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1139452

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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	Low Incomes
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has plans for a hardship fund to help people on the lowest incomes in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
	tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
	tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
	uin	277684
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/08/2019 answer text <p>The Government has been clear that leaving the EU with a deal is its preferred option. However, as a responsible government we continue to plan for a range of exit scenarios, including a no-deal. The welfare system provides a strong safety net. A system of hardship payments, benefit advances and budgeting loans will be available for those who need them.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 22/08/2019 12:32:12 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1139583

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of local welfare assistance schemes.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL17230
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The reforms to the Social Fund in 2013 allowed local authorities in England and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales to deliver their own local provision for people who are in need of urgent help. The Department for Work and Pension's (DWP) 2014 review found that local authorities delivered support more effectively than the previous provision and that councils are best placed to decide how to target flexible help to support local welfare needs. The Government has no further plans to review provision.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 23/07/2019 13:36:13 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

1139355

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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: Forms
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps his Department has taken to simplify the forms used to claim benefits.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	277676
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions is committed to ensuring its claim forms are as simple and easy to use as possible. We have simplified over 180 forms in the last six months by making changes to the layout, style, wording and accessibility. We carry out usability testing on new and revised forms with claimants.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/07/2019 11:10:32 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139231

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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 and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what account is taken of income from compensation payments under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in employment and support allowance calculations.
	tabling member constituency	Rotherham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
	uin	277751
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>Payments for Criminal Injuries Compensation come under payment for personal injury. Once the claimant has provided the information the Decision Maker would disregard for 52 weeks from the date of the award and if the award is put in trust the Decision Maker would disregard indefinitely. If the claimant was to take an income from the Trust it is treated as income from capital.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 09:38:49 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

1139348

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reinstating the employment and support allowance and universal credit work-related activity component.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	277674
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>No such assessment of merits has been made. There are no plans to reinstate the change to the Employment and Support Allowance work-related activity component and the Universal Credit limited capability for work element.</p><p>As part of the Personal Support Package which was announced in the ‘Improving Lives’ Green Paper in October 2016, we committed to a £330m package of support over 4 years for claimants affected by the removal of the Work Related Activity component.</p><p>The Department believes that this change will provide the right incentives and support to help new claimants with limited capability for work.</p><p>In 2019/20 we are spending £55 billion on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions. Furthermore, real terms disability benefits spending will be higher every year to 2023 than in 2010.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 09:43:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139349

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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: 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 potential merits of introducing a disability element to universal credit to replace disability premiums.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	277675
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit does not replicate the premiums of the legacy benefits system, and this has allowed us to target additional support to a wider group of claimants, while streamlining the system. This was a conscious policy decision from the outset, and by doing this we have increased provision for the most severely disabled.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit rate for the most severely disabled people (the Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity addition) is more than double the equivalent rate for the Employment and Support Allowance support group.</p><p> </p><p>The Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity addition is £336.20 a month compared to the Employment &amp; Support Allowance Support Group rate of £167.05.</p><p> </p><p>On Universal Credit, more people who are severely disabled will receive higher payments, with around 1 million disabled households gaining on average around £100 more per month on Universal Credit than on legacy benefits.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 11:18:27 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139363

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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: Disability
	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 meet the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss increasing support for charities and other advice agencies to ensure that they are able to assist people in completing all disability benefit application forms.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	277677
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>It is important that all of our claimants are able to access our services and that they do not face obstacles in applying. The Department can provide support, including help filling in the application form or the questionnaire where accessibility requirements would call for that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department does not provide any funding support for charities or other advice agencies to support them in the completion of forms for the disability benefits: Attendance Allowance; Disability Living Allowance; and Personal Independence Payment. The Department does however undertake a wide variety of engagement with representatives from various charities and welfare rights organisations in order to share information and updates and to ensure the systems work as effectively as possible to support people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 11:19:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139366

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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: Medical Examinations
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to work with medical practitioners to improve the quality of medical evidence for benefits claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	277678
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>In response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee report on Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance assessments, published on 14 February 2018, the Department is currently working with the Assessment Providers and external stakeholders, such as NHS England, to improve healthcare professionals’ knowledge and understanding of medical evidence requirements for DWP benefits purposes.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 09:36:10 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1139248

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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	Children: Day Care
	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 increase the (a) provision and (b) affordability of childcare for children of working parents in school summer holidays.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	277637
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the answer to Question 273325, answered on 9 July 2019 -</p><p>The Government recognises that childcare costs can affect parents’ decisions to both obtain and maintain employment and is committed to removing barriers that prevent parents moving into work.</p><p>To overcome this barrier to employment, Universal Credit claimants are able to claim up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs, compared to 70 per cent on the legacy system. This can be worth up to £13,000 a year for families with two children.</p><p>We recognise the difficulty that some claimants might have in paying childcare costs over the summer holidays and have undertaken significant work to increase work coach awareness, understanding and promotion of both the Universal Credit childcare offer and the wider government childcare offer. This is to ensure that parents who are eligible for the 15 hours of free childcare for disadvantaged families with 2-year-old children, and 30 hours of free childcare for working families, take these up. These free childcare offers can be used in combination with Universal Credit support for childcare.</p><p>In addition to this, budgeting advances are available for eligible claimants that can be used to cover the cost of paying additional upfront childcare costs or a deposit that might be needed during the school holidays.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/07/2019 16:01:09 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1139323

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2019
	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: Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the liability for the whole rent of a property is reflected in the calculation of universal credit in cases where a claimant of universal credit in a joint tenancy remains after a partner leaves; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	277617
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>The Universal Credit regulations provide that a claimant is to be treated as liable to make rent payments - where the person who is liable to make the payments is not doing so, the payments are required in order to continue occupation, and it would be unreasonable to expect them to make other arrangements. Therefore, in the example described, it would be possible for the whole liability to be considered as part of the UC calculation, subject to any usual restrictions such as the Local Housing Allowance or removal of the spare room subsidy.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 22/07/2019 13:01:27 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms