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1359002

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
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	Bereavement Support Payment
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 had made of the potential merits of making Bereavement Support Allowance an ongoing payment with similar criteria to Carers Allowance for those bereaved who have been left with children, using an earning threshold allowance for eligibility beyond the existing 21 months.
tabling member constituency	Gateshead
tabling member printed	Ian Mearns
uin	56088
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>There are currently no plans to reform Bereavement Support Payment (BSP). BSP is a contributory benefit intended to help with the immediate costs of bereavement. In common with other contributory benefits, BSP is not means tested. Other sources of financial assistance, including Universal Credit, are available for those who require on-going financial support.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst we have no plans for broader reform, on 15th July we laid a draft proposal for a Remedial Order (The Bereavement Benefits Remedial) Order 2021) that will extend eligibility to Widowed Parent’s Allowance and Bereavement Support Payment to cohabitees with dependent children. Further details can be found on Gov.uk: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bereavement-benefits-proposal-for-implementation-of-the-mclaughlin-2018-and-jackson-2020-judgments" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bereavement-benefits-proposal-for-implementation-of-the-mclaughlin-2018-and-jackson-2020-judgments</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 56236 56520 question first answered 25/10/2021 16:19:57 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4000 label Biography information for Ian Mearns

1359107

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
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: Reform
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 reform the triple lock on the State Pension.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	56145
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2021 answer text <p>There are no plans to reform the Triple Lock.</p><p> </p><p>The legislation currently before Parliament is a one-year response to exceptional circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 21/10/2021 13:33:44 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1359146

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Correspondence
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 is taking to improve her Department's response times to correspondence from members of the public.
tabling member constituency	Orkney and Shetland
tabling member printed	Mr Alistair Carmichael
uin	56167
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>The Department is currently experiencing high volumes of customer complaints, and it is taking us longer than usual to reply as we start to recover from the challenges of the pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>DWP now triage complaints giving priority to vulnerable claimants who may be at risk, and those with benefit payment issues. We aim to contact customers within 15 working days to clear the complaint or agree how to investigate it if it will take longer.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to look into all complaints as quickly as we can and, as part of the triage process, we write or call those customers where there may be a delay in answering their complaint.</p><p> </p><p>We are in the process of designing the future operating model for DWP complaints and correspondence. As part of this we will be looking for further opportunities to drive efficiency in the process whilst ensuring that vulnerable customers are prioritised.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/10/2021 14:17:10 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	1442 label Biography information for Mr Alistair Carmichael

1359183

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Complaints
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints were lodged with her Department in each month from September 2019.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	56253
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2021 answer text <p>The Department publish complaints received data on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk.</p><p> </p><p>The data is currently published up to June 2021 and is available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/complaints-about-the-department-for-work-and-pensions" target="_blank">DWP complaints data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 22/10/2021 14:00:49 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1359184

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
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
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 potential effect of the equalisation of the State Pension on the (a) incomes, (b) well-being and (c) health outcomes of people affected.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	56256
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2021 answer text <p>Changes to State Pension age were made over a series of Acts by successive governments from 1995 onwards, following public consultations and extensive debates in both Houses of Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>We do not hold any recorded information of an impact assessment that informed the rises in State Pension age of the Pensions Act 1995. However, the White Paper ‘Equality in State Pension Age’ 1993 contains some consideration of impacts. The document can be found here <a href="http://qna.files.parliament.uk/qna-attachments/1084399/original/Equality%20in%20State%20Pension%20age%201993.pdf" target="_blank">http://qna.files.parliament.uk/qna-attachments/1084399/original/Equality%20in%20State%20Pension%20age%201993.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>The 2006 impact assessment 'The Gender Impact of Pension Reform' considered a wide range of reforms to both state and private pension systems, including proposed State Pension age changes, and can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20111115164646/http:/www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/genderimpactassessment.pdf#page=33&amp;zoom=100,0,0" target="_blank">https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20111115164646/http:/www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/genderimpactassessment.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>The Department has carried out a number of impact assessments to consider how new regulatory legislation impact those affected by the changes. These include some mention of the impacts on income and health. Please see:</p><p> </p><p>The 2007 Regulatory Impact Assessment can be found here: <a href="https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121204130650/http:/www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pensions-bill-ria.pdf" target="_blank">https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121204130650/http:/www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pensions-bill-ria.pdf</a></p><p>The Pensions Act 2011 Impact Assessment can be found here:</p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pensions-act-2011-impact-assessment" target="_blank">http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pensions-act-2011-impact-assessment</a></p><p>The Pensions Act 2014 Impact Assessment can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pensions-act-2014-impact-assessments-may-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pensions-act-2014-impact-assessments-may-2014</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 21/10/2021 13:36:59 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1359198

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
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	Household Support Fund: Crawley
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what level of funding from the Household Support Fund will initially be received by Crawley Borough Council.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	56260
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions is boosting households with £500m funding this winter, with £421m dedicated to the Household Support Fund in England, which will help vulnerable people in England with essential household costs. The funding is being made available to County Councils and Unitary Authorities in England. West Sussex will receive £4,870,362.11. County Councils are expected to work together with District Councils to provide support and to ensure the funding meets its objectives by identifying those most in need.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 25/10/2021 15:12:55 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1359207

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
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 and Unemployment: Portsmouth
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the closure of Cosham Pension Centre on (a) her Department's ability to process pension claims and (b) levels of unemployment in Portsmouth; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	56283
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2021 answer text <p>Work currently carried out at Cosham will be undertaken in other locations across the national network.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 21/10/2021 13:07:26 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1359208

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
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	Cosham Pension Centre: Closures
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will guarantee that no redundancies will result from the closure of Cosham Pension Centre.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	56285
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>Redeployment will always be our priority and activity is underway to explore opportunities within DWP and across other government departments. The department will fulfil its legal commitment with regard to redundancy in any situation where it is necessary to do so, although redundancies may be unavoidable, we will support individuals throughout.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/10/2021 14:09:40 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1359209

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
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	Cosham Pension Centre: Closures
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will explore finding alternative positions in Portsmouth for staff impacted by the closure of Cosham Pension Centre.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	56287
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>DWP follows an established workforce management policy to manage and support impacted colleagues.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/10/2021 14:14:43 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1359231

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
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	Carer's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to increase carers allowance in England in line with inflation and the cost of energy during the winter months.
tabling member constituency	Gateshead
tabling member printed	Ian Mearns
uin	56234
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>The weekly rate of Carer’s Allowance is protected by annual uprating in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The rate for April 2022 will be announced in due course as part of the annual Uprating Statement.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2010, the rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased from £53.90 to £67.60 a week, providing an additional £700 a year for carers. Carers also have access to the full range of social security benefits according to their circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Real terms expenditure on Carer’s Allowance in 2021/22 is forecast to be £3.2bn. Between 2021/22 and 2025/26 real terms expenditure on Carer’s Allowance is forecast to increase by around a quarter (around £0.8 billion). By 2025/26, the Government is forecast to spend just over £4.0bn a year on Carer’s Allowance.</p><p /> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 25/10/2021 17:00:05 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4000 label Biography information for Ian Mearns