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1130006

registered interest
date	05/06/2019
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, what discussions she has had with representatives from the pensions industry on (a) the divestment of pensions funds from carbon-intensive industries and fossil fuels and (b) incorporating climate-related risk into their investment decision-making.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	260692
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2019 answer text <p>The Governments wants to support trustees in making responsible investment decisions. However, it does not seek to direct pension schemes to invest or divest in any particular way.</p><p>We recognise that climate change is a key national and international issue and we have made sure that pension schemes understand their role responding to its effects. In September 2018, following extensive consultation with the pensions industry, this Government laid regulations to clarify that trustees should be taking account of the financial risks of climate change when developing their investment strategies. The regulations come into force from October this year. The FCA are consulting on corresponding provisions for workplace personal pension schemes. As the Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion I have spoken extensively about the new requirements and the Government expectations of pension schemes, including at the Westminster Hall debate regarding Pension Funds: Financial and Ethical Investments on the 22 May 2019:</p><p>“For too long there has been a perception by too many trustees -I am happy to clarify this as a Government Minister- that the environmental practices of the firms they invest in are purely ethical concerns, which they do not need to worry about: that is utterly wrong. Aside from the ethical considerations, there are real financial risks resulting from climate change. With the long-term horizons of pension investing, trustees must now consider that when they set out their investment strategies. Trustees who do not consider those matters will be breaching their statutory and potentially their fiduciary duties not only to current but future members.”</p><p>The full debate can be viewed here:</p><p><a href="https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-05-22/debates/D3194408-7581-4635-AEDC-6D22AD6F0EBC/PensionFundsFinancialAndEthicalInvestments" target="_blank">https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-05-22/debates/D3194408-7581-4635-AEDC-6D22AD6F0EBC/PensionFundsFinancialAndEthicalInvestments</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 260693 question first answered 12/06/2019 14:07:04 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1130008

registered interest
date	05/06/2019
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, what steps the Government is taking to encourage the pension industry to (a) divest pension funds from carbon-intensive industries and fossil fuels and (b) adopt the recommendations of The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures in their reporting structures.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	260693
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2019 answer text <p>The Governments wants to support trustees in making responsible investment decisions. However, it does not seek to direct pension schemes to invest or divest in any particular way.</p><p>We recognise that climate change is a key national and international issue and we have made sure that pension schemes understand their role responding to its effects. In September 2018, following extensive consultation with the pensions industry, this Government laid regulations to clarify that trustees should be taking account of the financial risks of climate change when developing their investment strategies. The regulations come into force from October this year. The FCA are consulting on corresponding provisions for workplace personal pension schemes. As the Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion I have spoken extensively about the new requirements and the Government expectations of pension schemes, including at the Westminster Hall debate regarding Pension Funds: Financial and Ethical Investments on the 22 May 2019:</p><p>“For too long there has been a perception by too many trustees -I am happy to clarify this as a Government Minister- that the environmental practices of the firms they invest in are purely ethical concerns, which they do not need to worry about: that is utterly wrong. Aside from the ethical considerations, there are real financial risks resulting from climate change. With the long-term horizons of pension investing, trustees must now consider that when they set out their investment strategies. Trustees who do not consider those matters will be breaching their statutory and potentially their fiduciary duties not only to current but future members.”</p><p>The full debate can be viewed here:</p><p><a href="https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-05-22/debates/D3194408-7581-4635-AEDC-6D22AD6F0EBC/PensionFundsFinancialAndEthicalInvestments" target="_blank">https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-05-22/debates/D3194408-7581-4635-AEDC-6D22AD6F0EBC/PensionFundsFinancialAndEthicalInvestments</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 260692 question first answered 12/06/2019 14:07:04 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1130009

registered interest
date	05/06/2019
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: Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on encouraging local government pensions funds to divest from carbon-intensive industries and fossil fuels.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	260694
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>The DWP has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. However, much like with trustees of occupational pension schemes, the local pension committees of the individual Local Government Pension Funds are responsible for their own investment decisions.</p><p> </p><p>As I said during the Westminster Hall debate regarding Pension Funds: Financial and Ethical Investments on the 22 May 2019:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>“For too long there has been a perception by too many trustees -I am happy to clarify this as a Government Minister- that the environmental practices of the firms they invest in are purely ethical concerns, which they do not need to worry about: that is utterly wrong. Aside from the ethical considerations, there are real financial risks resulting from climate change. With the long-term horizons of pension investing, trustees must now consider that when they set out their investment strategies. Trustees who do not consider those matters will be breaching their statutory and potentially their fiduciary duties not only to current but future members.”</p><p> </p><p>The full debate can be viewed here:</p><p><a href="https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-05-22/debates/D3194408-7581-4635-AEDC-6D22AD6F0EBC/PensionFundsFinancialAndEthicalInvestments" target="_blank">https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2019-05-22/debates/D3194408-7581-4635-AEDC-6D22AD6F0EBC/PensionFundsFinancialAndEthicalInvestments</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 11/06/2019 17:01:01 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1126518

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
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	Discretionary Housing Payments: Domestic Abuse
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 8 May 2019 to Question 252018 on Housing Benefit: Domestic Abuse, if she will make it her policy to collect data on the proportion of discretionary housing payment funding that is allocated to claimants affected by domestic abuse in each local authority area.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	254246
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>Individual-level benefit records available for analysis do not include information on claimants affected by domestic violence due to data sensitivity. Separately, the Department asks Local authorities to supply details of their use of Discretionary Housing Payments on a voluntary basis. This does not include the specific circumstances of the claimant (including whether they have been subject to domestic abuse). and there are no plans to ask for any additional information.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 20/05/2019 11:33:16 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1126618

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
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 changes have been made to the burden of proof required to prove eligibility for welfare support for (a) EU nationals and (b) non-EU nationals following the introduction of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	254247
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>No changes have been made to the burden of proof required to demonstrate eligibility for Universal Credit. In 2015, amendments to Universal Credit regulations brought the eligibility criteria to access Universal Credit more closely into line with EU regulations. The Department publishes Advice for Decision Makers on gov.uk, which is updated periodically.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/05/2019 16:48:54 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 119071 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1126619

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
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: Migrants
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) number of non-UK nationals who have been denied universal credit due to their immigration status and (b) average time taken to verify the immigration status of claimants.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	254248
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/05/2019 11:48:22 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1126620

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
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: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of mandatory reconsiderations which have taken longer than 30 days.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	254249
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>To provide information on Mandatory Reconsiderations (MR) clearance times longer than 30 days across all DWP administered benefits would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>There is, however, some available information on the average waiting time for MRs of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) work capability assessments. This is published and can be found in table 16 here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019</a></p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, it is planned that MR clearance times for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will, for the first time, be included in the PIP Official Statistics publication. This publication will be available from 11<sup>th</sup> June 2019.</p><p> </p><p>It should also be noted that the Department’s decision makers are, in relation to PIP, now proactively engaging with claimants at the MR stage to ensure that they have all material evidence before they make their decision. Early indications are that this is helping decision makers.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 20/05/2019 10:45:56 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1125261

registered interest
date	08/05/2019
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	Discretionary Housing Payments: Domestic Abuse
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 has made of the discretionary housing payment funding allocated to claimants affected by domestic abuse in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	252018
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>Information on claimants affected by domestic abuse is not available to make an estimate of Discretionary Housing Payment funding allocated to domestic abuse victims due to data sensitivity.</p><p> </p><p>DHP guidance highlights the use of the fund in supporting victims of domestic abuse to move to a place of safety.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 13/05/2019 12:38:56 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1109793

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
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	Redundancy
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to prepare for potential jobs losses in the event the UK leaves the EU without a negotiated withdrawal agreement.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	241061
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2019 answer text <p>The Government’s priority remains securing a deal to leave the EU. We have more people in work than ever before, with wages continuing to grow. As you would expect, DWP continues to ensure that there are contingency plans so we can provide our vital services to those who need them. For those who need it, we offer a wide range of tailored support through Jobcentres including our Rapid Response Service which provides support to employees and employers where there is a risk of large scale redundancies.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 09/04/2019 16:51:46 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1109794

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
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	Low Incomes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what additional funding her Department plans to provide to support people on low wages and insecure income in the event of increases to food prices and living costs as a result of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	241062
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2019 answer text <p>The Government’s priority remains securing a deal to leave the EU. We have more people in work than ever before, with wages continuing to grow. DWP has contingency plans to ensure we can continue to provide our vital services to those who need them.</p><p> </p><p>The Department already has a number of mechanisms in place to provide additional support to those who need it.</p><p> </p><p>New claimants to Universal Credit can apply for an advance if they need financial support until the first regular payment of Universal Credit is made. Furthermore, we have recently implemented a £1000 increase in Work Allowance rates for some of the most vulnerable low paid working families. It will increase the amount that families can earn before Universal Credit is tapered away, providing 2.4 million working families with an extra £630 a year.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 09/04/2019 16:42:23 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes