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1519768

registered interest
date	10/10/2022
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	Cold Weather Payments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Cold Weather Payments have been distributed since that scheme's inception; and how much her Department has spent on those payments per annum.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	59590
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2022 answer text <p>The current system of cold weather payments was introduced in 1988. The payment is a fixed amount for each week of cold weather. From 1995 this was set at £8.50 a week. The Cold Weather Payment was temporarily increased from £8.50 to £25 for the winters of 2008/9 and 2009/10. This increase was made permanent in November 2010.</p><p /><p>The table below shows the number of Cold Weather payments made and total expenditure in each year since 1988-89. 21/22 is due to be published in the next Annual Social Fund Report so has not been included below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>No. of cold weather payments (000)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Expenditure (£m)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1988-89</p></td><td><p>0.5</p></td><td><p>0.003</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1989-90</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>0.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1990-91</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td><td><p>9.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1991-92</p></td><td><p>3,827</p></td><td><p>23.0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1992-93</p></td><td><p>2,503</p></td><td><p>15.0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1993-94</p></td><td><p>2,064</p></td><td><p>12.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1994-95</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>0.1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1995-96</p></td><td><p>7,252</p></td><td><p>61.6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1996-97</p></td><td><p>4,964</p></td><td><p>42.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1997-98</p></td><td><p>55</p></td><td><p>0.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1998-99</p></td><td><p>26</p></td><td><p>0.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1999-00</p></td><td><p>114</p></td><td><p>1.0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2000-01</p></td><td><p>3,535</p></td><td><p>30.0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2001-02</p></td><td><p>1,804</p></td><td><p>15.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2002-03</p></td><td><p>1,675</p></td><td><p>14.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2003-04</p></td><td><p>418</p></td><td><p>3.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2004-05</p></td><td><p>213</p></td><td><p>1.8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2005-06</p></td><td><p>988</p></td><td><p>8.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006-07</p></td><td><p>402</p></td><td><p>3.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007-08</p></td><td><p>472</p></td><td><p>4.0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008-09</p></td><td><p>8,416</p></td><td><p>210.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009-10</p></td><td><p>11,590</p></td><td><p>289.7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>17,232</p></td><td><p>430.8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>5,167</p></td><td><p>129.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>5,845</p></td><td><p>146.1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0.03</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>422</p></td><td><p>10.6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>155</p></td><td><p>3.9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-17</p></td><td><p>131</p></td><td><p>3.1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017-18</p></td><td><p>4,572</p></td><td><p>114.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018-19</p></td><td><p>1079</p></td><td><p>27.0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019-20</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>0.3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020-21</p></td><td><p>3,951</p></td><td><p>98.8</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Notes</p><p> </p><ol><li>N/A= not available</li><li>Figures are for payments triggered in the relevant financial year.</li><li>There was a single level of payment each year, except in 1990-91 when the level of payment was increased during the year. A breakdown of the number <br> of payments for that year by level is not available. 3. Some people were made more than one payment in some years.</li><li>Numbers of payments made are rounded to the nearest 1,000, except for <br> 1988-89 where the number of payments is rounded to the nearest 100. <br> Amounts spent are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million, except for 1988-89 <br> where the amount spent is rounded to the nearest £1,000.</li><li>Data are not available on the numbers of payments received (as opposed <br> to made) or on the numbers of people who received payments. However, the <br> vast majority of payments are now made direct into bank accounts.</li><li><em>Source: Annual reports by the Secretary of State for Social Security/Work and <br> Pensions on the Social Fund</em></li></ol><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 19/10/2022 11:58:46 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1194558

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
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	Health and Safety: Coronavirus
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 enforce the adoption by employers of required health and safety measures to protect their employees during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	45091
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>Where it is found that employers are not complying with Covid-19 guidelines, then appropriate action will be taken by the relevant enforcing authority including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Local Authorities. Action can range from specific advice through to serving enforcement notices so as to ensure that practicable measures are implemented to protect workers and others.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, HSE has been given access to additional funding to support their advice and regulatory activity as businesses implement the new guidance on working safely. HSE’s plans will develop as more businesses return to work and this will include checks that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from Covid-19.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 18/05/2020 11:51:45 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1174411

registered interest
date	29/01/2020
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	Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there are provisions to transfer out of defined benefit pension schemes into alternative investments in Pension Schemes Bill.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	9644
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>In answering this question, the term ‘alternative investments’ is assumed to refer to investments that the individual chooses themselves, either that are unconventional in that they carry more risk, or are not typical of investments offered by personal pension schemes.</p><p> </p><p>The Pension Schemes Bill 2019-20 has no provisions that restrict how members transferring from defined benefits pensions should invest their pension rights.</p><p> </p><p>Clause 124 of the Pension Schemes Bill contains provisions to amend the statutory right to transfer and thereby restricts the types of pension arrangements under which a member can compel trustees to approve a transfer request. Members can still use their statutory right to transfer to an authorised Master Trust or an FCA authorised pension arrangement.</p><p> </p><p>In accordance with the principles of freedom and choice, members with defined benefit pension rights have the right to transfer to a defined contribution scheme to self-invest. These self-invested personal pension schemes can offer the member a range of investment funds, including alternative investments.</p><p> </p><p>Members with a cash equivalent greater than £30,000 must seek financial advice before they transfer or convert their pension rights into flexible benefits, that can be used for alternative investments. FCA rules for pension transfer advisers require that the form of investment the member is considering on transfer is considered as part of their recommendation to the member to transfer or not. However, the member retains the right to follow or ignore the advice they receive. Where trustees’ have concerns with the alternative investments in a members’ choice of destination, they should make the member aware as part of their overall requirement to carry out due diligence in the member’s interest.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 05/02/2020 11:23:24 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1144714

registered interest
date	04/09/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment: Older People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether all recipients of personal independence payment (PIP) aged 65 or above will no longer receive reassessments to ensure continued receipt of PIP unless they inform her Department that their needs have changed.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	286689
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p>From 31 May this year, new claimants to PIP - whose review would have been scheduled after they had reached State Pension age - are now receiving an ongoing award with a light touch review after the ten-year point. From 9 July this year, we began moving existing PIP claimants, who have reached state pension age, onto ongoing awards with a light touch review after the ten-year point. All claimants who report a change of circumstance will be reviewed in order to ensure that the claimant is receiving the correct level of award.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 09/09/2019 12:03:34 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1140545

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	Workplace Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to tackle the use of shape shifting practices by employers to avoid meeting pension obligations to employees; and if he will make a statement .
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	279430
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2019 answer text <p>The vast majority of employers are meeting their pension obligations under automatic enrolment, consistent with the legal framework established under the Pensions Act 2008. Where employers fail to comply with the law however, The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has a full range of powers to ensure employees get the pensions they are due.</p><p>TPR is aware of some employers that appear to have tried to avoid meeting their pension obligations by hiding behind a new name. TPR investigators are working to take action against offenders that try to use this tactic, and are carrying out short-notice inspections on employers that are suspected of breaching their automatic enrolment duties.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 01/08/2019 09:10:06 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1105288

registered interest
date	26/03/2019
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: Advisory Services
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 level of coordination between the Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to defined benefit pension transfer advice.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	237080
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2019 answer text <p>The DWP are urging the two organisations to work much more closely together. The Pension’s Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority carry out their functions independently. The Pension’s Regulator launched a joint protocol with Financial Conduct Authority in January 2019. The Protocol is intended to improve coordination between the Financial Conduct Authority, The Pension’s Regulator and the Pensions Advisory Service to help pension scheme trustees to ensure their members are adequately and fully informed when considering transferring their defined benefit pensions.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 02/04/2019 16:28:51 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1055083

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment: Blaenau Gwent
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 11 January 2019 to Question 204471 on Personal Independence Payment: Blaenau Gwent, what information her Department holds on the (a) number and (b) value of hardship payments made to claimants from Blaenau Gwent while awaiting payment for arrears as a result of a successful Tribunal decision.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	217042
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2019 answer text <p>We aim to pay arrears on overturned cases as soon as we can, providing we have all the required information to do so, for example, up to date claimant bank details.</p><p> </p><p>Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not an income replacement benefit; it can be received in or out of work therefore hardship payments are not made in these circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions administers a wide range of benefits and allowances for which there are a range of conditions for entitlement. Some of these benefits may be of help, including Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 13/02/2019 15:31:41 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1038936

registered interest
date	10/01/2019
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 assessment she has made of the effect on the financial circumstances of universal credit claimants who receive their wages on a fixed day each month and therefore have multiple pay days during an assessment period; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	207176
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit payments reflect, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period. Assessment periods allow for Universal Credit awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if a claimant’s income falls, they do not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit award.</p><p> </p><p>Some claimants receive earnings from work multiple times within an assessment period if they are paid via four-weekly, fortnightly, or weekly patterns. This in turn may reduce, or in some cases, nil the Universal Credit award the claimant receives that month. Claimants can always discuss the implications of this with their case managers and work coaches and can be referred to Personal Budgeting Support to help them manage their budgeting.</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant’s Universal Credit claim is closed due to this, claimants can re-claim the following month via a more simplified process than for an initial claim. We have produced guidance to help ensure claimants, staff and representatives are aware of the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles. This is available at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles</a></p><p> </p><p>The Government is working with employers to ensure that they use the most appropriate payment practices and comply with RTI guidelines in order to minimise the incidence of erroneous or late reporting by employers. HMRC have recently updated guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles; the Financial Secretary to the Treasury is working closely with HMRC and employers to do this.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/01/2019 15:22:58 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1029474

registered interest
date	20/12/2018
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	Personal Independence Payment: Blaenau Gwent
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 3 December 2018 to Question 195064, what the maximum length of time was between the date of a successful First Tier Tribunal personal independence payment decision and arrears being paid for claimants in Blaenau Gwent during 2017-18.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	204471
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 11/01/2019 09:58:51 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1013135

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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	Social Security Benefits: Blaenau Gwent
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 13 November 2018 to Question 188789 on Social Security Benefits: Blaenau Gwent, what the total number of appeals made for both those benefits were in that same (a) constituency and (b) timeframe; and what proportion of those appeals were successful.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	195064
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2018 answer text <p>Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeals</p><p> </p><p>In the Blaenau Gwent constituency, 170 appeals were completed in relation to PIP in 2017-18. Of these, 79% (130 appeals) were successful.</p><p> </p><p>40 appeals were completed between April and June 2018, the latest date for which statistics have been published. Of these, 79% (30 appeals) were successful.</p><p> </p><p>These figures include all PIP appeals; so they will contain appeals where claimants appealed for a higher PIP award as well as those appeals against a disallowance decision.</p><p>Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.</p><p> </p><p>Appeals data taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information. Therefore this appeal data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.</p><p> </p><p>The Parliamentary Constituency geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode) rather than the location of where the tribunal was.</p><p> </p><p>Decisions overturned at appeal may include a number of appeals that have been lapsed (which is where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal).</p><p> </p><p>Since PIP was introduced 3.5m decisions have been made nationally up to June 2018, of these 9% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned.</p><p> </p><p>Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) appeals</p><p> </p><p>Information on appeal outcome by claim start date and Parliamentary Constituency is available on Stat-Xplore under “ESA Work Capability Assessments”.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here:</p><p> </p><p>https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Between April 2014 and March 2018, 3.5m ESA (post WCA) decisions have been made nationally, of these 8% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 03/12/2018 17:27:32 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith