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 question first answered answering member label
tabling member

Search

1722649

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
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	Poverty: Children
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 plans to take to help tackle child poverty in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Adam Jogee
uin	1096
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2024 answer text <p>Tackling child poverty is a priority for the Government and a central part of delivering the Government’s Mission to create and spread opportunity for every child and young person in our country.</p><p> </p><p>We promised concrete actions in our manifesto to support children and families. Our initial steps to tackle poverty include free breakfast clubs in every primary school setting every child up at the start of the day ready to learn, expanding childcare to deliver work choices for parents and life chances for children, stronger protection for families who rent privately, and action to tackle high energy bills and slash fuel poverty.</p><p> </p><p>We are also developing an ambitious, new child poverty strategy and have set up a Ministerial Taskforce, jointly led by the Work &amp; Pensions Secretary and the Education Secretary, to drive cross-government action on this work.</p> answering member constituency Birkenhead answering member printed Alison McGovern question first answered 30/07/2024 16:05:52 answering member 4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern
tabling member	5168

1722650

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
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	State Retirement Pensions: Women
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 plans to take to help support women affected by the rise in the State Pension age in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Adam Jogee
uin	1097
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/07/2024 answer text <p>DWP offers employment support for eligible customers of all ages, including those below State Pension age, through the network of Jobcentres across the UK, and through contracted employment programmes.</p><p>A dedicated offer for older workers seeks to provide tailored support for those affected by low confidence, menopause, health and disability or caring pressures, and out of date skills or qualifications. This includes an online midlife review tool that supports people to assess their health, wealth and skills.</p><p>The government has set out ambitious plans to improve employment support by bringing together jobcentres and the national careers service.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Emma Reynolds question first answered 31/07/2024 16:51:00 answering member 4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds
tabling member	5168

1722651

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
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	Universal Credit: Newcastle-under-Lyme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in work and claiming Universal Credit in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Adam Jogee
uin	1098
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2024 answer text <p>Official statistics for the number of <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/opendatabase?id=UC_Monthly" target="_blank">people on Universal Credit</a> are published each month on <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Stat-Xplore</a>, with breakdowns available by <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/metadata/UC_Monthly/Westminster%20Parliamentary%20Constituency%202024.html" target="_blank">Westminster Parliamentary Constituency</a>. The latest statistics are to June 2024, with a breakdown by <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/metadata/UC_Monthly/Employment%20indicator.html" target="_blank">employment indicator</a> available to May 2024.</p><p> </p><p>Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">guidance</a> on how to extract the information required.</p> answering member constituency Birkenhead answering member printed Alison McGovern question first answered 30/07/2024 16:05:35 answering member 4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern
tabling member	5168

1722672

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
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	Universal Credit: Newcastle-under-Lyme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the decision by the previous Conservative government to remove the £20 uplift to Universal Credit on poverty in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Adam Jogee
uin	1119
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2024 answer text <p>The £20 uplift in Universal Credit was removed in October 2021.</p><p> </p><p>Statistics on the number of Children living in absolute and relative poverty per constituency before housing costs are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication. They can be found in tabs “6_Absolute_ParlC” and “5_Relative_ParlC” at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-in-low-income-families-local-area-statistics-2014-to-2023" target="_blank">Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>. The latest statistics published on 21 March 2024 cover the years 2014/15 to 2022/23.</p><p> </p><p>These statistics show the impact of all policies, economic, societal and behavioural changes on child poverty levels in constituencies.</p> answering member constituency Birkenhead answering member printed Alison McGovern question first answered 30/07/2024 16:07:36 answering member 4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern
tabling member	5168

1722695

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
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	Universal Credit: Newcastle-under-Lyme
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 make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the number of people that are in work and claiming Universal Credit in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Adam Jogee
uin	1142
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2024 answer text <p>Under my political leadership the DWP will shift from being a department for welfare to being a department for work. We will create a new jobs and careers service, bringing together Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service.</p><p>The service will be focused on helping people get into work and get on at work, not only on monitoring and managing benefit claims. For our employment support system, the outcomes that will matter are higher engagement, higher employment, and higher earnings.</p> answering member constituency Birkenhead answering member printed Alison McGovern question first answered 30/07/2024 16:03:28 answering member 4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern
tabling member	5168

1258704

registered interest
date	07/12/2020
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	Work Capability Assessment: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of restarting face-to-face work capability assessments; and what plans her Department has to expedite the backlog of cases waiting for assessment.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Aaron Bell
uin	126162
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2020 answer text <p>The health and safety of our claimants and staff is our key priority. We suspended all face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits in March. This temporary suspension, brought in to protect people from unnecessary risk of coronavirus at the outset of the pandemic, remains in place, and is being kept under review in line with the latest public health guidance. Any re-introduction of face-to-face assessments would involve additional Covid-related safety measures, and guidance for claimants and assessment providers to ensure compliance with the relevant public health guidance.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the pandemic our immediate focus has been on supporting people impacted by COVID-19 by putting claims into payment as quickly as possible, as well as paying any additional benefit where claimants may be entitled to a higher award. We continue to complete paper based assessments where possible and have introduced telephone assessments.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 14/12/2020 18:11:54 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4837 label Biography information for Aaron Bell

1151481

registered interest
date	22/10/2019
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	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 report by the Resolution Foundation entitled A fraying net, what steps the Government is taking to (a) reform and strengthen the social security safety net for young adults and (b) ensure that parents under the age of 25 do not lose out financially when moving from the previous benefit system to universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	3702
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to providing targeted support for young people. We aim to ensure that everyone, no matter what their start in life, is given the very best chance of getting into work. To support this, the Department delivers the Youth Obligation Support Programme, Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools and the recently introduced Mentoring Circles for young people.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is designed to replicate the world of work through the introduction of a range of measures such as monthly assessment periods. Setting a clear benefit rate for claimants under the age of 25 reflects the lower wages that younger workers typically receive. This is intended to maintain the incentive for younger people to find work.</p><p> </p><p>The lower rates for younger claimants who are under the age of 25 years reflects the fact that they are more likely to live in someone else's household and have lower living costs and lower earnings expectations. It also reinforces the stronger work incentives that Universal Credit creates for this age group. Universal Credit also includes separate elements to provide support for housing costs, children and childcare costs and support for disabled people and carers.</p><p> </p><p>Those who naturally migrate to Universal Credit will do so because they will have had a significant change in their circumstances which previously would have led to a new claim to another existing benefit. In these situations, it has always been the case that the assessment of their new benefit will be based on their new circumstances and under the rules of their new benefit without regard to their previous entitlement. As their circumstances will have changed it is not possible to make a meaningful comparison between their previous entitlement to their existing benefit and their new entitlement to Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 28/10/2019 14:05:46 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1150955

registered interest
date	21/10/2019
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	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 recent steps she has taken to ensure that universal credit claimants have access to support throughout the application process; and whether she plans to increase the number of universal credit telephone advisers.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	2706
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2019 answer text <p>The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants, and wants the application process for Universal Credit to be as quick and easy as possible, ensuring that claimants receive money at the earliest opportunity. To support this, we keep staffing levels under constant review and at the required levels, ensuring we have the right number of people available to answer customer calls and to respond to forecasted demand.</p><p> </p><p>All Jobcentres across the country have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet. These devices are being upgraded in a programme due to be completed by the end of October 2019. For those that are still unable to access or use digital services, or are not able to travel, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. In certain circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have been delivering the ‘Help to Claim’ service on a pilot basis since April 2019, supporting claimants with making a new claim to Universal Credit. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time, and is available online, on the phone and face-to-face through local Citizen’s Advice services.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 24/10/2019 15:47:44 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1150436

registered interest
date	17/10/2019
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	Employment: Young People
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 final report from the Young people's future health inquiry entitled A healthy foundation for the future published in October 2019, what steps the Government is taking to establish a job market that offers young people secure and rewarding work.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	1603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting young people into work. We aim to ensure that everyone, no matter what their start in life, is given the very best chance of getting into work.</p><p> </p><p>The DWP Youth Obligation Support Programme is currently delivered to young people aged 18-21 making a new claim to Universal Credit. We provide additional tailored support to enable young people to achieve their goals.</p><p> </p><p>In January 2019 we announced the extension of the Mentoring Circles initiative from the ethnic minority community to all young people who could benefit from such support. Mentoring circles support 16-24 year olds by giving them an opportunity to build on their employability skills. By facilitating an interaction with employers this initiative helps to provide young job seekers with access to and interaction with role models in the workplace.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/10/2019 16:13:57 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1147496

registered interest
date	01/10/2019
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	Employment: Disability
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 help businesses increase access for disabled people to (a) apprenticeships and (b) jobs.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	292853
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2019 answer text <p>In respect of apprenticeships, we have undertaken a number of actions to improve access to apprenticeships for people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. We have made British Sign Language (BSL) an alternative to English Functional Skills for those who have BSL as their first language and we have adjusted the minimum English and maths requirements for those who are able to meet the occupational standard of their apprenticeship but would struggle to achieve the regular English and maths minimum requirements.</p><p> </p><p>It is encouraging to see that 36,900 apprenticeships were started by individuals with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in the first three quarters of 2018/9. This is 12.3 per cent of all apprenticeship starts and an increase from 11.5 per cent at the same point in 2017/18.</p><p> </p><p>We continue our work with Mencap and our Pacesetters group, made up of a range of organisations and local authorities to identify what further support we can give those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.</p><p> </p><p>With regard to jobs help, we offer a range of programmes and schemes that offer employment support to disabled people. These include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>the Work and Heath Programme (WHP), which will help 275,000 people over 5 years, including 220,000 disabled people.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The Disability Confident scheme. Through this, we work with employers to change attitudes and create employment opportunities by giving businesses the tools and techniques to recruit and retain disabled people in their workplace. Over 13,600 employers are signed up to Disability Confident, and their number continues to grow.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Access to Work, which offers eligible disabled people a grant of up to £59,200 per year to fund support above the level of reasonable adjustments, to ensure that their health condition or disability does not hold them back in the workplace. Last year we spent £129 million on Access to Work grants, helping over 36,000 people stay in employment.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme (IPES) will launch by the end of 2019. It will provide highly personalised packages of employment support for disabled people with complex and multiple barriers to work who are at least a year away from moving into work without the support on the programme.</p><p> </p><p>Our Jobcentres offer tailored and personalised support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers, backed by the Personal Support Package which is a 4-year, £330 million package of employment support targeted at claimants with disabilities and health conditions.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/10/2019 16:00:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly