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1132410

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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: Telephone Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there is a freephone number that universal credit claimants can use when attempting to make phone contact with her Department from abroad.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
	uin	265570
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>You can dial all of the 0800 numbers from abroad using the 0044 prefix. If a claimant does find themselves needing to dial an 0800 number from abroad, then they may incur charges at the standard international rate. This cost will vary depending on where they are calling from.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/06/2019 12:30:10 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle

1132394

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Cardiff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to help ensure that there are adequate (a) parking facilities and (b) public transport connections for staff working in her Department's offices in Merthyr Tydfil when that office is moved to the hub north of Cardiff.
	tabling member constituency	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
	tabling member printed	Gerald Jones
	uin	265563
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2019 answer text <p>We plan to move the back of house staff based in Merthyr Tydfil Ty Bethesda into the new office in Treforest between 2021 and 2023.</p><p> </p><p>Building work on the new Treforest site began in January 2019 and the building is currently on track and due for completion in the last quarter of 2020. There are plans for 444 car parking spaces, along with space for motorcycle and cycle storage at this site.</p><p> </p><p>The development of the South Wales Metro continues and discussions are ongoing between DWP and Transport for Wales around the relocation of Trefforest Estate station closer to the new office.</p><p> </p><p>Before any moves take place, staff will have the opportunity for a formal one-to-one discussion with their line managers about how the move will impact them. This helps to assess any travel impacts of the change of location. We anticipate that these formal discussions will take place approximately nine months in advance of any moves.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 20/06/2019 15:51:41 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4501 label Biography information for Gerald Jones

1132412

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Basic Income: Sheffield
	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 take steps to monitor the roll out of a universal basic income pilot by Sheffield City Council; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	265451
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2019 answer text <p>We are aware of experiments in universal basic income (UBI) around the world and we do not believe there is a case for UBI. We believe Universal Credit is the right approach for the UK because it simplifies the benefit system, promotes and incentivises work, including progression in work, and provides targeted support to those in most need in a way that is affordable.</p><p> </p><p>In February 2018 the OECD concluded in <a href="https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/oecd-economic-surveys-finland-2018_eco_surveys-fin-2018-en#page45" target="_blank">its survey of the Finnish Economy</a> that the complexity of the current benefits system in Finland was an obstacle to stepping into work and that the basic income experiment, whilst possibly enhancing work incentives, may increase poverty and would require increasing income taxation by nearly 30%. More recently, findings from the evaluation of the Finnish basic income experiment show some improvement in perceived wellbeing, but that it did not increase the employment level of the participants in the first year of the experiment. The OECD also developed a scenario for Finland inspired by the UK’s Universal Credit (UC). They found that this ‘would consistently improve work incentives and reduce complexity, with limited changes to the income distribution and limited fiscal cost.</p><p> </p><p>This <a href="https://oecdecoscope.blog/2018/02/28/why-would-a-universal-credit-be-better-than-a-basic-income-for-finland/" target="_blank">OECD blog</a> post is particularly useful on the OECD’s work to compare UBI and UC.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/06/2019 15:59:10 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1132556

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Personal Independence Payment: County Durham
	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 the 12-week waiting time for a mandatory reconsideration for personal independence payments in County Durham.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	265491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>We always aim to make the right decision as early as we can. The MR process was introduced as an opportunity to review the original decision and consider any additional evidence provided by the claimant since the original decision was made.</p><p>There has been an increase in outstanding PIP MR clearance times in recent months. Measures to reduce the number of outstanding MRs include:</p><ul><li>Age profiles of outstanding work are managed at a national level to ensure that cases which have been outstanding for longest are actioned first.</li><li>Resource levels dedicated to the clearance of MRs have been regularly reviewed with significant recruitment, training and redeployment undertaken to support reduced clearance times.</li></ul><p>MR is a key element of the decision making process for both the Department and claimants, and whilst ensuring they make quality decisions, decision makers work hard to clear applications without delay. Gathering the right evidence is critical at the MR stage if decisions are not to go to appeal; and we are reviewing our processes to not only obtain this, but to do so whilst continuing to make decisions timeously.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 14:29:40 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1132436

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Unemployment: Nottinghamshire
	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 trends in the level of youth employment in Nottinghamshire since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Mansfield
	tabling member printed	Ben Bradley
	uin	265574
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>There were 64,800 people aged 16-24 in employment across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in 2010, and 71,000 in 2018.</p><p>The number of young people claiming unemployment-related benefits across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Local Authorities has fallen by 65.8% in the last six years and stands at 3,696 as at February 2019.</p><p>And, the overall level of employment across the East Midlands is now 2.343 million, an increase of just under a quarter of a million since 2010.</p><p>Across the UK, around 6.0 million (86.4%) 16-24 year olds are in full-time education (FTE) or work.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 25/06/2019 16:45:53 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4663 label Biography information for Ben Bradley

1132572

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department spent on performance-related awards for officials in (a) 2014, (b) 2015, (c) 2016, (d) 2017, (e) 2018 and (f) January 2019 to June 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Newport East
	tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
	uin	265470
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2019 answer text <p>The periods covered are pay remit years which run from July to June, figures up to 2017/18 are actual and 2018/19 is forecast as this reporting year will not conclude until end June 2019.</p><p> </p><p>The figures provided include expenditure on all DWP performance related awards including; End of year performance awards to delegated grades, SCS Performance Related Payments, Recognition scheme.</p><p> </p><p>2013/14 - £49.635,000, Average Payment by headcount - £505</p><p>2014/15 - £46,277,000, Average Payment by headcount - £513</p><p>2015/16 - £43,056,000, Average Payment by headcount - £510</p><p>2016/17 - £39,435,000, Average Payment by headcount - £473</p><p>2017/18 - £42,341,000, Average Payment by headcount - £509</p><p>2018/19 - £22,854,000 – Payments will be agreed as part of 2019 pay negotiations pending.</p><p> </p><p>We have over 82,000 employees in DWP, approximately 94% are in our most junior grades receiving an annual salary between £18,745 for an AA Grade and £37,262 for an HEO Grade based in Inner London.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 20/06/2019 15:19:09 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden

1132577

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Personal Independence Payment: Terminal Illnesses
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants awarded personal independence payment under the special rules for terminal illness made an advanced new claim towards the end of their existing award in each of the last five years; and how many of those claimants had motor neurone disease.
	tabling member constituency	Mansfield
	tabling member printed	Ben Bradley
	uin	265610
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 14:41:19 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4663 label Biography information for Ben Bradley

1132555

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Personal Independence Payment: County Durham
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff have been tasked with conducting mandatory reconsiderations for personal independence payments in County Durham in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	265490
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not available.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 20/06/2019 13:12:30 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1132544

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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	Historic Buildings: Health Hazards
	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 protections introduced in Germany and Austria for workers renovating or demolishing buildings against the risk of breathing in historical man-made mineral fibres which are now considered to pose a serious risk to health, what steps she is taking to introduce similar protections for UK workers.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	265555
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aware of the guidelines that have been produced in Germany and Austria, advising companies on the measures they should take to protect workers against risks of breathing in historic man-made mineral fibres (MMMFs).</p><p>In Great Britain there is a statutory framework in place to protect workers who may be exposed to any hazardous substance, such as MMMFs, regardless of how that exposure occurs. This framework includes the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of people affected by their work activities.</p><p> </p><p>The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), places specific duties on employers and implements several EU Directives on worker protection, ensuring our standards meet those required of all EU Member States. COSHH requires employers to carry out a risk assessment to establish the hazards associated with the tasks and processes they are undertaking and put in place suitable arrangements to either prevent or control those risks. Such a risk assessment would need to be carried out for workers renovating or demolishing buildings to enable suitable controls to be put in place for any hazardous substances that may be present or that may be produced, including MMMFs. HSE provides guidance, to help businesses comply with their legal duties.</p><p> </p><p>The regulatory framework, supported by guidance, is sufficient to control occupational exposure to MMMFs.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 14:39:07 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1132493

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2019
	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: Payment Methods
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of universal credit received payments into a Post Office Card Account in each of the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	265586
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department’s standard method of payment for pensions and benefits is into a bank, building society or credit union account. For claimants who cannot open one of these accounts, or provide the details for their own account to access their payment, the Department can offer two alternatives: The Post Office Card Account and HM Government Payment Exception Service, both of which guarantee access to their payment of pension and or benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has been contacting claimants using Post Office Card Accounts since September 2015 offering information to claimants to move to standard payment methods.</p><p> </p><p>As a claimant may receive more than one payment of Universal Credit in each month, we have supplied the total volume of Universal Credit payments made into Post Office Card Accounts in each of the last 12 months in the table below. Increasing volumes of Universal Credit payments into these types of account reflect those naturally migrating from legacy benefits and taking their payment method with them.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Month</p></td><td><p>Payments Made</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June 2018</p></td><td><p>10,322</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July 2018</p></td><td><p>9,699</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August 2018</p></td><td><p>10,686</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September 2018</p></td><td><p>10,494</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October 2018</p></td><td><p>10,302</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November 2018</p></td><td><p>12,160</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>December 2018</p></td><td><p>12,649</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2019</p></td><td><p>12,571</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 2019</p></td><td><p>13,807</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2019</p></td><td><p>14,209</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2019</p></td><td><p>14,377</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2019</p></td><td><p>15,724</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/06/2019 14:50:39 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George