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1172878

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	Employment and Support Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the Seventh Report of the Work and Pensions Committee, PIP and ESA assessments, Session 2017–19, in relation to the issue of new guidance to ESA assessors.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	7161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2020 answer text <p>The Department, in conjunction with the assessment provider (the Centre for Health &amp; Disability Assessments (CHDA)), regularly reviews the guidance provided to Health Care Professionals (HCPs) conducting Work Capability Assessments. The guidance in place for HCPs, in relation to a request for a home visit, states that they can consider evidence from the claimant’s GP or from other health professionals involved in their care.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, DWP has been working with CHDA to identify potential new approaches to determining home visit eligibility with the aim of reducing the need to request evidence from claimants in the future.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 30/01/2020 11:37:46 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1172882

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	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 the Government is taking to (a) support and (b) facilitate the establishment of disabled rights support groups.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	7221
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The National Strategy for Disabled People will focus on removing barriers to ensure disabled people are able to achieve their potential, can lead a life of opportunity and fully participate in British society. Working across Government, with disability organisations and charities, the strategy will be developed with the lived experience of disabled people at its heart and will focus on the issues that affect disabled people the most, including housing, education, transport and jobs.</p><p> </p><p>Through the Regional Stakeholder Network we are establishing a channel for disabled people and disability organisations from across England to engage with Government and share their views on policies and services. This will facilitate ongoing regular discussions both during the development of the National Strategy for Disabled People and beyond.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 28/01/2020 17:12:47 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1172897

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	Employment: North West Durham
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people were (a) economically active, (b) (i) students, (ii) living with a long-term illness and (iii) in each other economically inactive category, (c) economically active and in work and (d) economically active and seeking work in (A) April 2010 and (B) the latest month for which statistics are available in North West Durham constituency.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	7233
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2020 answer text <p>Statistics on economic activity for constituencies are published by the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) and come from the Annual Population Survey (APS).</p><p> </p><p>As the figures below are estimates from survey data, of different-sized sub-groups of the population at a local level they are subject to varying levels of uncertainty due to small sample sizes – which we describe alongside the estimates.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For North West Durham, in the year July 2009 to June 2010 (including the month April 2010), there were:</p><p>a) 45,000 estimated economically active people. The ONS are 95% confident that the economic activity rate lies between 69.7% and 81.9%, with a central estimate of 75.8%. The economic activity rate is the proportion of the working age population (aged 16-64; 59,400 people in 2010) who are economically active.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>b) Due to the very small number of people in this local area with these characteristics in the APS sample, these estimates are highly uncertain:</p><p>i) This data is not available, please see the section below.</p><p> </p><p>ii) ONS estimates that 4,200 were inactive due to long-term sickness. The ONS are 95% confident that it lies between 16.5% and 41.7% of the inactive working age population, with a central estimate of 29.1%.</p><p>iii) Other reasons for inactivity: 3,800 people are estimated to be inactive due to retirement. The ONS are 95% confident that this estimate lies between 14.1% and 38.5% of the inactive working age population, with a central estimate of 26.3%.</p><p> </p><p>c) 42,500 people were estimated to be employed. The ONS are 95% confident that the employment rate lies between 65.2% and 78%, with a central estimate of 71.6%.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For North West Durham, in the year July 2018 to June 2019 (including the month April 2019), there were:</p><p>a) 44,300 estimated economically active people. The ONS are 95% confident that the economic activity rate lies between 72.7% and 85.1%, with a central estimate of 78.9%. The working age population in this period is 56,200 people.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>b) Due to the very small number of people in this local area with these characteristics in the APS sample, these estimates are highly uncertain:</p><p> </p><p>i) This data is not made available by the ONS, due to extreme unreliability of estimates based on a very small sample of people with these characteristics in this year’s APS.</p><p> </p><p>ii) 5,700 who were inactive due to long-term sickness, the ONS are 95% confident that this lies between 31.7% and 64.9% of the working age inactive population, with a central estimate of 48.3%.</p><p> </p><p>c) 43,300 people were estimated to be employed. The ONS are 95% confident that the employment rate lies between 70.6% and 83.4%, with a central estimate of 77%.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 04/02/2020 15:29:29 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1172902

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	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 financial effect on mixed-aged couples where the older member of the couple reaches pension age and the couple are unable to claim pension credit or pension age housing benefit and must instead claim universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh East
tabling member printed	Tommy Sheppard
uin	7237
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>In 2012 both houses of Parliament debated at length and then agreed changes to the welfare policies. This resulted in the Welfare Reform Act of 2012.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Under provisions in the Welfare Reform Act 2012, Parliament decided that pension-age income-related benefits would no longer be available to couples before both partners have reached State Pension age. These changes took effect from 15 May 2019.</p><p> </p><p>The average weekly reduction in the amount of income related benefit received amongst the estimated number of couples who would have been entitled to Pension Credit and/or pension age Housing Benefit without the policy change is estimated to be approximately £70 per week (to the nearest £10) in 2019/20.</p><p> </p><p>The estimated average weekly notional reduction is calculated by taking the estimated annual expenditure savings from the policy change and dividing by the estimated number of mixed age couples who would have been entitled to Pension Credit and/or pension age Housing Benefit without the policy change.</p><p> </p><p>No mixed age couples who were receiving Pension Credit and/or pension age Housing Benefit immediately before the implementation date of 15 May 2019, would see a reduction in the amount of benefit they receive as a result of the policy change (unless their entitlement to both those benefits subsequently ends).</p><p> </p><p>An annual notional reduction would depend on the length of time in a year that an individual couple would have claimed Pension Credit and/or pension age Housing Benefit, as well as any difference in a couple’s level of support on Universal Credit compared to pensioner income-related benefits, both of which will reflect individual circumstantial changes and behavioural choices.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 28/01/2020 16:57:26 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4453 label Biography information for Tommy Sheppard

1172919

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	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 assessment she has made of the effect of the two-child limit on child poverty in (a) each Welsh local authority and (b) each Welsh parliamentary constituency.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	7120
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>National Statistics on the percentage of children in low income households are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication and the latest year for which information is available is 2017/18. As the two-child limit policy was introduced in April 2017 there is insufficient data to assess any impacts of the policy on low income. Also estimates for the percentage of children in low income households are not available at local authority or parliamentary constituency level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. For these two reasons it is not possible to evaluate the impacts of specific policies on poverty for these areas.</p><p> </p><p>Data relating to the operation of the policy in Wales can be found in the latest annual statistics release which was published on 31 July 2019 and covers the period up to 2 April 2019. This data can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-tax-credit-and-universal-credit-claimants-statistics-related-to-the-policy-to-provide-support-for-a-maximum-of-2-children-april-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-tax-credit-and-universal-credit-claimants-statistics-related-to-the-policy-to-provide-support-for-a-maximum-of-2-children-april-2019</a></p><p> </p><p>We have committed to further annual releases.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 28/01/2020 17:37:15 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1172920

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	Social Security Benefits
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 of the two-child limit on BAME communities.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	7121
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s view is that providing support for a maximum of two children or qualifying young persons in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credits, ensures fairness between claimants on the one hand and, on the other, those taxpayers who support themselves solely through work.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family, which is why exceptions have been put in place to protect certain groups. On migration to Universal Credit, families’ existing entitlement will be protected.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has published an Impact Assessment which noted ethnic minority households may be more affected by the policy. This is because on average, they are more likely to have larger families and be in receipt of Child Tax Credits and Universal Credit. However, the Department does not collect sufficiently robust data on our claimants’ ethnic or religious backgrounds to facilitate a more detailed assessment of the policy’s impact on specific ethnic or religious groups.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has assessed the impact of the policy from an equality and human rights perspective, meeting our obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty, and ensuring compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the UN Convention on the rights of children.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 7122 question first answered 28/01/2020 17:37:37 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1172921

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	Social Security Benefits: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to undertake an impact assessment of the two-child limit on faith groups in Wales.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	7122
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s view is that providing support for a maximum of two children or qualifying young persons in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credits, ensures fairness between claimants on the one hand and, on the other, those taxpayers who support themselves solely through work.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family, which is why exceptions have been put in place to protect certain groups. On migration to Universal Credit, families’ existing entitlement will be protected.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has published an Impact Assessment which noted ethnic minority households may be more affected by the policy. This is because on average, they are more likely to have larger families and be in receipt of Child Tax Credits and Universal Credit. However, the Department does not collect sufficiently robust data on our claimants’ ethnic or religious backgrounds to facilitate a more detailed assessment of the policy’s impact on specific ethnic or religious groups.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has assessed the impact of the policy from an equality and human rights perspective, meeting our obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty, and ensuring compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the UN Convention on the rights of children.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 7121 question first answered 28/01/2020 17:37:37 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1172946

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	Poverty: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children lived in (a) poverty and (b) extreme poverty in Nottingham in each of the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham South
tabling member printed	Lilian Greenwood
uin	7195
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>National Statistics on the number of children in low income households are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Statistics for the number of children in low income households is not available at combined Local Authority level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. Statistics for the East Midlands region can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718</a>, “children-hbai-timeseries-1994-95-2017-18-tables” in tables 4.17ts (for relative low income, before and after housing costs) and 4.23ts (for absolute low income, before and after housing costs).</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 28/01/2020 11:12:05 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4029 label Biography information for Lilian Greenwood

1172948

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	Poverty: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of children in Nottingham South constituency living in (a) poverty and (b) absolute poverty have (i) one household member in full-time employment, (ii) two household members in full-time employment, (iii) one household member in part-time employment, (iv) two household members in part-time employment and (v) no household members in employment in the most recent period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham South
tabling member printed	Lilian Greenwood
uin	7196
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>National Statistics on the number and percentage of children in low income are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Statistics for the percentage of children in low income households is not available at constituency level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. Statistics for the East Midlands region can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718</a>, “children-hbai-timeseries-1994-95-2017-18-tables” in tables 4.16ts and 4.17ts (for relative low income, before and after housing costs) and 4.22ts and 4.23ts (for absolute low income, before and after housing costs).</p><p>The statistics are only available for all children and cannot be broken down into the categories requested because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 28/01/2020 11:14:19 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4029 label Biography information for Lilian Greenwood

1172952

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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	Food Poverty: Nottingham South
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 tackle food poverty in Nottingham South constituency.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham South
tabling member printed	Lilian Greenwood
uin	7197
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The government is committed to delivering a sustainable long-term solution to poverty in all its forms and in all parts of the UK by building a strong economy and ensuring that the benefit system works with the tax system and the labour market to support employment and higher pay.</p><p>The evidence shows that full time work substantially reduces the risk of being in poverty. Universal Credit is designed to help people move into work faster, stay in work longer and spend more time looking to increase their earnings, provides more financial help with childcare costs and removes the 16-hour ‘cliff edge<strong>’</strong> for those who are working. To help families keep more of what they earn we have delivered another rise in the National Living Wage, increasing a full-time worker’s annual pay by over £2,750 since its introduction, and by nearly £3,700 with the recently announced rise from this April, with our tax changes making basic rate tax payers over £1,200 better off from April 2019, compared with 2010.</p><p>In order to develop a better understanding of the drivers of food insecurity and identify which groups are most at risk we have introduced a new set of food security questions in the Family Resources Survey questionnaire from April 2019 onwards. This will enable us in the future to monitor the prevalence and severity of household food insecurity across the UK and for specific groups.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 6678 question first answered 28/01/2020 17:41:58 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4029 label Biography information for Lilian Greenwood