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1728422

registered interest
date	10/09/2024
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	Winter Fuel Payment: Aldridge-Brownhills
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 impact of changes to eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments on pensioners in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.
tabling member constituency	Aldridge-Brownhills
tabling member printed	Wendy Morton
uin	5060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so protecting 12 million pensioners through the triple lock. Based on current forecasts, the full rate of the new state pension is set to increase by around £1,700 over the course of this Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>In making a decision on Winter Fuel Payment eligibility, the Government had regard to an equality analysis in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty requirements</p><p> </p><p>Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over.</p><p> </p><p>We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply. This will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payment alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. We will ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need.</p><p> </p><p>The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.</p><p>We are also providing support for pensioners through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.</p><p>The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Emma Reynolds question first answered 18/09/2024 09:59:20 answering member 4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds
tabling member	4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton

1728424

registered interest
date	10/09/2024
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 steps her Department is taking to ensure that people over the age of 65 receive adequate financial support through the State Pension.
tabling member constituency	Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire
tabling member printed	Angus MacDonald
uin	5160
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>We are absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to the Triple Lock, which means that in April 2025, the basic and new State pension will increase by the higher of the growth in average earnings, price increases or 2.5%.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Over 12 million pensioners will benefit through our commitment to protect the Triple Lock. Over the course of this parliament, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,700.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Emma Reynolds question first answered 18/09/2024 09:45:48 answering member 4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds
tabling member	5362

1728632

registered interest
date	10/09/2024
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	Winter Fuel Payment: Harpenden and Berkhamsted
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 impact of means-testing Winter Fuel Payments on pensioner poverty in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
tabling member constituency	Harpenden and Berkhamsted
tabling member printed	Victoria Collins
uin	5174
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>No such assessment has been made, as statistics for the total number of people living in poverty are not available at a constituency level.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to pensioners – everyone in our society, no matter their working history or savings deserves a comfortable and dignified retirement.</p><p> </p><p>Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged over 80.</p><p>Immediate support for pensioners includes our commitment to the Triple Lock, with over 12 million pensioners set to benefit through the course of this parliament, with the full yearly rate of the new State Pensions forecast to increase by around £1700.</p><p>The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.</p><p>We are also providing support for pensioners through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. Our long-term plan will protect billpayers permanently, reduce fuel poverty, and get the UK back on track to meet our climate goals.</p><p>The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 until 31 March 2025.   An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Emma Reynolds question first answered 18/09/2024 15:52:22 answering member 4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds
tabling member	5201

1728660

registered interest
date	10/09/2024
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	Winter Fuel Payment: West Dorset
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 West Dorset constituency are in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment.
tabling member constituency	West Dorset
tabling member printed	Edward Morello
uin	5202
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>According to Winter Fuel Payment Statistics, an estimated 30,232 people in West Dorset Constituency (2010 boundary) received Winter Fuel Payment in 2022-2023.The latest published Winter Fuel Payment Statistics are for the year 2022-2023 and they are published here: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Emma Reynolds question first answered 18/09/2024 08:35:32 answering member 4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds
tabling member	5326

1728674

registered interest
date	10/09/2024
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	Winter Fuel Payment: Sutton and Cheam
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 number of people that will be affected by the proposed changes to pensioners' eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment in Sutton and Cheam constituency.
tabling member constituency	Sutton and Cheam
tabling member printed	Luke Taylor
uin	5216
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>The Pension Credit data that is used is based on the 2010 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, not 2024, in order to be comparable with the Winter Fuel Payment statistics.</p><p> </p><p>It is estimated that around 14,000 pensioners in Sutton and Cheam constituency will be impacted by the decision to amend the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/dataCatalogueExplorer.xhtml" target="_blank">DWP Stat-xplore</a> and the Winter Fuel Payment statistics for Winter 2022 to 2023 which are available via <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/winter-fuel-payment-statistics-for-winter-2022-to-2023" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a>.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>This estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of people claiming Pension Credit in Sutton and Cheam consistency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients in Sutton and Cheam constituency. This is essentially the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients who are not claiming Pension Credit pre-policy change, as an estimate of those who will no longer receive the Winter Fuel Payment.</p><p> </p><p>Please note that the above figures do not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up that we might see as a result of the Government’s Pension Credit Awareness Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or Local Authorities.</p><p> </p><p>The published Pension Credit figures refer to households, so the number of individuals receiving Pension Credit will be higher (i.e., taking account of households where it is a couple claiming Pension Credit).</p><p> </p><p>In addition, while Pension Credit claimants constitute the majority of those that will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, pensioners who claim other qualifying means-tested benefits will also be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. It is not, however, possible to include those on other qualifying means-tested benefits in these figures.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Emma Reynolds question first answered 18/09/2024 15:49:01 answering member 4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds
tabling member	5103

1727992

registered interest
date	09/09/2024
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Britain’s labour market, particularly in relation to (1) the decrease in job placements, and (2) the decline in pay growth.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL916
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>Job placements, as measured by employment, are currently at 33.2m. These have increased by 265,000 on the quarter and 150,000 on the year. The employment rate remains lower than it was immediately pre-COVID by 1.4 percentage points. This has been driven almost entirely by increased economic inactivity, including long term sickness which is at a near-record high.</p><p> </p><p>Regular pay growth (excluding bonuses) is currently at 5.1% on the year without accounting for inflation. This rate of pay growth has slowed since June 2023 when it reached 7.9%. Regular pay growth after inflation is currently at 2.2% on the year, following falls in real pay in 2022 and 2023 due to high inflation. Regular earnings after inflation are currently only 3% or £15 a week higher in the latest three months than the start of 2008, 16 years ago.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sherlock question first answered 18/09/2024 12:53:25 answering member 4147 label Biography information for Baroness Sherlock
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1728032

registered interest
date	09/09/2024
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	Temporary Accommodation: Housing Benefit
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 remove the cap on housing benefit subsidy rates for temporary accommodation.
tabling member constituency	Cities of London and Westminster
tabling member printed	Rachel Blake
uin	4780
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2024 answer text <p>DWP pays local authorities a Housing Benefit subsidy for temporary accommodation cases. There are restrictions on the amount paid, including a subsidy cap which is £500 per week in certain areas of London or £375 elsewhere.</p><p> </p><p>We appreciate these are difficult times and local authorities are subject to many funding pressures. However, any increases to the Housing Benefit subsidy paid to local authorities would need to be taken in the context of the government’s missions, goals on housing, and the fiscal position.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to keep the subsidy arrangements under review.</p> answering member constituency East Ham answering member printed Sir Stephen Timms question first answered 16/09/2024 12:02:39 answering member 163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms
tabling member	5257

1728048

registered interest
date	09/09/2024
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	Youth Services: Employment
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 role of (a) small and medium sized enterprises and (b) community interest companies in helping to deliver the Youth Guarantee.
tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
uin	4728
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2024 answer text <p>Our plan to get Britain Working includes a Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or employment support. This will sit alongside; a new national jobs and careers service to help get more people into work, work health and skills plans for the economically inactive, and the launch of Skills England to open new opportunities for young people.</p><p> </p><p>We have not yet made any assessment on the potential role of small and medium sized enterprises and community interest companies in helping to deliver the Youth Guarantee. In the early development stages, we will engage with our stakeholders who represent young people on the design and delivery of the Youth Guarantee.</p><p> </p><p>We will set out further detail in the upcoming ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper.</p> answering member constituency Birkenhead answering member printed Alison McGovern question first answered 12/09/2024 10:31:50 answering member 4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern
tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1728091

registered interest
date	09/09/2024
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	Pension Credit
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 (a) simplifying and (b) automating the process to apply for Pension Credit.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central and Headingley
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	4775
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2024 answer text <p>The Department continues to assess the Pension Credit service. This led to the introduction of the online claim process, providing customers with a convenient alternative claim route, alongside the existing telephony and paper application methods. As the Department continues to modernise the Pension Credit service, we continue to review the user experience, balancing simplification of application with capturing the right information to ensure accuracy of award.</p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Emma Reynolds question first answered 16/09/2024 15:37:04 answering member 4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1728221

registered interest
date	09/09/2024
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	Winter Fuel Payment: Meriden and Solihull East
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 Meriden and Solihull East constituency will be impacted by planned changes to winter fuel payments.
tabling member constituency	Meriden and Solihull East
tabling member printed	Saqib Bhatti
uin	4789
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2024 answer text <p>Please note that following boundary changes to Parliamentary Constituencies, data on Meriden and Solihull East constituency is not explicitly available/ published. To obtain the above figure, data on the previous Solihull constituency and previous Meriden constituency have been combined. Therefore, the above figure of 39,091 is likely to be an overestimate as the new Meriden and Solihull East constituency consists of some of the areas of the previous Meriden constituency and the previous Solihull constituency, not all.</p><p> </p><p>It is estimated that around 39,091 people in the previous Meriden and Solihull East constituency will be affected by the change in policy. This is based on Feb-24 Pension Credit statistics and 22-23 Winter Fuel Payments statistics (sources below).</p><p> </p><p>This estimation is calculated by subtracting the number of Pension Credit recipients the previous Meriden and Solihull East constituency from the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients in the previous Meriden and Solihull East constituency. This is essentially the number of Winter Fuel Payment claimants pre-policy change not claiming Pension Credit, as an estimate of those who will no longer receive Winter fuel payment. The Pension Credit data that is used is based on the 2010 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies, not 2024, in order to be comparable with the Winter Fuel Payments statistics.</p><p> </p><p>Also, the above figures do not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up we might see as a result of the policy change (means testing Winter fuel payments to those on Pension Credit and other means tested benefits). We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>The published Pension Credit figures refer to households rather than individuals, so the number of individuals claiming Pension Credit, will be higher. This means that the number of pensioners eligible for Winter Fuel Payment will be higher and that the estimates provided above overstate the number of pensioners not eligible for Winter Fuel Payment following changes in eligibility.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to that, Pension Credit claimants are the majority of those that will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments, not all. There are other pensioners who are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments (as they claim other means tested benefits) but they are not considered in these figures as it is not possible to do so.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Source:</strong></p><p> </p><p>The Winter Fuel Payments statistics are published here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/winter-fuel-payment-statistics-for-winter-2022-to-2023" target="_blank">Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>Pension Credit data is published here: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/openinfopage?id=PC_New" target="_blank">Pension Credit – Data from May 2018</a></p> answering member constituency Wycombe answering member printed Emma Reynolds question first answered 18/09/2024 10:04:25 answering member 4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds
tabling member	4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti