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989507

registered interest
date	19/10/2018
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	Poverty
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 Social Metrics Commission’s new measure of poverty, if will she undertake an assessment of the effect of all government policies on poverty in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	180733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2018 answer text <p>We welcome the work that the Social Metrics Commission has done. Measuring poverty is complex, and this report offers further insight into that complexity and the additional measures that can be taken into consideration. From discussions with SMC they acknowledge that further work needs to be done (particularly around data availability and quality). We will carefully consider their recommendations and the detail behind the methodology they have employed when this has been made available.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 180731 180732 question first answered 22/10/2018 16:41:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

991142

registered interest
date	19/10/2018
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	Children: Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of only using the most recent income data in order to calculate child maintenance payments for a non-resident parent.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	181589
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2018 answer text <p>Basing the assessment on HMRC data has enabled the Child Maintenance Service to significantly speed up the set-up of new cases which can be key to securing regular payments. The previous approach of obtaining the information from parents often led to considerable delays and significant arrears building up on cases right from the start.</p><p> </p><p>Child maintenance is reviewed annually using HMRC data to make sure it is in line with a parent’s circumstances. Between those reviews, parents are required to report any changes in their income that are greater than 25 percent – such changes will trigger a reassessment of the maintenance due.</p><p> </p><p>Income information is provided by HMRC under a data sharing agreement for the most recent complete tax year they hold within the last six years. HMRC determines a tax year as complete when they have accounted for all Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and Self Assessment records.</p><p> </p><p>Each year HMRC receive and process income figures from 33 million Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and 3.3 million Self-Assessment customers. HMRC undertakes compliance activity to ensure that the data reported to them is accurate.</p><p> </p><p>My Department has recently laid regulations which would allow a notional income to be assessed from certain assets. This will ensure that parents who are able to organise their financial affairs to minimise their taxable income, still have an obligation to pay maintenance for their children at a level which reflects their financial circumstances.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 181325 181590 question first answered 25/10/2018 16:05:26 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

991151

registered interest
date	19/10/2018
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Domestic Visits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which Departmental offices and job centres she has visited since her appointment; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	181598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2018 answer text <p>The Secretary of State regularly visits DWP sites, including Jobcentres, in different parts of the country</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 29/10/2018 15:43:24 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

991152

registered interest
date	19/10/2018
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	Department for Work and Pensions: 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 estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of staff in receipt of universal credit; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	181599
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2018 answer text <p>Employees claiming Universal Credit have no obligation to inform DWP they are receiving benefits.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/10/2018 16:05:37 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

991171

registered interest
date	19/10/2018
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	Credit Unions
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 effectiveness of the credit union expansion project.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	181556
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2018 answer text <p>Government is committed to facilitating sustainable financial services that give consumers greater choice in accessing credit. Credit union membership in Great Britain has increased year-on-year since 2014, rising to around 1.32 million members in 2017; this was an increase of over 150,000 individuals over the 3 year period. It is even more encouraging that credit unions are becoming more popular with junior members; in 2017 there were over 139,000 junior members of credit unions in Great Britain compared to around 128,000 in 2014.</p><p> </p><p>The Credit Union Expansion Project (CUEP) aims were for participating credit unions to modernise and grow in a financially sustainable way, over time. The contractor aimed to deliver that by enabling credit unions to access a standardised banking service.</p><p>CUEP has delivered an Automated Loans and Decision tool (ALD) used by over 70 credit unions, centralised services such as a standardised front facing website, and that the ALD has allowed credit unions to achieve up to 40% administrative savings on delivering loans and reduce provision for unpaid debt by over £1 million. CUEP also led to a number of credit unions to merge, and others to work together to develop standardised products and deliver local marketing campaigns to increase membership. CUEP contributed to credit unions on the platform to increase the value of loans made.</p><p>Due to the Contractors failure to meet contractual milestones, DWP terminated the CUEP contract on 16<sup>th</sup> February 2018. Whilst the contractor has not met their contractual agreement, they have delivered a banking platform that allows credit union members to receive a range of banking services and benefit from more affordable credit. At the point the contract was terminated the platform was being used by three credit unions with a total of approximately 16.5k members allowing members to benefit from 24 hour online access to their accounts, and receive faster payments on a loan on the same day, usually within 4 hours.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 24/10/2018 15:11:56 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

991197

registered interest
date	19/10/2018
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on children in families of the two-child limit policy for universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Danielle Rowley
uin	181633
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2018 answer text <p>An impact assessment of the policy of providing support for a maximum of two children in Child Tax Credits and Universal Credit, which considered the impact of the policy on families and other protected groups, was published in July 2015 and is available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/ia15-006e.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/ia15-006e.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>Child Benefit is not affected by these changes and will continue to be paid regardless of family size.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/10/2018 15:54:55 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4628 label Biography information for Danielle Rowley

991198

registered interest
date	19/10/2018
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence her Department has for the claim that the two-child policy limit will increase household financial resilience.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Danielle Rowley
uin	181634
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2018 answer text <p>This policy ensures that the benefits system is fair to those who pay for it, as well as those who benefit from it, ensuring those on benefits face the same financial choices around the number of children they can afford as those supporting themselves solely through work, and encouraging parents to reflect carefully on their readiness to support an additional child. Reflecting carefully on readiness to support an additional child could have a positive effect on financial resilience.</p><p> </p><p>The impact assessment of the policy was published in 2015 and at the time was scrutinised by SSAC and in Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/10/2018 16:11:42 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4628 label Biography information for Danielle Rowley

991200

registered interest
date	19/10/2018
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: Suicide
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to improve support for people at risk of suicide (a) claiming and (b) transitioning to universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Danielle Rowley
uin	181635
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2018 answer text <p>Suicide is a tragic and complex issue which we take extremely seriously.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government’s Suicide Prevention Strategy, backed by £1.5 million for research, aims to reduce the suicide rate and provide better support to those bereaved or affected by a suicide.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The well-being of people accessing and receiving support from DWP is of the utmost importance and we have improved support and guidance for staff on how best to support vulnerable people.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We have already started training all Work Coaches, including Universal Credit Full Service Work Coaches, in how to support claimants with mental health conditions. This training will be complete by all Work Coaches in early 2019. They have experience of working with a full range of disabilities and health issues, including mental health issues.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to our on-going support for work coaches and claimants, we have recruited new Community Partners who provide expertise, often based on their lived experience and external expertise, of disability and health condition issues. We have also recruited more Disability Employment Advisors who are actively providing advice and guidance on what works for claimants with disabilities, including those with mental health issues.</p><p> </p><p>From April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland will take on the responsibility for delivering a strengthened Universal Support service, a move which will ensure a consistent and streamlined service for claimants across the country.</p><p> </p><p>The support scheme will help claimants through every step of making a Universal Credit claim. It will offer people the comprehensive and practical support they need to get their first payment on time and be ready to manage it when it arrives.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton grouped question UIN 181636 181637 181638 181639 question first answered 29/10/2018 17:43:57 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4628 label Biography information for Danielle Rowley

991201

registered interest
date	19/10/2018
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: Suicide
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to investigate reported links between (a) suicide and (b) attempted suicide and migration to universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Danielle Rowley
uin	181636
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2018 answer text <p>Suicide is a tragic and complex issue which we take extremely seriously.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government’s Suicide Prevention Strategy, backed by £1.5 million for research, aims to reduce the suicide rate and provide better support to those bereaved or affected by a suicide.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The well-being of people accessing and receiving support from DWP is of the utmost importance and we have improved support and guidance for staff on how best to support vulnerable people.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We have already started training all Work Coaches, including Universal Credit Full Service Work Coaches, in how to support claimants with mental health conditions. This training will be complete by all Work Coaches in early 2019. They have experience of working with a full range of disabilities and health issues, including mental health issues.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to our on-going support for work coaches and claimants, we have recruited new Community Partners who provide expertise, often based on their lived experience and external expertise, of disability and health condition issues. We have also recruited more Disability Employment Advisors who are actively providing advice and guidance on what works for claimants with disabilities, including those with mental health issues.</p><p> </p><p>From April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland will take on the responsibility for delivering a strengthened Universal Support service, a move which will ensure a consistent and streamlined service for claimants across the country.</p><p> </p><p>The support scheme will help claimants through every step of making a Universal Credit claim. It will offer people the comprehensive and practical support they need to get their first payment on time and be ready to manage it when it arrives.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton grouped question UIN 181635 181637 181638 181639 question first answered 29/10/2018 17:43:57 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4628 label Biography information for Danielle Rowley

991202

registered interest
date	19/10/2018
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: Suicide
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 sufficiency of the processes in job centres to support staff with clients expressing suicidal thoughts.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Danielle Rowley
uin	181637
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2018 answer text <p>Suicide is a tragic and complex issue which we take extremely seriously.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government’s Suicide Prevention Strategy, backed by £1.5 million for research, aims to reduce the suicide rate and provide better support to those bereaved or affected by a suicide.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The well-being of people accessing and receiving support from DWP is of the utmost importance and we have improved support and guidance for staff on how best to support vulnerable people.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We have already started training all Work Coaches, including Universal Credit Full Service Work Coaches, in how to support claimants with mental health conditions. This training will be complete by all Work Coaches in early 2019. They have experience of working with a full range of disabilities and health issues, including mental health issues.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to our on-going support for work coaches and claimants, we have recruited new Community Partners who provide expertise, often based on their lived experience and external expertise, of disability and health condition issues. We have also recruited more Disability Employment Advisors who are actively providing advice and guidance on what works for claimants with disabilities, including those with mental health issues.</p><p> </p><p>From April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland will take on the responsibility for delivering a strengthened Universal Support service, a move which will ensure a consistent and streamlined service for claimants across the country.</p><p> </p><p>The support scheme will help claimants through every step of making a Universal Credit claim. It will offer people the comprehensive and practical support they need to get their first payment on time and be ready to manage it when it arrives.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton grouped question UIN 181635 181636 181638 181639 question first answered 29/10/2018 17:43:57 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4628 label Biography information for Danielle Rowley