, (c) the older person's bus pass and (d) all other pensioner benefits.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	74830
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2022 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is currently conducting his statutory annual review of State Pension and benefit rates. We cannot pre-empt the outcome of that review, which will be announced in due course.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 03/11/2022 12:05:07 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1537083

registered interest
date	28/10/2022
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	Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help ensure that his Department's processes are respectful of the (a) physical and (b) psychological challenges faced by people with disabilities; and what steps he is taking to ensure that those processes do not exacerbate the effect of those challenges for people with disabilities.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	73790
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2022 answer text <p>It is important that all claimants are able to access our services and that they do not face obstacles in applying for a benefit and in communicating with the department and its providers.</p><p> </p><p>We have a variety of reasonable adjustments to make the claims process and communications easier, where required by customers. Claimants with a severe mental health or behavioural condition, learning disability, developmental disorder, or cognitive problems, who may have difficulty engaging with the claims process, and with no support network in place, can be provided with additional support during the claims process if they need it. This support can include help filling in the form or the questionnaire and additional protections for failing to return the questionnaire or for failing to attend a face-to-face assessment.</p><p> </p><p>With regard to Personal Independence Payments (PIP):</p><p> </p><p>It is important that all of our claimants are able to access our services and that they do not face obstacles in applying and communicating with the Department and its providers. We have a variety of reasonable adjustments to make the claims process and communications easier for some of our most vulnerable customers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>The Video Relay Service for those with a hearing impairment and who use British Sign Language (BSL).</li><li>Relay UK which provides a service if a claimant cannot hear or speak on the telephone.</li><li>Dial-in for a third party on phone calls.</li><li>A digital PIP2 and evidence upload function, making the form more accessible for those using accessibility software, and making it possible to claim for PIP without leaving the home, for those shielding or with mobility issues.</li><li>Email as a reasonable adjustment.</li><li>Home visits from the DWP Visiting Service, including a sign language interpreter to be present if one is needed.</li><li>Rewording of the PIP2 questionnaire to improve clarity on how the activities apply to cognitive and mental health conditions.</li><li>Telephone and video assessments in addition to paper-based and face-to-face assessments.</li><li>Recording of telephone assessments and extending that to video assessments.</li></ul> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 02/11/2022 14:22:48 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1537104

registered interest
date	28/10/2022
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	Cost of Living Payments: Pensioners
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of extending the extra cost of living payment for pensioners that receive a winter fuel payment beyond 2023.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	73896
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/11/2022 answer text <p>Pensioner households will receive a one-off pensioner Cost-of-Living payment in 2022/23, worth £300. This will be paid in November or December as a top up with the Winter Fuel Payment. Therefore, a household with someone of State Pension age will receive £500 and a household with someone aged 80 or over will receive £600.</p><p> </p><p>No decisions have been taken regarding 2023/24.</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 01/11/2022 16:51:00 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan