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
tabling member	label

Search

1699236

registered interest
date	26/03/2024
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to strengthening local welfare services.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon
uin	HL3626
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2024 answer text <p>A total of £3 billion including Barnett impact has been announced since October 2021 to enable the delivery of Household Support Fund in England. This includes over £2.5 billion allocated to Local Authorities in England. It is for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their additional Barnett funding.</p><p> </p><p>Councils continue to have the flexibility to use funding from the Local Government Finance Settlement to provide local welfare assistance.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has delivered a balanced package of funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 which makes available up to £64.7 billion. The most relatively deprived areas of England will receive 18% more per dwelling in available resource through the 2024-25 Settlement than the least deprived areas.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 08/04/2024 15:05:24 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	4290 label Biography information for Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon

1686927

registered interest
date	01/02/2024
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many English local authorities do not run a local welfare assistance scheme, and what assessment they have made of the impact on low-income residents in these local authority areas if the household support fund is not extended beyond this April.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL2134
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/02/2024 answer text <p>Local Authorities in England have the flexibility and power to use the funding they receive from the annual Local Government Finance Settlement. We do not have robust data on the number of Local Authorities providing a local welfare scheme.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is putting significant additional support in place for those on the lowest incomes from April. Subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by 6.7% while the Basic and New State Pensions will be uprated by 8.5% in line with earnings, as part of the ‘triple lock”.</p><p> </p><p>To further support low-income households with increasing rent costs, the government will raise Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents, benefitting 1.6m low-income households by on average £800 a year in 24/25. Additionally, the Government will increase the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 representing an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.</p><p> </p><p>The current Household Support Fund runs until the end of March 2024, and the government continues to keep all its existing programmes under review in the usual way.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 15/02/2024 14:28:15 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1315209

registered interest
date	17/05/2021
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
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 ensure that the UK welfare system provides people with enough funds to access (a) food and (b) other essential supplies.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	2197
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2021 answer text <p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, including by increasing the living wage, and by spending an estimated £112 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><strong> </strong></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 to the 20th 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> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 24/05/2021 16:21:00 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1315223

registered interest
date	17/05/2021
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
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 ensure that people receive support from local welfare assistance schemes when necessary.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	2198
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/05/2021 answer text <p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, spending an estimated £112 billion on welfare support for people of working age and children in 2020/21 including around £7.4 billion of Covid-related welfare policy measures. In December 2020 we introduced the Covid Winter Grant to help the most vulnerable children and families stay warm and well fed. Recognising that some restrictions on the economy are still in place we have created the Covid Local Support Grant which will run until June, with a total investment of £269m.</p><p> </p><p>Covid Local Support Grant is ring-fenced with at least 80% targeted to assist with food and bills, and at least 80% for families with children. Within these parameters, Local Authorities have discretion to decide how to allocate Government funding in their areas, recognising that they are best placed to understand local needs and they have shown how they are able to respond at pace to put innovative measures in place to support vulnerable households.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/05/2021 15:22:28 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1147921

registered interest
date	02/10/2019
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the decision to abolish the Discretionary Social Fund and replace it with local welfare assistance schemes has had on the ability of people experiencing a financial crisis to access monetary support.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	293440
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>Local welfare assistance is an umbrella term used describe local authority provision for people who are in need of urgent help. Local authorities’ abilities to act in this area are provided under various powers, for example, section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000 enables local authorities to provide financial assistance to any individual.</p><p> </p><p>Since the reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 which abolished Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants, the Local Government Financial Settlement has included a notional amount relating to local welfare provision in each upper-tier and unitary authority’s general grant. The settlement for 2015-16 set this amount at £129.6 million for England in each year until 2019/20.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Work and Pension's (DWP) 2014 review found that local authorities delivered support more effectively than the previous provision and that councils are best placed to decide how to target flexible help to support local welfare needs. The Government has no further plans to review provision.</p><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 293545 question first answered 08/10/2019 13:21:57 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1147998

registered interest
date	02/10/2019
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has departmental responsibility for local welfare assistance schemes.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
uin	293545
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>Local welfare assistance is an umbrella term used describe local authority provision for people who are in need of urgent help. Local authorities’ abilities to act in this area are provided under various powers, for example, section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000 enables local authorities to provide financial assistance to any individual.</p><p> </p><p>Since the reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 which abolished Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants, the Local Government Financial Settlement has included a notional amount relating to local welfare provision in each upper-tier and unitary authority’s general grant. The settlement for 2015-16 set this amount at £129.6 million for England in each year until 2019/20.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Work and Pension's (DWP) 2014 review found that local authorities delivered support more effectively than the previous provision and that councils are best placed to decide how to target flexible help to support local welfare needs. The Government has no further plans to review provision.</p><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 293440 question first answered 08/10/2019 13:21:57 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

1140533

registered interest
date	19/07/2019
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of local authorities that no longer provide local welfare assistance schemes.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne North
tabling member printed	Catherine McKinnell
uin	279418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2019 answer text <p>The reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 allowed local authorities in England, and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales, to deliver their own local provision for people who are in need of urgent help. We passed funding over to local authorities and devolved administrations (from April 2013) on a non-ring-fenced basis, with no statutory duties or monitoring requirements attached. Local authorities are best placed to decide how to target flexible help to support local welfare needs. The Government has no plans to alter policy on LWP or to review this provision at this time.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 279420 question first answered 29/07/2019 14:39:47 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell

1139583

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of local welfare assistance schemes.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL17230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 allowed local authorities in England and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales to deliver their own local provision for people who are in need of urgent help. The Department for Work and Pension's (DWP) 2014 review found that local authorities delivered support more effectively than the previous provision and that councils are best placed to decide how to target flexible help to support local welfare needs. The Government has no further plans to review provision.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 23/07/2019 13:36:13 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

1138630

registered interest
date	12/07/2019
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to (a) promote and (b) fund local welfare assistance.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	276564
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>The reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 allowed local authorities in England and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales to deliver their own local provision for people who are in need of urgent help. Local authorities are best placed to decide how to promote and target flexible help to support local welfare needs. The Government has no further plans to review provision.</p><p> </p><p>The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2015-16 identifies a notional amount relating to local welfare provision in each upper-tier and unitary authority’s general grant, totalling £129.6 million for England. The notional allocation for local welfare provision remains at £129.6 million in England in the Local Government Financial Settlement until 2019/20. There are no plans to ring-fence this notional allocation.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 276565 276576 question first answered 22/07/2019 15:11:48 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1138631

registered interest
date	12/07/2019
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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
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 allocate additional funding for local welfare assistance.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Andrea Jenkyns
uin	276565
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>The reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 allowed local authorities in England and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales to deliver their own local provision for people who are in need of urgent help. Local authorities are best placed to decide how to promote and target flexible help to support local welfare needs. The Government has no further plans to review provision.</p><p> </p><p>The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2015-16 identifies a notional amount relating to local welfare provision in each upper-tier and unitary authority’s general grant, totalling £129.6 million for England. The notional allocation for local welfare provision remains at £129.6 million in England in the Local Government Financial Settlement until 2019/20. There are no plans to ring-fence this notional allocation.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 276564 276576 question first answered 22/07/2019 15:11:48 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns