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1127882

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
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 of a five-week wait for a first payment of universal credit on trends in the level of food bank usage.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	257005
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/05/2019 answer text <p>No Universal Credit (UC) claimant has to wait five weeks for their first payment and there are many reasons why people use foodbanks.</p><p> </p><p>If required, advances of up to 100 per cent of their expected UC award are available to claimants from day one of their claim. Advances are paid back over a maximum of 12 months and in the Autumn Budget 2018, we announced that from October 2021, the payback period for these advances will be extended further, allowing claimants up to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>This is just one of a number of measures the Department has put in place to support claimants such as paying those claimants moving from Housing Benefit onto UC a two week ‘transitional housing payment’. We are also introducing a two-week run on for eligible claimants of Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance from July 2020.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 29/05/2019 13:48:24 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1126921

registered interest
date	15/05/2019
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	State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimates he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of uprating state pensions for pensioners who live overseas.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	254754
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">All political parties since WW2 have</del> <ins class="ministerial">Successive post-war Governments have followed</ins> the same policy. Up-rating UK State Pensions for recipients who are overseas residents is longstanding; state Pensions are payable worldwide and are up-rated where there is a legal requirement to do so.</p><p> </p><p>The policy on the up-rating of UK State Pensions paid to recipients living outside the UK has been in place for over 70 years. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide without regard to nationality. Entitlement to the UK State Pension is based on the national insurance contributions on a person’s national insurance record. The annual index-linked increases to UK State Pensions are paid to recipients overseas only where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in EEA countries or in countries where there is a reciprocal agreement in place that provides for the up-rating of the UK State Pension. The Government has no plans to change the policy <ins class="ministerial">upheld by all previous Governments, Labour, Coalition and Conservative for the past 70 years.</ins> <del class="ministerial">of all Governments, Labour, Coalition or Conservative since WW2.</del></p><p> </p><p>The estimated costs of up-rating state pensions overseas where they are currently not up-rated are available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimated-costs-of-uprating-state-pension-in-frozen-rate-countries" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimated-costs-of-uprating-state-pension-in-frozen-rate-countries</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 23/05/2019 16:41:54 question first ministerially corrected 20/06/2019 15:16:55 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman previous answer version 119892 answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1124222

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
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	State Retirement Pensions: Reciprocal Arrangements
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what effect the UK leaving the EU without a deal would have on reciprocal pension agreements with EU member states.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	249961
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government has consistently put citizens’ rights first in our negotiations with the EU. The best way to guarantee those rights, which include social security, both for UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK, is the deal that the Government has secured. The Government supported the amendment put forward by Alberto Costa MP which requires the Government to seek a joint UK/EU commitment to preserve the citizens’ rights section of the Withdrawal Agreement whatever the outcome of negotiations. The letter to the European Commission setting out the Government’s position and the Commission’s reply is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/costa-amendment-letter-to-the-eu-institutions" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/costa-amendment-letter-to-the-eu-institutions</a></p><p> </p><p>The current EU arrangements providing for reciprocity in social security would no longer apply if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 249962 question first answered 14/05/2019 13:52:36 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1124223

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
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	State Retirement Pensions: Reciprocal Arrangements
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions the Government have held with (a) the EU and (b) individual EU member states on reciprocal pension agreements after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	249962
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government has consistently put citizens’ rights first in our negotiations with the EU. The best way to guarantee those rights, which include social security, both for UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK, is the deal that the Government has secured. The Government supported the amendment put forward by Alberto Costa MP which requires the Government to seek a joint UK/EU commitment to preserve the citizens’ rights section of the Withdrawal Agreement whatever the outcome of negotiations. The letter to the European Commission setting out the Government’s position and the Commission’s reply is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/costa-amendment-letter-to-the-eu-institutions" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/costa-amendment-letter-to-the-eu-institutions</a></p><p> </p><p>The current EU arrangements providing for reciprocity in social security would no longer apply if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 249961 question first answered 14/05/2019 13:52:36 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1124224

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
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	State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Government has not agreed to uprate the pensions of UK nationals resident outside the EU; and if will she make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	249963
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>Since WW2 successive Governments, Labour, the Coalition and Conservatives have had the same policy. The policy on up-rating the UK State Pension abroad is long-standing and unchanged. UK State Pensions are payable worldwide and they are up-rated for overseas residents where there is a legal requirement to do so.</p><p> </p><p>The cost of up-rating State Pensions would increase by more than £3 billion over five years if payments to recipients in countries where they are not currently up-rated were increased to the rates payable had the recipients never left the UK. It is not proposed to change this policy.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman grouped question UIN 249790 question first answered 08/05/2019 14:52:36 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1124225

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
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	State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government has made an (a) reciprocal or (b) unilateral agreement to maintain the annual increases to the pensions of UK citizens residing in the Republic of Ireland if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	249964
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>The UK and Ireland signed on the 1 February 2019 a reciprocal agreement which will protect the social security rights of UK and Irish nationals living and/or working in each other’s state when the UK leaves the EU. It allows for the payment of each country’s uprated state pensions to recipients living in the other.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 14/05/2019 14:34:21 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1108887

registered interest
date	01/04/2019
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: Veterans
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 support armed forces veterans into employment.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	239329
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 answer text <p>The Armed Forces Covenant has been in place since May 2011 and sets out the relationship between the nation, the Government and the Armed Forces. The covenant is a written and publicised voluntary pledge from businesses and other organisations who wish to demonstrate their support for the armed forces community.</p><p> </p><p>The covenant can be signed by a business or other organisation of any size, and from any industry whether they are an employer of a member of the armed forces community or simply wish to acknowledge publically their support for the armed forces.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT) actively promote the Armed Forces Covenant to those employers and partner organisations they work with. This has been adopted into routine business to ensure that those new to DWP’s employer portfolio are aware of the opportunity and benefits of support to the Armed Forces community.</p><p> </p><p>Every Jobcentre Plus District has an Armed Forced Champion (AFC) who is key to delivering our commitments under the covenant. The AFC will ensure that any concerns and issues raised which affect Service Personnel and their families are integrated within the wider work of Jobcentre Plus. AFCs ensure Work Coaches and other DWP staff can effectively support serving personnel, service leavers, veterans and their families.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to the local activity in Jobcentres to support veterans our National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT) also work closely with the Ministry of Defence to align engagement activity in support of the veteran’s strategy. In particular NEPT work closely with the MOD Careers Transition Partnership (CTP) and the Defence Relationship Management (DRM) team to encourage large employers, trade body associations and partner organisations to provide practical support to the Armed Forces Covenant, particularly the employment of veterans.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/04/2019 12:15:41 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1091098

registered interest
date	18/03/2019
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	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 measures are in place to help universal credit claimants with the repayment of debt.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	233547
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The Department recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt, and Universal Credit already has procedures and regulations in place to protect claimants from excessive deductions.</p><p>A claimant’s circumstances are always taken into account when applying debt repayment thresholds to avoid undue hardship. If a claimant is having difficulty repaying a benefit overpayment, they can request a reconsideration of the amount that is being taken. Any reduction will be based on the individual circumstances of the claimant rather than the amount of the overpayment, which helps to ensure that a sustainable repayment plan based on affordability is put in place.</p><p>The maximum rate of deductions will not normally exceed an amount equal to 40 per cent of the Universal Credit standard allowance, and from October 2019 this maximum rate will be reduced to 30 per cent. However, where it is in the best interest of vulnerable claimants, to protect them from being made homeless or having their fuel disconnected, deductions in excess of the maximum rate may be applied. This is only for ‘last resort’ third party deductions for arrears of service charges, rent, gas and electricity. When we take deductions for gas and electricity arrears, we will also take them for the on-going monthly cost of these utilities.</p><p>The Department has also implemented a range of measures to further support claimants such as providing a two-week ‘transitional housing payment’ for those who had been receiving Housing Benefit before transitioning onto Universal Credit, and interest free advances, worth up to 100 per cent of their indicative Universal Credit award which can be paid back over 12 months.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 26/03/2019 15:43:23 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1091100

registered interest
date	18/03/2019
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	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, how many children in households affected by the two-child limit on welfare payments are in (a) Romford and (b) the borough of Havering.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	233549
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>Data published in June 2018, broken down by country can be accessed at: <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-2018" 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-2018</a>.</p><p>The information on the level requested was not captured in the reporting database and therefore is not available. This was due to the small numbers of Universal Credit cases recorded as being affected by this policy, meaning it is not possible to break down these totals by smaller geographic areas without the risk of identifying individual claimants.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 26/03/2019 15:33:59 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1081929

registered interest
date	04/03/2019
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	Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average amount of time spent looking for a job was each week by individuals claiming (a) universal credit and (b) job seekers allowance in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	227982
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2019 answer text <p>The requested information is not held by the Department.</p><p>All work-related requirements are agreed in discussion with claimants. They are tailored to their individual personal circumstances and capacity, and recorded in their claimant commitment. This includes an agreement of the total time they have available and can be expected to be engaged in suitable work related activities including work search activities where appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 12/03/2019 16:40:25 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell