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1169837

registered interest
date	09/01/2020
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, how many people have been prosecuted for Carer's Allowance (a) overpayments and (b) wrongful payment in the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	1757
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2020 answer text <p>To provide this information would incur a disproportionate cost to the Department.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department would only seek to prosecute an individual where there was strong evidence to suggest that the individual had committed benefit fraud.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 14/01/2020 12:58:21 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1169838

registered interest
date	09/01/2020
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: Disclosure of Information
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish her Department's policy on whistleblowing.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	1758
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2020 answer text <p>DWP supports the right of employees to raise any concerns they have about alleged wrongdoing and to be able to do this confidentially, if they wish, without fear of retribution. Within DWP, we encourage this and a Whistleblowing Policy is already published on the Department’s Intranet and is accessible by all employees. A copy of this policy will be placed in the Library of the House.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 14/01/2020 16:17:46 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1169840

registered interest
date	09/01/2020
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
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 enforces the (a) repayment of social security overpayments and (b) prosecutions when the error was made by her Department.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	1759
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2020 answer text <p>For all benefits other than Universal Credit, New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and New Style Employment Support Allowance (ESA), overpayments resulting from Departmental error are not recoverable.</p><p> </p><p>Section 105 of The Welfare Reform Act 2012 amended the Social Security Act 1992, so that for Universal Credit, New Style JSA and New Style ESA, any payment in excess of the entitlement is recoverable, regardless of how the overpayment of entitlement occurred. This policy was brought in to reflect the need for a better value for money welfare system and to reinforce the overarching aim that Universal Credit mirrors work.</p><p> </p><p>As a Department, we understand the impact that debt can have on the wellbeing of claimants and we endeavour to ensure that the recovery of any overpayment is managed in a way that takes account of the claimant’s individual circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>I can confirm that the Department would not prosecute a claimant if an overpayment occurred purely as a result of a Departmental error, and would only consider prosecuting a claimant where there is strong evidence to suggest they may have committed benefit fraud</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 14/01/2020 17:53:56 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1168779

registered interest
date	20/12/2019
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	Pension Credit
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 take-up of pension credit.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	316
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2020 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions publishes an annual report detailing latest available statistics regarding the estimated take-up of Pension Credit and other income-related benefits.</p><p> </p><p>The latest version can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2016-to-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2016-to-2017</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The next report containing 2017/18 data is currently due to be published around January – February 2020.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 07/01/2020 14:28:31 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1168780

registered interest
date	20/12/2019
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	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 steps she is taking to reduce child poverty.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	317
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2020 answer text <p>This Government is committed to delivering a sustainable, long-term solution to poverty in all its forms. Tackling child poverty requires an approach that goes beyond one that focuses on income alone to one that addresses the root causes of poverty and disadvantage and improves long-term outcomes for families and children.</p><p>Through Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families, published in 2017, we set out detailed evidence on the root causes of poverty and disadvantage and their impact on the outcomes of children in families where none of the parents is working. We also set out nine indicators to track progress in the areas that matter, including two statutory measures of parental worklessness and educational attainment – the two areas that we know can make the biggest difference to children’s outcomes.</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/621364/improving-lives-helping-workless-families-web-version.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/621364/improving-lives-helping-workless-families-web-version.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>There is clear evidence that children in working households are not only less likely to grow up in poverty – their life chances are also significantly better. We will therefore continue to reform the welfare system so that it works with the tax system and the labour market to support employment and higher pay. Promoting full-time work through work incentives is a key feature of this approach, reinforced by the National Living Wage and the rising Personal Tax Allowance, which work together to promote independence from benefits.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 13/01/2020 15:14:52 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1168781

registered interest
date	20/12/2019
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: Poverty
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 tackle in-work poverty.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	318
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2020 answer text <p>Delivering a sustainable, long-term solution to all forms of poverty is a priority for this Government. There is clear evidence that full-time work substantially reduces the risk of in-work poverty; for example, there is only a 7% chance of a child being in poverty if both parents</p><p>work full-time compared with 66% for two-parent families with only part-time work.</p><p>The number of people in employment is at a near-record high of 3.8 million. Around three-quarters of the growth in employment has been in full-time work, substantially reducing the risk of poverty.</p><p>Universal Credit promotes full-time work through smooth incentives to increase hours, a general expectation that lone parents and partners should work (unless caring for young children or a disabled person); and generous childcare subsidies. We will therefore continue with our reforms to the welfare system so that it works with the tax system and the labour market to support employment and higher pay.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 07/01/2020 14:50:26 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1168782

registered interest
date	20/12/2019
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
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 her Department is increasing working-age benefits in line with the rate of inflation from April 2020 rather than an earlier date.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	319
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2020 answer text <p>The Secretary of State is bound by law to complete an annual review of benefit and pension rates to determine whether they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices or – for pensions - earnings. This statute requires benefit and pension rates to be reviewed and set in each tax year. April 2020 is the new financial year.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State has completed her review and a Written Statement was tabled on 4 November:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-11-04/HCWS74/" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-11-04/HCWS74/</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 13/01/2020 17:29:26 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1151482

registered interest
date	22/10/2019
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 steps she is taking in response to the findings of her Department's In-work progression trial: further impact assessment and cost benefit analysis report dated 11 October 2019.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	3703
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2019 answer text <p>Since 2010 we have seen over 3.7 million more people in work; two thirds of them in higher-skilled, higher paid roles. But, the Department wants to ensure everyone has a chance to move to higher paid work, which is why we ran this trial to learn more about what interventions could work. We will examine the outcomes as we develop our policies further to help boost their earnings.</p><p> </p><p>The evaluation of the trial showed small but sustained impacts for those receiving the most support, and it also shows these interventions may be cost effective.</p><p> </p><p>These results are promising, but there is still more work to do to increase our knowledge of What Works. The Department is currently in the second year of a four-year programme, announced in the Autumn Budget 2017, to deliver programme of research and analysis, and run a suite of tests and trials, working in partnership with other Government Departments and external organisations. This includes research which seeks to understand the situations and support needs of our future in-work cohorts; a Rapid Evidence Assessment of international policies linked to in-work progression; and work which will support Jobcentre staff to help claimants to make good decisions around job-switching.</p><p> </p><p>The Department will be using the results of the trial, together with other research conducted in years 1 and 2 of this programme, to develop more targeted tests and trials to support the development of effective in-work services.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 28/10/2019 13:56:52 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1151483

registered interest
date	22/10/2019
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, with reference to her Department's report entitled, In-Work progression trial: further impact assessment and cost benefit analysis, what the point-in-time progression measures were for the (a) 52- and (b) 78-week periods by (i) gender and (ii) self-reported ethnic background of trial participants.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	3704
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2019 answer text <p>The 52-week In-Work Progression Trial Impact Analysis was published on 12<sup>th</sup> September 2018 on GOV.UK. In the trial, the Frequent support group had Work Coach appointments every fortnight, while the Minimal support group only ever had two appointments in total.</p><p> </p><p><strong>i) Gender</strong></p><p> </p><p>The 52-week point-in-time progression measure for males was an additional £4.21 per week for the Frequent support group relative to the Minimal support group. For females, the point-in-time progression measure was an additional £5.99 per week for the Frequent support group relative to the Minimal support group. These progression estimates were calculated from samples and the difference of £1.78 is not statistically significant. The conclusion is that there does not appear to be evidence of a difference in progression between genders.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The 78-week point-in-time progression measure for males was an additional £1.34 per week for the Frequent support group relative to the Minimal support group. For females, the point-in-time progression measure was an additional £6.14 per week for the Frequent support group relative to the Minimal support group. Again, these estimates are based on samples and the difference of £4.80 is not statistically significant. The conclusion is that there does not appear to be evidence of a difference in progression between genders.</p><p> </p><p><strong>ii) Ethnicity</strong></p><p> </p><p>The Department holds some data about ethnicity. Of the self-reported ethnic backgrounds, 82% of trial participants were of a White background; 6% of participants were of a Black/African/Caribbean background; 5% were of an Asian background and 7% were made up of other ethnic backgrounds.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has not calculated ethnicity sub-group progression measures. The small sample sizes in all other ethnicity groups, with the exception of the White background group, means that any comparisons of progression would not lead to statistically robust conclusions.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 04/11/2019 18:26:11 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies previous answer version 2264 answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1151484

registered interest
date	22/10/2019
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	Jobcentres: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) minimum, (b) maximum and (c) average caseload was for jobcentre work coaches in each constituency in the most recent period for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	3705
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available to constituency level and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>The size of a Work Coaches caseload will vary as it is dependent on a number of factors, including the level of customer support required, the needs of the local labour market and the Work Coaches working pattern.</p><p /> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 28/10/2019 14:07:19 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray