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1002477

registered interest
date	06/11/2018
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: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their decision to extend the policy to provide Universal Tax Credit to a maximum of two children to new Universal Credit claimants from February 2019, whether there will be an exception for families with three or more children who were born before 6 April 2017.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL11318
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>Since 6 April 2017 families with third and subsequent children born on or after this date are able to claim additional support through Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit for their first two children only. This maximum support will also apply to entirely new claims to Universal Credit on or after 1 February 2019, regardless of the date of birth of their children.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants that are already receiving support for those born before 6 April 2017 will continue to do so. If they subsequently move to or reclaim Universal Credit (following a break in claim of less than 6 months) they will receive the child element for the same number of children they were previously. This will apply both if they naturally migrate following a significant change of circumstances or are moved as part of managed migration, so long as they remain responsible for the same children.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 20/11/2018 17:10:57 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

918915

registered interest
date	06/06/2018
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: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to amend the ordering restriction on the exemption from the two-child limit for children born as a result of non-consensual conception.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL8411
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2018 answer text <p>We currently have no plans to make further amendments to the policy.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 18/06/2018 12:10:13 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

897073

registered interest
date	02/05/2018
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many families claiming Universal Credit incur childcare costs above £760.42 per month for one child or £1303.57 for two or more children.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL7497
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2018 answer text <p>The information on childcare costs incurred by families claiming Universal Credit is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>DWP has not carried out an assessment of the effect on childcare providers of payment in arrears of Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>Where claimants start work or increase their working hours, we offer extra support to enable them to pay upfront childcare costs: for example, claimants may be eligible to receive an advance of their future Universal Credit entitlement, which is interest free and can be repaid over a period of 12 months. Work coaches work with our claimants to ensure that where this is taken up, that repayments are manageable.</p><p> </p><p>For claimants ineligible to receive a budgeting advance, the Flexible Support Fund may also offer assistance. This fund allows us to provide flexible and discretionary non-repayable support to claimants in financial need to move into work and can be used to help claimants to meet upfront childcare costs so that they can accept offers of work.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe grouped question UIN HL7498 HL7499 question first answered 17/05/2018 12:08:51 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

897074

registered interest
date	02/05/2018
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the maximum amount of childcare costs supported through Universal Credit reflects the cost of full-time childcare for children under three.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL7498
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2018 answer text <p>The information on childcare costs incurred by families claiming Universal Credit is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>DWP has not carried out an assessment of the effect on childcare providers of payment in arrears of Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>Where claimants start work or increase their working hours, we offer extra support to enable them to pay upfront childcare costs: for example, claimants may be eligible to receive an advance of their future Universal Credit entitlement, which is interest free and can be repaid over a period of 12 months. Work coaches work with our claimants to ensure that where this is taken up, that repayments are manageable.</p><p> </p><p>For claimants ineligible to receive a budgeting advance, the Flexible Support Fund may also offer assistance. This fund allows us to provide flexible and discretionary non-repayable support to claimants in financial need to move into work and can be used to help claimants to meet upfront childcare costs so that they can accept offers of work.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe grouped question UIN HL7497 HL7499 question first answered 17/05/2018 12:08:51 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

897075

registered interest
date	02/05/2018
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on childcare providers of payment in arrears of Universal Credit.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL7499
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2018 answer text <p>The information on childcare costs incurred by families claiming Universal Credit is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>DWP has not carried out an assessment of the effect on childcare providers of payment in arrears of Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>Where claimants start work or increase their working hours, we offer extra support to enable them to pay upfront childcare costs: for example, claimants may be eligible to receive an advance of their future Universal Credit entitlement, which is interest free and can be repaid over a period of 12 months. Work coaches work with our claimants to ensure that where this is taken up, that repayments are manageable.</p><p> </p><p>For claimants ineligible to receive a budgeting advance, the Flexible Support Fund may also offer assistance. This fund allows us to provide flexible and discretionary non-repayable support to claimants in financial need to move into work and can be used to help claimants to meet upfront childcare costs so that they can accept offers of work.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe grouped question UIN HL7497 HL7498 question first answered 17/05/2018 12:08:51 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

886890

registered interest
date	18/04/2018
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	Refugees
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what training is being provided to Job Centre Plus staff to assist refugees during the twenty eight day move-on period.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL7051
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2018 answer text <p>All DWP staff have access to operational instructions that explains DWP support available to refugees, including the 28 day move on process. During rollout of the supported handover, between Home Office and DWP (for refugees requiring help in making a DWP benefit claim), further communications, including a memo, were issued to improve awareness of the process and alert staff of the instructions to follow. As part of our continuous improvement activity we are considering what future products may be required to support refugees.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 02/05/2018 15:21:16 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

820666

registered interest
date	11/01/2018
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 how many families with three or more children have been affected by the benefit cap in each month since April 2017; how many children were included in each affected family; how many families were (1) lone parent families or (2) two-parent families; and how many of those families had one or more parents in work.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL4636
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The table below shows the number of households with three or more children that had their Housing Benefit capped at each month since April 2017 by family type and number of children, for lone parent families and two-parent families.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested on the number of families with three or more children that have been affected by the benefit cap in each month since April 2017 with one or more parents in work is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Households receiving Universal Credit with earning of £520 a month and households receiving Working Tax Credit are exempt from the benefit cap. At August 2017 38,795 households that had previously had their Housing Benefit capped and were no longer capped had an open Working Tax Credit claim, indicating that they had moved into work.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="5"><p><strong>Number of households with three or more children that had their Housing Benefit capped at each month since April 2017 by family type and number of children</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>April 2017</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Family Type</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Couple with child dependant(s)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Single with child dependant(s)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Children</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>3 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>5,987</p></td><td><p>21,349</p></td><td><p>27,335</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>4 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>3,614</p></td><td><p>11,752</p></td><td><p>15,368</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>5 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>1,543</p></td><td><p>3,463</p></td><td><p>5,008</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>More than 5 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>639</p></td><td><p>1,024</p></td><td><p>1,663</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p>11,789</p></td><td><p>37,592</p></td><td><p>49,378</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>May 2017</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Family Type</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Couple with child dependant(s)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Single with child dependant(s)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Children</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>3 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>6,251</p></td><td><p>21,539</p></td><td><p>27,793</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>4 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>3,742</p></td><td><p>12,100</p></td><td><p>15,840</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>5 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>1,590</p></td><td><p>3,550</p></td><td><p>5,142</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>More than 5 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>677</p></td><td><p>1,045</p></td><td><p>1,721</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p>12,255</p></td><td><p>38,238</p></td><td><p>50,501</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>June 2017</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Family Type</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Couple with child dependant(s)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Single with child dependant(s)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Children</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>3 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>6,233</p></td><td><p>21,958</p></td><td><p>28,192</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>4 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>3,704</p></td><td><p>12,068</p></td><td><p>15,773</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>5 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>1,607</p></td><td><p>3,595</p></td><td><p>5,198</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>More than 5 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>681</p></td><td><p>1,058</p></td><td><p>1,739</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p>12,224</p></td><td><p>38,676</p></td><td><p>50,898</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>July 2017</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Family Type</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Couple with child dependant(s)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Single with child dependant(s)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Children</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>3 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>6,149</p></td><td><p>22,466</p></td><td><p>28,610</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>4 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>3,575</p></td><td><p>12,045</p></td><td><p>15,628</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>5 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>1,581</p></td><td><p>3,529</p></td><td><p>5,108</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>More than 5 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>651</p></td><td><p>1,043</p></td><td><p>1,693</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p>11,959</p></td><td><p>39,086</p></td><td><p>51,046</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>August 2017</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>Family Type</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Couple with child dependant(s)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Single with child dependant(s)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Children</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>3 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>5,948</p></td><td><p>22,439</p></td><td><p>28,384</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>4 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>3,522</p></td><td><p>11,848</p></td><td><p>15,370</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>5 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>1,572</p></td><td><p>3,472</p></td><td><p>5,043</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>More than 5 dependants</strong></p></td><td><p>639</p></td><td><p>1,051</p></td><td><p>1,697</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p>11,677</p></td><td><p>38,812</p></td><td><p>50,485</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>-</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>INFO</strong></p></td><td colspan="4"><p><strong>Statistical disclosure control has been applied to these tables to avoid the release of confidential data. Totals may not sum due to the disclosure control applied.</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Source: Department for Work and Pensions</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 23/01/2018 16:08:19 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

777488

registered interest
date	25/10/2017
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	Social Security Benefits
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the impact that the four-year freeze on income-related benefits will have on family budgets in England and Wales.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL2503
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2017 answer text <p>The Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 has frozen the majority of working-age benefits for four tax years, from 2016-17 to 2019-20. The analysis published at the time of the 2015 Budget assesses the impact of the measures in the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016. 30 per cent of households were estimated to be impacted by the benefit rate freeze. The average notional loss was estimated to be £6 a week in 2019/20. This analysis does not take into account employment effects in response to our welfare reforms. I attach the analysis to this response.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 02/11/2017 15:00:52 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe attachment 1 file name HL2503 Impact Assessment.pdf title Impact Assessment
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

777489

registered interest
date	25/10/2017
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	Social Security Benefits
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the impact of the changing cost of living on incomes, particularly for those in receipt of income-related benefits.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL2504
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2017 answer text <p>The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts rates of inflation (through the Consumer Price Index) and average earnings known as the OBR Historical Official Forecasts database. A copy of this is attached.</p><p> </p><p>Using figures published in the OBR Historical Official Forecasts Database, we note that between 2018 and 2021 earnings growth is forecasted to be consistently higher than inflation.</p><p> </p><p>Our welfare reforms to working-age benefits are part of the Government’s commitment to incentivise work as the best route out of poverty and support working families. This includes the introduction of the National Living Wage and cutting income tax for over 30 million people. For those in a position to work, earnings provide the best opportunity for income progression. Further, benefits for the additional cost of disability and benefits for pensioners continue to be uprated, as we are committed to supporting the most vulnerable groups.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 02/11/2017 15:26:07 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe attachment 1 file name HL2504.xlsx title OBR Historical Official Forecasts Database
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

771219

registered interest
date	16/10/2017
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	Universal Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 9 October (HC Deb, col 4), whether they will publish the evidence supporting his statement that the roll-out of Universal Credit will mean that 250,000 more people will be in work.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL2020
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2017 answer text <p>In total, it is estimated that Universal Credit will help more than 250,000 people move into employment.</p><p> </p><p>There are a number of features of Universal Credit (UC) which we estimate will drive this increase in participation:</p><p> </p><p>1. Increased financial incentives to move into work – UC has better incentives to increase hours of work, meaning workers keep a higher proportion of their additional earnings, with a guarantee that work always pays.</p><p> </p><p>We have estimated the impact of financial incentives by combining academic evidence on people’s responses to previous welfare system reforms, and the Department’s Policy Simulation Model. The Policy Simulation Model was used to estimate changes in gains from work and disposable income (i.e. drivers of income and substitution effects) for different groups due to the introduction of Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>We estimate that increased financial incentives will result in around 150,000 more people in employment under UC in steady state.</p><p> </p><p>2. Increased intensity of work search under Universal Credit. Conditionality is extended under UC to certain groups that were not subject to conditionality under the legacy system, meaning they will get work coach support and encouragement to seek work, and will sign a claimant commitment to spend up to 35 hours (depending on their circumstances and any caring responsibilities) a week seeking work.</p><p> </p><p>The conditionality regime in Universal Credit has a wider reach than the equivalent JSA regime in the legacy benefit system. We use evidence of the employment impacts from trials of labour market interventions to estimate the increase in employment for these groups experiencing conditionality for the first time. We estimate that extended conditionality under UC will result in around 50,000 additional people moving into employment.</p><p> </p><p>3. A smoother and simpler transition into work under Universal Credit. Universal Credit places less administrative burden on the claimant and has a clearer system of allowances and tapers that allow claimants to more easily see the financial benefits of moving into work or increasing their hours.</p><p> </p><p>The estimated employment impacts of UC due to its simplicity are based on research and evaluation evidence of similar reforms in the past. In particular, it draws on evidence from the:</p><p>a) quantitative and qualitative evaluations of mandatory work-focused interviews for lone parents and Better Off Calculations; and</p><p>b) evaluation of In-Work Credit.</p><p> </p><p>We estimated that the move to a single system of working-age benefits, in the form of Universal Credit, will result in around 60,000 more people in employment under UC in steady state.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 30/10/2017 17:32:04 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham