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1453710

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rationale is for his Department's policy not to increase social security in the Spring Statement.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	145918
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2022 answer text <p>The government is required to review the rates of benefits annually to determine whether they have kept pace with price inflation. CPI has been the default inflation measure for the government’s statutory annual review of benefits since 2011 and it is standard practice for the government to uprate in line with September CPI, which was 3.1% in 2021.</p><p> </p><p>September CPI is the latest available figure confirmed by the ONS prior to the annual review and allows sufficient time for the legislative and complex delivery process to take place.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is already taking steps that will help families with the cost of living. We have cut the Universal Credit taper rate and increased the work allowances by £500 per year and we are increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 an hour in April 2022. We have also announced a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, which will provide millions of households with up to £350 to help with rising energy bills. At the Spring Statement, the Chancellor went further, announcing an increase to the annual National Insurance Primary Threshold and Lower Profits Limit to £12,570, a cut to fuel duty, and an additional £500m to help the most vulnerable with the cost of essentials through the Household Support Fund.</p> answering member constituency Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland answering member printed Mr Simon Clarke grouped question UIN 145919 question first answered 29/03/2022 10:45:28 answering member 4655 label Biography information for Sir Simon Clarke
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1437040

registered interest
date	01/03/2022
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	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, how many cases of serious harm were considered by her Department as potential cases for investigation under an internal process review where a decision was made not to hold one, in each year since 2010-11.
tabling member constituency	Leicester South
tabling member printed	Jonathan Ashworth
uin	132261
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2022 answer text <p>We do not hold records of cases where an Internal Process Review (IPR) was not started.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 09/03/2022 18:09:22 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4244 label Biography information for Jonathan Ashworth

1437044

registered interest
date	01/03/2022
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	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, how many and what proportion of the internal process reviews her Department has completed since 2010-11 were identified through (a) her Department's complaints process, (b) referrals from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, (c) referrals from the Independent Case Examiner, (d) coverage in the media, (e) referrals by frontline staff in her Department, (f) contact from coroners and (g) referrals from external agencies or professionals.
tabling member constituency	Leicester South
tabling member printed	Jonathan Ashworth
uin	132264
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2022 answer text <p>In 2020 improvements were made to the IPR referrals criteria. We began recording the referrals origins at this time and do not have records of referral origins prior to this period.</p><p> </p><p>Please see the attached table that shows a breakdown as requested since 2020.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><p>IPRs completed since 2020 identified through the following categories</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Department's complaint process</p></td><td><p>37</p></td><td><p>45%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Parliamentary &amp; Health Service Ombudsman</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Independent Case Examiner</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Flagged by Press Office</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Frontline Staff</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Coroner's Office</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>External Agencies or Professionals</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>11%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total not fitting the above categories, referred by non-frontline DWP staff</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>16%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 14/03/2022 14:22:33 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 55908 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4244 label Biography information for Jonathan Ashworth

1422857

registered interest
date	18/02/2022
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	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, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2022 to Question 119686 on Social Security Benefits, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the benefit cap on poverty levels of households where it is not possible for people to move into work.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow East
tabling member printed	David Linden
uin	125426
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2022 answer text <p>No assessment has been made. There is a statutory duty for the Secretary of State to review the benefit cap levels once in each Parliament.</p><p /><p>Households receiving disability benefits and/or entitled to carer benefits are exempt to ensure the most vulnerable are supported.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 25/02/2022 14:59:51 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4640 label Biography information for David Linden

1420994

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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	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, how many and what proportion of households in receipt of housing benefit who were affected by the benefit cap in 2020-21 were in receipt of (a) jobseekers allowance, (b) employment support allowance, (c) income support, (d) child tax credit or (e) another benefit.
tabling member constituency	Westminster North
tabling member printed	Ms Karen Buck
uin	120620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/02/2022 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>The available information on the number of households receiving Housing Benefit subject to the Benefit Cap by benefit claimed is published every three months and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-cap-statistics" target="_blank">Benefit cap statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 15/02/2022 15:19:50 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	199 label Biography information for Ms Karen Buck

1420315

registered interest
date	07/02/2022
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	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 further poverty mitigating measures she is planning to support families who are subject to the benefits cap.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	119686
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2022 answer text <p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting people on lower incomes through a range of measures, including by spending over £110 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.</p><p> </p><p>With around 1.25 million vacancies across the UK our focus is firmly on supporting people into and to progress in work as this is the best way to substantially reduce the risks of poverty. Our multi-billion-pound Plan for Jobs, which has been expanded by £500 million, is helping people across the UK to find work and to boost their wages and prospects. The new 'Way to Work’ campaign is a national drive to get half a million people who are out of work into jobs in the next five months and, in doing so, supporting people take their next step to building a more secure and prosperous future.</p><p /><p>The benefit cap provides a strong work incentive and fairness for hard-working taxpaying households and encourages people to move into work, where possible. Households can still receive benefits up to the equivalent salary of £24,000, or £28,000 in London. Exemptions apply to Universal Credit households if the household earnings are at least £617 each month and to Housing Benefit claimants that are entitled to Working Tax Credits. Households receiving disability benefits and/or entitled to carer benefits are also exempt to ensure the most vulnerable are supported.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants that need additional support to meet rental costs can approach their Local Authority for a Discretionary Housing Payment. In addition, vulnerable households across the country can access a £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund provides £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula applies in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 11/02/2022 15:59:53 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1420483

registered interest
date	07/02/2022
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	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 proactive steps Jobcentre Plus is taking to ensure claimants are in receipt of their full entitlement.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	119669
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2022 answer text <p>The Department works hard to ensure that people are in receipt of their full entitlement, communicating with the public about benefits through paid advertising, stakeholder and employer engagement and no cost campaigns to help people understand their entitlement and the support we can provide as a safety net and in times of need.</p><p> </p><p>During the pandemic this has been of particular importance. We increased the frequency of our stakeholder engagement to effectively convey the rapidly changing environment particularly as many people needed to claim benefits for the first time. We have made additional use of digital media such as YouTube videos, particularly British Sign Language videos to widely promote DWP benefits.</p><p>DWP staff in Jobcentres provide support and advice about entitlement to benefits and will signpost citizens to appropriate information to help them. The Department provides telephone service lines that citizens can call to make their claims to benefit and to operate their claims as well as a visiting service which can help vulnerable customers with their claims. Jobcentres have internet terminals for use by the public, and staff will signpost citizens to other community resources (libraries and Citizens Advice) which can also provide advice and internet access points.</p><p>The Government’s website, GOV.UK provides guidance on individual’s rights and entitlements to benefits in the UK. In particular, the website provides links to independent benefits calculators that can be used to find out what benefits an individual could get, how to claim and how these benefits will be affected if an individual starts work.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators</a></p><p> </p><p>The independent benefits calculators we endorse are intended to provide useful estimations of what people could be entitled to in certain circumstances, based on the information that is entered on the calculators themselves.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 10/02/2022 14:25:34 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1416812

registered interest
date	26/01/2022
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	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 the average length of time is for continuing to pay benefits following an allegation to her Department that a person is no longer habitually resident in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Harrow West
tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
uin	112467
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2022 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur a disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 112464 112465 112466 112468 112469 question first answered 03/02/2022 17:31:11 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1416820

registered interest
date	26/01/2022
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	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, who is responsible for making the decision to stop the payment of benefits to people who are living overseas; what criteria are used to determine when the threshold for that step has been reached; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Harrow West
tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
uin	112476
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2022 answer text <p>Certain UK benefits can be paid to individuals residing outside the UK under social security reciprocal agreements. Individuals in receipt of DWP benefits are required to inform the Department for Work and Pensions if their address changes, including if they move to another country, and this is set out in communications to customers. Where individuals have informed the Department of their move abroad, then they are not claiming a benefit fraudulently.</p><p> </p><p>Operational staff have received guidance and training for dealing with cases under these agreements, to ensure that, when individuals inform us of a move to another country, they know how this will impact their benefit entitlement.</p><p> </p><p>In those instances where there is intelligence that a person may not be entitled to a benefit they are receiving, or fails to respond to requests for information to be provided, then the Department can suspend their benefit entitlement pending further investigation. The Department will seek to recover any money claimed fraudulently.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 03/02/2022 16:55:05 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1416032

registered interest
date	24/01/2022
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	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, how many people were claiming universal credit and legacy benefits as of 24 January 2022, broken down by nationality.
tabling member constituency	Edmonton
tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
uin	110481
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2022 answer text <p>The nationality of claimants is not currently recorded on benefit payment systems.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions does publish annual statistics on “Nationality at point of National Insurance Number registration of DWP working age benefit recipients” and the latest statistics are for November 2020 and available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/nationality-at-point-of-national-insurance-number-registration-of-dwp-working-age-benefit-recipients-data-to-november-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/nationality-at-point-of-national-insurance-number-registration-of-dwp-working-age-benefit-recipients-data-to-november-2020</a></p><p>Table 3 in the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1013504/tables-nationality-at-point-of-nino-registration-nov-2020.ods" target="_blank">tables</a> provides a benefit combination breakdown by nationality, however please note that the nationality for Non-UK nationals is recorded at the point of NINo registration and cannot be used as a proxy for current nationality or nationality at birt</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 01/02/2022 17:35:37 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor