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1110952

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
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	Social Security Benefits: Uprating
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations 2019 (S.I., 2019, No. 552), for what reasons the increases in carers allowance and the policy of not uprating the pensions of 510,000 overseas UK pensioners were not provided for in separate Statutory Instruments.
tabling member constituency	Ealing, Southall
tabling member printed	Mr Virendra Sharma
uin	243381
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>The increase in the weekly rate of Carer’s Allowance from £64.60 to £66.15 from 8 April 2019 was provided for in The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2019 (No. 480). The Up-rating Regulations 2019 contain provisions adjusting aspects of the benefit system in light of the Order, and include an increase in the weekly earnings limit in Carer’s Allowance from £120 to £123. This was to avoid the need for an additional Statutory Instrument in light of demands on Parliamentary time due to EU exit.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 15/04/2019 15:27:51 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1604 label Biography information for Mr Virendra Sharma

1110960

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
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 estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of removing the five-week wait for claimants of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	243379
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the response provided to Question 240463, answered on 8<sup>th</sup> April 2019.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 15/04/2019 15:51:16 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1110961

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
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: Terminal Illnesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he she has made of the cost to the public purse of removing the five-week wait for claimants of universal credit in possession of a DS1500.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	243380
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>No claimant has to go five weeks without receiving support, as advances, worth up to 100 per cent of a claimant’s indicative award, are available up front, if there is need. Advances are paid back over a period of 12 months and in the Autumn Budget 2018, we announced that from October 2021, the payback period for these advances will be extended further, up to 16 months. This is just one of a number of measures the Department has put in place to support claimants such as paying those claimants moving from Housing Benefit onto Universal Credit a two week ‘transitional housing payment’. We are also introducing a two-week run on for eligible claimants of Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance from July 2020.</p><p> </p><p>No estimate of this nature has been made as the assessment period is a necessary and crucial part of the claim procedure. Claimants receive their first payment five weeks after the point of claim because an assessment period of four weeks is needed to calculate entitlement, followed by one week of payment processing.</p><p> </p><p>We take terminal illness very seriously and treat people in such circumstances with the upmost speed and sensitivity. Our process for supporting people who have a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less has been designed specifically to enable decisions to be fast tracked throughout the claim once the first payment has been made.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 15/04/2019 15:34:51 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1110994

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Brexit
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 deprioritised any Statutory Instruments in relation to the UK leaving the EU; and if she will publish the criteria her Department uses to deprioritise those Instruments.
tabling member constituency	Walsall South
tabling member printed	Valerie Vaz
uin	243435
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department has not deprioritised any statutory instruments as part of the UK preparations to leave the EU. The Department for Work and Pension continues to work closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union and other Government Departments and preparations have been undertaken by staff as part of their regular duties.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 16/04/2019 11:34:35 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 114099 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4076 label Biography information for Valerie Vaz

1111213

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
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, what estimate she has made of the (a) amount of unclaimed pension credit and (b) average amount of unclaimed pension credit per eligible person in each year for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	243356
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>The table below shows estimates for the (a) amount of unclaimed Pension credit and (b) average amount of unclaimed pension credit per household in each year for which data is available.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total amount of unclaimed pension credit</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average (mean) weekly amount of unclaimed pension credit </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average (median) weekly amount of unclaimed pension credit </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p>£3.1bn</p></td><td><p>£41</p></td><td><p>£22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p>£2.9bn</p></td><td><p>£41</p></td><td><p>£23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p>£2.8bn</p></td><td><p>£42</p></td><td><p>£24</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p>£2.7bn</p></td><td><p>£42</p></td><td><p>£25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p>£3.1bn</p></td><td><p>£49</p></td><td><p>£24</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Source: Income related benefits: estimates of take-up 2016 to 2017</p><p> </p><p>Please note that figures in the publication reflect average amounts of unclaimed Pension Credit per household instead of per person. This is because data from the Family Resources Survey, a survey assessing households, is used to produce the figures in the publication.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 15/04/2019 15:34:05 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1111215

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
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
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 she has made of the number of people with a disability living in poverty.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	243357
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>National statistics on the number of people with a disability living in poverty, are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication.</p><p> </p><p>Latest figures can be found using the link below, in table 7b, in the file “summary-hbai-1994-95-2017-18-tables.ods”.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789816/hbai-2017-2018-tables-ods-files.zip" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789816/hbai-2017-2018-tables-ods-files.zip</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 15/04/2019 15:21:42 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1111224

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
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, pursuant to answer of 8 April to Question 240478 on Universal Credit, in relation to benefit advances taken by universal credit recipients (a) what proportion of claimants have taken an advance, (b) what the average amount of money is that claimants are advanced, (c) what proportion of claimants have taken the maximum advance and (d) what proportion of claimants have been granted 12 months to repay an advance in each year for which information is available.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	243330
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>a) Around 60% of new claims take up an advance. Subject to some fluctuation, this rate of advance take-up has been broadly consistent over the last 12 months. This shows that claimants are being made aware of advances and are using it where they need this help.</p><p>b) The average advance amount for new claims is around £400.</p><p>c) Around 70% of advances are taken at the maximum entitlement.</p><p>d) Around 85% of advances are chosen to be repaid over 12 months</p><p> </p><p>Notes</p><p>1. Figures relate to Universal Credit full service only</p><p>2. Figures cover the latest 12 months of data from March 2018 to February 2019.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 15/04/2019 16:07:16 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1111247

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason Carers' Allowance is not paid to people that have reached state pensionable age.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	243551
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>There is no upper age limit to claiming Carer’s Allowance, but it cannot normally be paid with the State Pension. Carer’s Allowance provides a measure of replacement income where the duties of caring for a severely disabled person limit the prospect of full-time work and the earnings it would yield. State Pension provides a replacement income in retirement.</p><p>It is a long-standing and basic principle of the social security system that only one benefit at a time can be paid for the same purpose. Even though the circumstances which give rise to entitlement to Carer’s Allowance and State Pension are different, they are both designed to provide a degree of replacement for lost or foregone income.</p><p>The overlapping benefits rules, which prevent both benefits being paid, were established to reflect the general principle that flat-rate benefits designed to help with income maintenance e.g. Carer’s Allowance and State Pension, should not be added together and paid in full, even though a person may qualify for both. However, if a carer’s State Pension is less than Carer's Allowance, State Pension is paid and topped up with Carer's Allowance to the basic weekly rate of Carer's Allowance which, from April 2019, increased to £66.15.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 15/04/2019 15:26:11 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1110624

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
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, with reference to the Written Statement of 12 March on Universal Credit, HCWS1399, whether a person's legacy benefits could be terminated if they have not made a claim for universal credit during the course of the pilot.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	242938
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>We do not intend to stop anyone’s benefit during the pilot. In the pilot phase, our intention is to learn how to effectively assist people onto Universal Credit and to develop processes to deliver that help. This is particularly important for vulnerable and hard-to-reach claimants, who the Department will help to move across to the new system. We are piloting this approach precisely to learn how we can contact and support people to move to Universal Credit without ending their legacy entitlement.</p><p>Through the pilot process we will work to understand the reasons for unsuccessful applications. However, there will be safeguards in place to protect those who might otherwise fail to make a successful claim.</p><p> </p><p>We will report on our findings from the pilot before bringing forward legislation to extend this process.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 242943 question first answered 15/04/2019 16:03:53 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1110625

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
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, reference to the Written Statement of 12 March on Universal Credit, HCWS1399, whether her Department plans to pay discretionary payments to cover the two-week run on for all claimants migrating to universal credit during the course of the pilot.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	242939
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>Subject to the Parliamentary approval, of the draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) regulations 2019, the Department will introduce a Discretionary Hardship Payment to support those claimants who will be a part of the pilot phase and who appear to be in hardship. The power for Discretionary Hardship Payments is broad and could be used to pay the equivalent of the two-week legacy run on to claimants who will be moved to Universal Credit as part of the piloting phase and who are in hardship on account of the absence of the run on. We will also have the discretion to make payments if any other issues related to managed migration have resulted in hardship.</p><p /><p /> <p>Introducing the Discretionary Hardship Payment during the piloting phase will allow the Department to evaluate this support and assess what impact the current policy may have on claimants before introducing the run-ons from July 2020. This evaluation will allow us to consider whether further support is needed as a result of other issues that may arise and we have committed to reporting on our findings from the pilot before bringing forward legislation to proceed with volume managed migration.”</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 15/04/2019 16:41:19 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George