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1002727

registered interest
date	06/11/2018
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	Bereavement Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on the payment of bereavement benefits for unmarried partners with children.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton North East
tabling member printed	Emma Reynolds
uin	188820
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>Bereavement benefits are paid to a surviving spouse or civil partner; they can only be paid to those in legal unions. Therefore, they cannot be paid in respect of cohabitees, either with or without children. We are currently considering how to proceed following the recent Supreme Court judgement which ruled it incompatible with ECHR principles to provide that cohabitees with children are not entitled to Widowed Parent’s Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>Cohabitees do have access to income-related benefits. They may also qualify for help with funeral costs from the Social Fund and may of course choose to provide security for their families by way of private pension or life insurance arrangements.</p><p /> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 12/11/2018 11:44:51 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds

1000268

registered interest
date	02/11/2018
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	State Retirement Pensions: Females
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 1 November 2018 to Question 185131 on Independent Case Examiner, if she will publish that same information for complaints by women on the equalisation of the state pension age.
tabling member constituency	Rutherglen and Hamilton West
tabling member printed	Ged Killen
uin	187381
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>Individual departments have set up complaints procedures. That approach has not changed under Labour 1997-2010 or successive governments. The DWP has a two tier complaints process which considers formal complaints about our service<strong>. </strong>Once a complainant has exhausted the DWP complaint process they are signposted to the Independent Case Examiner’s Office if they are dissatisfied with the final response to their complaint.</p><p>The Independent Case Examiner is independent, and discusses complaints. The Independent Case Examiner is appointed under contract to adjudicate on escalated complaints about the DWP, and its contracted service providers, in cases where the complainant has exhausted the relevant internal complaints process and remains dissatisfied. If a complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of an I Independent Case Examiner investigation (or the service provided by the Independent Case Examiner) they can ask their Member of Parliament to escalate their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.</p><p>The table below provides details of the number of complaints concerning the equalisation of women’s state pension age, that have been (a) received; (b) accepted for investigation and (c) resolved by the Independent Case Examiner in each month since January 2017 (we have interpreted (c) as a request for the number of concluded complaint examinations).</p><p>At the end of October 2018, there were 865 such cases awaiting a decision on whether the complaint could be accepted for investigation, which explains the drop in the number of cases accepted for investigation since April 2018.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Month</p></td><td><p>Complaints received</p></td><td><p>Complaints accepted for investigation</p></td><td><p>Concluded complaint examinations</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2017</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 2017</p></td><td><p>26</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2017</p></td><td><p>211</p></td><td><p>187</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2017</p></td><td><p>172</p></td><td><p>157</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2017</p></td><td><p>171</p></td><td><p>148</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2017</p></td><td><p>144</p></td><td><p>124</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2017</p></td><td><p>222</p></td><td><p>185</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2017</p></td><td><p>290</p></td><td><p>243</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2017</p></td><td><p>297</p></td><td><p>232</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2017</p></td><td><p>418</p></td><td><p>338</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November 2017</p></td><td><p>320</p></td><td><p>265</p></td><td><p>6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>December 2017</p></td><td><p>222</p></td><td><p>177</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2018</p></td><td><p>314</p></td><td><p>254</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 2018</p></td><td><p>240</p></td><td><p>210</p></td><td><p>28</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2018</p></td><td><p>171</p></td><td><p>132</p></td><td><p>16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2018</p></td><td><p>196</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2018</p></td><td><p>159</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2018</p></td><td><p>147</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2018</p></td><td><p>131</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2018</p></td><td><p>108</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2018</p></td><td><p>101</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2018</p></td><td><p>119</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 12/11/2018 14:57:29 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4672 label Biography information for Ged Killen

999542

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether claimants migrating from employment support allowance to universal credit will be have to provide medical evidence to demonstrate vulnerability.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	187020
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>Being vulnerable covers a wide range of factors, not just those related to having health conditions and disabilities and as such no medical evidence is necessary to demonstrate vulnerability.</p><p> </p><p>The managed migration process is being designed to ensure a smooth transition of continuous support for all claimants, especially the most vulnerable. The Department is working with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that the managed migration process works for everyone.</p><p> </p><p>Managed migration will commence in July 2019 during which up to 10,000 claimants will be migrated as part of the testing phase. This gradual and steady approach will allow us to ensure that the process works for everyone.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 06/11/2018 16:36:00 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

999544

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
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	Universal Credit
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 25 October 2018 to Question 177771 on Universal Credit, whether the Department’s plans to check evidence of complex needs will include a requirement to contact a claimant’s healthcare professional where that information is known.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	187022
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>We have improved how our Work Coaches and Case Workers view the claimant’s</p><p>Universal Credit account so they can identify a vulnerable claimant, in order to tailor the support they need. This may include contacting the claimant’s healthcare professional.</p><p> </p><p>We are taking a slow, measured approach to managed migration and this will allow for on-going evaluation of the process to ensure that it is working successfully and will allow us to refine our methods to support claimants.</p><p> </p><p>Where it is identified that existing benefit claimants are vulnerable or have complex needs and they have not made a new UC claim by the deadline day, their existing benefit claims are not terminated. This can be delayed until the claimant feels comfortable continuing with the managed migration process or for a home visit to be arranged to help them make a new UC claim.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton grouped question UIN 187021 question first answered 06/11/2018 16:41:48 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

999601

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
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	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 estimate she has made of the effect of the full roll out of universal credit on the number of children living in poverty in (a) the UK, (b) the north east, (c) Northumberland and (d) Wansbeck constituency.
tabling member constituency	Wansbeck
tabling member printed	Ian Lavery
uin	187025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>We have not made an assessment of the information requested.</p><p> </p><p>However, Universal Credit is designed to help people out of poverty. In line with this strategy, Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives for parents to move into and progress in work, and it is working. Universal Credit claimants move into work faster and spend more time looking for work.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Universal Credit provides improved support for childcare for parents, enabling them to reclaim up to 85% of their eligible childcare costs, which is expected to help 500,000 additional families at a cost of around £350m per year.</p><p> </p><p>Further improvements to UC were also announced in the Budget. For example, work allowance rates will be increased by £1000 from April 2019, directing additional support to some of the most vulnerable low paid working families. A two-week run-on of legacy benefits was also announced, enabling claimants to continue to receive Jobseekers’ Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, or Income Support for the first fortnight of a Universal Credit claim, with no need to pay back the overlap.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 06/11/2018 15:52:48 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4139 label Biography information for Ian Lavery

999647

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how long people have waited on average to receive the elements of universal credit that are paid on the basis of health conditions or disabilities by condition in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what comparative assessment she has made of that waiting time with the average waiting time for standard allowance.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh West
tabling member printed	Christine Jardine
uin	187124
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>The requested information 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 06/11/2018 11:45:57 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4634 label Biography information for Christine Jardine

999650

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of universal credit have a (a) health condition (b) disability) and (c) a diagnosis of cancer.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh West
tabling member printed	Christine Jardine
uin	187125
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>The requested information 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 06/11/2018 11:49:50 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4634 label Biography information for Christine Jardine

999654

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
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	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 the average waiting time is for a claimant of universal credit to receive a UC50 form as part of their work capability assessment as a result of a (a) health condition and (b) disability for each of those conditions and disabilities.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh West
tabling member printed	Christine Jardine
uin	187126
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>The information requested is not available. The Capability for Work questionnaire UC50 and covering letter is issued to the claimant by first class mail the day after they are referred for a Work Capability Assessment. They have a period of four weeks in which to return the completed questionnaire, and are issued a further reminder letter if they have not replied within three weeks.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 06/11/2018 16:28:08 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	4634 label Biography information for Christine Jardine

999658

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
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	Universal Credit: Written Questions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) how many and (b)what proportion of her Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions on universal credit stated that the requested information was (a) not collected and (b) not collected centrally in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	186962
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2018 answer text <p>This information is publically available on the parliamentary website: <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/</a></p><p> </p><p>A search conducted on the website for the time period 6 November 2015 to 6 November 2018 for answered written questions about Universal Credit that contain the search terms “not collected” or “not collated centrally” returns 29 results, where the answer was either wholly or partially given as either of those terms. This is less than 1.5% of all Parliamentary Questions relating to Universal Credit answered in that time period.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 08/11/2018 17:32:55 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma previous answer version 83719 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

999659

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
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	Universal Credit: Disability
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 measures related to universal credit announced in Budget 2018 on disabled people who are (a) in work and (b) out of work.
tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
uin	187026
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2018 answer text <p>We will spend over £50 billion in 2018/19 on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>In the budget we have announced that work allowance rates will be increased by £1000 from April 2019 and uprated in line with inflation thereafter. Raising the current work allowances will direct additional funding to working disabled people by allowing them to keep more of their earnings before the earnings taper is applied. By increasing the work allowances many disabled families on UC will be £630 better off, in a package worth £1.7bn in 2023/24.</p><p> </p><p>It has also been announced that income related legacy benefits, Income Support (IS), Income Related Employment and Support Allowance and Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance will continue for two weeks after a claim for Universal Credit has been made. This change will particularly support vulnerable claimants who may have been on benefits for some time, have little or no savings to fall back on and currently rely on regular payments at shorter intervals.</p><p> </p><p>We have also previously announced that transitional payments for former recipients of Severe Disability Premium (SDP) and protection for those who are receiving SDP as part of their existing benefit entitlement. These claimants will now only move to UC with transitional protection. Those who have already moved to UC will be considered for a lump sum payment that will be back-dated to the start of their UC claim, and will receive ongoing monthly payments.</p><p> </p><p>These regulations provide transitional support to recipients of the SDP while removing the complexity of dealing with different rules for seven different disability additions. 500,000 vulnerable people receive the SDP alongside their benefit awards. All of these people will ultimately move to UC and benefit from this enhanced support.</p><p> </p><p>Not replicating the Severe Disability Premium in UC means the government can target additional support to a wider group. UC provides a higher level of support for the most severely disabled people than the benefit it replaces, worth up to £328.32 per month.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton grouped question UIN 187027 question first answered 06/11/2018 17:52:11 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams