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166639

	registered interest
	date	27/11/2014
	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 whether they have carried out any forecasts of the level of child poverty between now and 2020; and if so, whether they will be made public.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL3230
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Government does not produce forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty as the number of children in poverty is dependent on factors which cannot be reliably predicted, such as the median income.</p><p> </p><p>The Government does measure annual child poverty statistics through the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income in the UK have consistently been reported since 1998/99; these are available for each financial year up to 2012/13, the latest period for which estimates are available.</p><p> </p><p>There has been no assessment of the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit changes announced since May 2010. Available survey data does not allow the Government to robustly assess the combined effects of tax and benefit policy on households with children.</p><p> </p><p>However, this Government has taken unprecedented steps to assess the effects of its policy decisions across the distribution of household income, by publishing analysis of the cumulative effects of the tax and welfare measures announced at each fiscal event since the June Budget 2010. The latest analysis can be found in Chapter 2 of the attached report.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL3231 question first answered 11/12/2014 16:55:04 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

166640

	registered interest
	date	27/11/2014
	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 whether they have calculated the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit policy changes announced to date since May 2010.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL3231
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2014 answer text <p>The Government does not produce forecasts of the number of children living in income poverty as the number of children in poverty is dependent on factors which cannot be reliably predicted, such as the median income.</p><p> </p><p>The Government does measure annual child poverty statistics through the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income in the UK have consistently been reported since 1998/99; these are available for each financial year up to 2012/13, the latest period for which estimates are available.</p><p> </p><p>There has been no assessment of the impact on child poverty of the combined tax and benefit changes announced since May 2010. Available survey data does not allow the Government to robustly assess the combined effects of tax and benefit policy on households with children.</p><p> </p><p>However, this Government has taken unprecedented steps to assess the effects of its policy decisions across the distribution of household income, by publishing analysis of the cumulative effects of the tax and welfare measures announced at each fiscal event since the June Budget 2010. The latest analysis can be found in Chapter 2 of the attached report.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL3230 question first answered 11/12/2014 16:55:04 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

176260

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2015
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made to implement the changes announced in December 2014 to provide more information about Short Term Benefit Advances online and in Jobcentres and to update the guidance on Short Term Benefit Advances for Jobcentre advisers.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL4518
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith, set out on 8 December 2014 (Official Report, column 633) how the Department for Work and Pensions will be doing much to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances (STBAs). This will include providing more information to claimants about STBAs online and in Jobcentres. Staff guidance on STBAs will also be updated and staff reminded of the process for considering an STBA.</p><p> </p><p>The department has already undertaken testing of the posters and messaging with a small number of staff and claimants. We have also asked the Social Security Advisory Committee to review these customer communication products before they are introduced.</p><p> </p><p>Once the products have been introduced we will, of course, closely monitor their effectiveness and impact, including on the number of requests for STBAs.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL4519 HL4520 HL4521 question first answered 04/02/2015 15:06:07 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

349525

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2015
	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	Fuel Direct Scheme
	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 affordability of a standard Fuel Direct rate of £3.70 for direct payments for arrears on fuel bills; and whether in setting that rate they considered (1) allowing some customers to pay a lower rate of direct deduction, and (2) allowing customers to pay by Fuel Direct for ongoing bills when they are not in arrears.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL394
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Third Party Deduction is a long standing scheme of last resort where all other means of budgeting have been exhausted. Where the Secretary of State decides that it is in the claimant’s best interests to order repayment of the arrears he can do so. The scheme was introduced in the 1970’s to protect the vulnerable and their family, whilst not adding to their financial burden.</p><p> </p><p>Fuel Direct is set in legislation at 5% of their Personal Allowance, which is a fixed deduction of £3.70 for each element of fuel debt. This is considered to be the most appropriate level of repayment in order to clear the fuel debt arrears and to prevent enforcement action.</p><p> </p><p>Each year the amount of Third Party Deduction is re-assessed as part of The Social Security Up-rating Order.</p><p> </p><p>Once the arrears have been paid a person will usually be taken off the Fuel Direct scheme. In exceptional circumstances a person may be allowed to remain on the Fuel Direct scheme to help ensure that they don’t get into debt again.</p><p> </p><p>However Fuel Direct is not intended as a budgeting aid and the Governments main objective is to help people into employment, whilst encouraging them to be responsible for their own financial affairs, whether they are on benefit or not.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 18/06/2015 14:39:18 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

723761

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2017
	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	Bereavement Support Payment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government why, when determining the length of time for which Bereavement Support Payments would be paid, they considered 18 months a suitable timeframe for bereavement support.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL6803
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>Bereavement Support Payment is intended to help people with the additional costs immediately following a bereavement. Income-related benefits are more suited for longer-term assistance with everyday living expenses. Evidence from the Government’s public consultation exercise in 2011 suggested the financial impact of spousal bereavement was more acute in the early months; and so this new benefit provides a significant cash boost of a lump sum followed by 18 monthly instalments. The Government originally proposed 12 monthly instalments, but in response to representations from the Social Security Advisory Committee, the Work and Pensions Select Committee and groups supporting bereaved people, this was extended to 18 months. This ensures that the payments do not end on the anniversary of the death.</p> answering member printed Lord Henley question first answered 26/04/2017 16:14:16 answering member 2616 label Biography information for Lord Henley
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

1522701

	registered interest
	date	17/10/2022
	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	Cold Weather Payments
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the Cold Weather Payment given increased energy costs.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL2653
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2022 answer text <p>Cold Weather Payments help vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits to meet the additional costs of heating during periods of severe cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. We keep all policies, including Cold Weather Payment, under constant review.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 27/10/2022 12:54:15 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

1652575

	registered interest
	date	12/07/2023
	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: Refrigeration
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Markham on 14 December 2022 (HL Deb col 653), what assessment they have made of the provision of freezers and fridges to increase food banks’ storage capacity.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL9301
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2023 answer text <p>Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst Government recognises that food charities are a great example of the generosity of spirit of communities across the country, it is important to recognise the important distinction between government welfare support and discretionary charitable support. Therefore, the Department for Work and Pensions is unable to make an assessment as Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations who design their own delivery models and criteria to access their services.</p><p> </p><p>Government understands the pressures people, including parents, are facing with the cost of living and is taking action to help. Overall, the government is providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023- 24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of bills.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also announced over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England at the Spring Budget. This will support frontline organisations experiencing increased demand and higher delivery costs and will provide some investment in energy efficiency measures. It will be targeted towards those organisations most at risk from cost of living pressures, due to increased demand and higher delivery costs, as well as providing investment in energy efficiency measures. Further detail will be published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport shortly.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 25/07/2023 16:01:59 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

1538423

	registered interest
	date	01/11/2022
	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	Pension Funds: Investment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Pensions Regulator regarding the use of Liability Driven Investment by pension funds.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL3123
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2022 answer text <p>Individual member benefits were not at risk. The DB pension promise is ultimately the responsibility of the sponsoring employer and does not depend on the performance of the fund. The steep rise in gilt yields and subsequent market turmoil at the end of September did not result in any DB schemes being at risk of insolvency. If any schemes do suffer losses which result in a funding deficit, this can be addressed through investment returns and additional contributions from the sponsoring employer over a reasonable period.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott grouped question UIN HL3124 question first answered 14/11/2022 16:56:58 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

1538424

	registered interest
	date	01/11/2022
	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	Pension Funds: Investment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk to individuals from the practice of Liability Driven Investment by pension funds.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL3124
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2022 answer text <p>Individual member benefits were not at risk. The DB pension promise is ultimately the responsibility of the sponsoring employer and does not depend on the performance of the fund. The steep rise in gilt yields and subsequent market turmoil at the end of September did not result in any DB schemes being at risk of insolvency. If any schemes do suffer losses which result in a funding deficit, this can be addressed through investment returns and additional contributions from the sponsoring employer over a reasonable period.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott grouped question UIN HL3123 question first answered 14/11/2022 16:56:58 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

1349342

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2021
	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	Social Security Benefits
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Christians Against Poverty Shipshape or sinking ship?, published on 21 July, what plans they have to review whether social security meets (1) the basic cost of living, and (2) the Eatwell Guide.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL2275
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2021 answer text <p>Statistics on the number and percentage of children in low income and material deprivation, including by receipt of benefit, are set out in the annual &quot;Households Below Average Income&quot; publication.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit (UC) awards are formed of a Standard Allowance, paid according to age and family status, plus help with eligible housing costs, which can then be supplemented with additional elements for groups recognised as having additional needs, such as parents, disabled people and carers. The rates of benefit are not determined by individuals' living costs.</p><p> </p><p>This Government firmly believes that people should be free to spend their benefit as they see fit, in light of their individual needs and preferences. Everyone’s requirements vary and to attempt to base rates upon personal expenditure of individual recipients would produce an unfair and unsustainable system.</p><p> </p><p>UC is a personalised system without the ‘cliff edges’ featured across legacy benefits, where money was lost when working more than 16, 24 and 30 hours. UC makes work pay by introducing a smoother, more transparent reduction of benefits at a consistent and predictable rate when people move into work and increase their earnings. A single taper, of 63 per cent per £1 is applied as earnings rise.</p><p> </p><p>We have expanded the Holiday Activities and Food programme to all children in every local authority in England, covering Easter, Summer and Christmas in 2021. We also expanded Healthy Start payments from £3.10 to £4.25 a week from April 2021, to ensure pregnant women and children under 4 have access to basic food and vitamins.</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 these questions remain in the survey for 20/21. Statistics on levels of food insecure households covering 2019/20, can be found on Gov.uk.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 02/08/2021 13:46:22 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans