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1548633

registered interest
date	05/12/2022
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	Means-tested Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to introduce means testing for (a) Disability Living Allowance and (b) Personal Independence Payment.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	102970
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2022 answer text <p>We have no plans to means test Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).</p><p>Both DLA and PIP are intended to act as a contribution towards the extra costs that arise as a result of a long-term health condition, or disability, and have been non-means tested since they were introduced.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 08/12/2022 11:11:09 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1540044

registered interest
date	07/11/2022
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	Means-tested Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to means test the (a) Disability Living Allowance and (b) Personal Independence Payment.
tabling member constituency	Battersea
tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
uin	80882
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2022 answer text <p>We have no plans to means test Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).</p><p> </p><p>Both DLA and PIP are intended to act as a contribution towards the extra costs that arise as a result of a long-term health condition, or disability, and have been non-means tested since they were introduced.</p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 14/11/2022 14:33:41 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

1470288

registered interest
date	14/06/2022
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	Means-tested Benefits
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 review the eligibility criteria for means-tested benefits to ensure that people with small work pensions can access support.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
uin	18025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2022 answer text <p>A person with a small work pension can still access support from the welfare system but the amount of benefit they may get will depend on the amount of their pension income.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Within Universal Credit, the general principle is that income, other than earnings, used to meet everyday living costs is taken into account pound for pound in the calculation of an award. As occupational and private pensions are paid to provide support to help people meet their living costs, they are taken fully into account, as unearned income.</p><p> </p><p>In common with the means-tested legacy benefits it replaces, Universal Credit takes into account money available from other sources which allow a claimant to support themselves, allowing a fair balance to be struck between those in the greatest financial need and taxpayers who fund the welfare system. There are no plans to review this approach.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 24/06/2022 10:18:38 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1302185

registered interest
date	12/03/2021
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	Means-tested Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what calculation is used to determine the appropriate capital threshold limits for welfare benefits which are means tested and which are not payable in the event that a claimant holds savings or capital above the set threshold.
tabling member constituency	Gateshead
tabling member printed	Ian Mearns
uin	167854
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2021 answer text <p>The capital thresholds strike a balance between protecting less well-off people and the taxpayer, whilst at the same time recognising the conscientious efforts of people who have built up capital. This limit also ensures that the help which comes from taxpayers, many of whom are themselves on low incomes and have limited capital, is directed to people who need it most. Whilst it is important to encourage saving, it has never been thought right for substantial amounts of capital to be ignored, therefore it is also reasonable that there should be a capital limit above which benefits are not available. The current system allows people to continue to receive benefit even though they may have an amount of capital, by gradually reducing the level of their entitlement.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 18/03/2021 16:33:30 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 91205 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4000 label Biography information for Ian Mearns

1198838

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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	Means-tested Benefits
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 for (a) universal credit, (b) pension credit, (c) income-based jobseeker's allowance, (d) income-related employment and support allowance, (e) housing benefit and (f) income support have had their payments reduced due to reaching the savings threshold since March 2020.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	51622
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.    <strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 04/06/2020 15:36:22 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1198841

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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	Means-tested Benefits
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 appropriateness of the savings thresholds for (a) universal credit, (b) pension credit, (c) income-based jobseekers allowance, (d) income-related employment and support allowance, (e) housing benefit and (f) income support.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	51623
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2020 answer text <p>The capital limits are kept under continual review. However, they can be increased only when priorities and resources allow. The Government does not intend to increase the threshold at this time.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/06/2020 16:45:10 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 25862 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

791077

registered interest
date	16/11/2017
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	Means-tested Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he takes to provide clear, accessible advice on earnings allowances to people claiming means-tested benefits carers allowance and income support.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	113599
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2017 answer text <p>People who claim and are entitled to receive <strong>Income Support (IS)</strong> are issued with an automated Assessment form. This is accompanied by an information sheet ‘How your Income Support was worked out’, which explains the amount of money the law says the person needs to live on based on the information they have provided and details adjustments made for money they have coming in. Where money coming in is earnings, the disregard that is applied is included in the information provided. IS claimants who are carers, receive the maximum earnings disregard of up to £20 per week. Carers are exempt from the remunerative work rule that restricts IS to claimants working 16 hours a week or more, or in the case of their partner, 24 hours or more.</p><p> </p><p>A claimant can also request an explanation of how their IS is worked out at any time during their claim. When such a request is received an automated assessment form is issued providing a full explanation of their award. At the claimant’s request, information is provided in alternative formats, including braille, large print and audio.</p><p> </p><p>General information is also available from the Government’s website: www.gov.uk.</p><p> </p><p>Although <strong>Carer’s Allowance (CA)</strong> does have an earnings condition of entitlement, CA is not a means tested benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The Government website <a href="http://www.gov.uk" target="_blank">http://www.gov.uk</a> informs customers of the eligibility criteria to claims CA and also states that you may be able to claim CA if ‘you earn no more than £116 a week after tax and some expenses – these will be assessed when you apply.’ It is also clear that change of circumstances must be reported if, for example, the customer starts earning more than £116 a week. Change of circumstances can be reported to the Carers Allowance Unit on line.</p><p> </p><p>There are two versions of the CA claim form DS700; a paper version and an on-line digital claim form and both versions give information on the earnings limit and claimant responsibilities around reporting change of circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>When a customer is awarded CA, the award notification informs the customer about reporting a change of circumstances to the CA Unit. It details a list of all change of circumstances that need to be reported, one of which is if their earnings change/increase.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 21/11/2017 17:17:43 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

750346

registered interest
date	10/07/2017
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	Means-tested Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what repayment support is given to claimants who take out a hardship payment.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Itchen
tabling member printed	Royston Smith
uin	4113
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2017 answer text <p>I have interpreted your question to refer to Universal Credit Hardship Payments, which are made on the understanding that they are recoverable from the customer. Repayment support is available in several ways when a hardship payment is made.</p><p> </p><p>Recovery of a Universal Credit Recoverable Hardship Payment can only start when the claimant’s award is not subject to a sanction or fraud penalty reduction.</p><p> </p><p>There are established processes to consider hardship if the proposed rate of repayment cannot be afforded. The claimant will be asked to provide evidence to support their position, for example, bank statements, and details of their income and expenditure. Their financial circumstances can then be taken into account and a possible reduction in repayment considered. Suspension of repayment may also be considered under certain circumstances such as unexpected extra expenditure.</p><p> </p><p>As a means to support claimants into work, recovery of a Hardship Payment is suspended for any Assessment Period where the claimant’s earnings at least equal their individual Conditionality Earnings Threshold.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 18/07/2017 14:34:21 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
tabling member	4478 label Biography information for Royston Smith

678743

registered interest
date	25/01/2017
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	Means-tested Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people receiving hardship payments have had recovery of money suspended as a result of the claimant finding work at or above their earnings threshold in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Itchen
tabling member printed	Royston Smith
uin	61676
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2017 answer text <p>This information requested is not available.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 02/02/2017 14:49:45 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4478 label Biography information for Royston Smith

676095

registered interest
date	20/01/2017
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	Means-tested Benefits
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 who have received hardship payments in the last three years are classified by the Government as vulnerable.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Itchen
tabling member printed	Royston Smith
uin	61072
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2017 answer text <p>This information is not available.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the total number of hardship payments, by month, for Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/jsa-and-esa-hardship-applications-and-awards-apr-2012-to-jun-2015" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/jsa-and-esa-hardship-applications-and-awards-apr-2012-to-jun-2015</a></p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 27/01/2017 13:05:16 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4478 label Biography information for Royston Smith