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1156245

registered interest
date	24/10/2019
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	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 recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of delays at the ENGIE Document Scanning facility at Kidderminster on benefit claimants.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	4928
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>The Mail Opening Unit at Kidderminster meets it’s contracted performance requirements and there are no delays. There are full business continuity measures in place and these are regularly reviewed by the relevant officials.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 29/10/2019 16:41:48 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1145748

registered interest
date	25/09/2019
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 reason the return envelopes provided for UC50 and ESA50 forms are first class envelopes and the envelopes provided for personal independence payments are second class.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	290670
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2019 answer text <p>It is currently DWP policy to use second class post for business reply envelopes. First class business reply envelopes are only used by exception and where there is a clear business need to ensure that the appropriate rate of benefit is paid as speedily as possible.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 03/10/2019 16:15:55 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1145749

registered interest
date	25/09/2019
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, if she will place in the Library (a) information for each of the benefits in respect to which Kofax Capture software is used and (b) the indexing business rules for each of those benefits.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	290671
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/10/2019 answer text <p>The following benefits use KOFAX: ESA, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, DLA 65 Plus, DLA Child, Social Fund, Retirement Pension, International Pensions, Carers Allowance, Pension Credit, Maternity Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disability Benefit, Bereavement Benefit,</p><p> </p><p>I have attached a digital copy of the Index Business Rules which will be placed in the House of Commons Library.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 04/10/2019 09:49:06 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies attachment 1 file name PQ 290671 Index Business Rules 04.10.19.xlsx title Index Business Rules
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1142783

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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 steps she is making to support claimants who submit their application forms for benefits on time but who do not receive an acknowledgement of receipt until after the deadline has passed, and are asked to explain why the form was submitted late.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	284416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2019 answer text <p>DWP processes are designed to ensure claimants have adequate time to complete applications for benefits. Processes for different benefits vary and extensions can be applied. Where appropriate, reminders are issued when forms have not been received within expected timescales. Acknowledgements are sent for claims which have been submitted within timescales where applicable. If there are instances where this has not happened, we welcome the opportunity to investigate them if details can be provided.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 06/09/2019 12:50:52 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1142784

registered interest
date	02/09/2019
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, whether she will introduce an email address to allow people to send their application for benefits electronically.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	284419
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2019 answer text <p>There are no plans to introduce email as a secure method of exchanging citizen information.</p><p> </p><p>DWP’s security policy defines how we communicate with claimants using email and ensures DWP is vigilant to risks such as data breaches and data loss as well as the possible corruption of DWP’s IT systems.</p><p> </p><p>Once information leaves DWP’s secure systems there is a risk that information may be subsequently lost, manipulated or stolen. We take positive steps to minimise these and other risks, such as limiting the exchange of personal information using email.</p><p> </p><p>We do communicate with disabled claimants using email as a reasonable adjustment where this best meets their communication needs. As there are additional security risks associated with using email we always make sure that the disabled customer is aware of the risk of potential data loss before we put this solution in place.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 06/09/2019 12:43:20 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1135484

registered interest
date	28/06/2019
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	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 27 June 2019 to Question 268401, what information she holds on the reasons why those 156,000 claimants with deductions from universal credit for non-universal credit debts are not repaying their debts.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	270705
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>The table below provides information on why the specified claimants were not repaying their debts.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Zero balance**</p></td><td><p>92,776</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Business as usual/head of work (Includes future instalment confirmation)</p></td><td><p>48,196</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Awaiting Financial Reconciliation</p></td><td><p>12,452</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>In progress – Awaiting further information (e.g. customer correspondence/contact)</p></td><td><p>4,214</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Managed by external contractor (Debt collection agency)</p></td><td><p>618</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Awaiting appeal outcome</p></td><td><p>534</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Waiting for customer to call back</p></td><td><p>306</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>477</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><em>*The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department.</em></p><p> </p><p><em>** The zero balance category is made up of debts that have been fully repaid, but are yet to be removed from the Debt Manager system. It is important to note that no further recovery action will be taken in these cases</em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 15/07/2019 15:06:25 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1135490

registered interest
date	28/06/2019
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	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 27 June 2019 to Question 268402, if she will place in the Library a copy of the dataset from which the median balance per debtor was calculated.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	270706
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>A copy of the relevant dataset* will be placed in the Library.</p><p> </p><p>In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations 2018, the dataset contains values only.</p><p> </p><p>The data set shows all balances held on our systems for the relevant period. It includes ‘minus’ figures, which reflect changes made as a result of successful appeals.</p><p> </p><p>The data does not include any Universal Credit overpayments. It includes debts accrued in a number of ways including Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit overpayments built up under HMRC as well as fraud and error overpayments.</p><p> </p><p>Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit were introduced in 2003, with some people then accruing debts over many years.</p><p> </p><p>We do not want people to face undue financial hardship as a result of repaying overpayments. If people do struggle, adjustments can be made and will be based on an individual’s circumstance.</p><p> </p><p>The overall maximum amount that can be deducted from a claimant’s Universal Credit each month to recover a benefit overpayment is an amount equal to 40% of their Universal Credit standard allowance.</p><p> </p><p>The vast majority of benefit payments are made correctly; this stock of debts equates to around 0.6% of current annual welfare expenditure. The legacy welfare system is complex in its structure and administration and in the way that qualifying conditions interact with each other. UC provides a single system of means-tested support for working-age households who are in or out of work and we expect this to reduce overpayments.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><em>*The data provided has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department.</em></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 03/09/2019 16:11:32 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1134285

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
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	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 24 Jun 2019 to Question 264329, of the 749,000 claimants with deductions from universal credit for non-universal credit debts, how much debt remains outstanding for each benefit in the Prescribed Social Security Benefits / Payments category.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	268400
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>The table below shows the outstanding debt balances for the 749k Debtors with recovery from UC for non-UC debts.*</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Benefit </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Current Debt Balance</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Attendance Allowance</p></td><td><p>£0.022m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Administrative Penalty</p></td><td><p>£0.011m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bereavement Allowance</p></td><td><p>£0.038m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bereavement Benefit</p></td><td><p>£0.001m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bereavement Support Payment</p></td><td><p>£0.005m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Carer’s Allowance</p></td><td><p>£18.290m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Civil Penalties</p></td><td><p>£0.099m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Disability Living Allowance</p></td><td><p>£6.934m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Disability Working Allowance</p></td><td><p>£0.004m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Employment and Support Allowance</p></td><td><p>£39.226m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Family Credit</p></td><td><p>£0.097m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Housing Benefit</p></td><td><p>£94.378m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Incapacity Benefit</p></td><td><p>£6.371m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit</p></td><td><p>£0.027m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Income Support</p></td><td><p>£120.712m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Invalidity Benefit</p></td><td><p>£0.080m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Job Seekers Allowance</p></td><td><p>£22.745m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maternity Allowance</p></td><td><p>£0.096m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pension Credit</p></td><td><p>£0.568m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Personal Independence Payments</p></td><td><p>£1.262m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Reduced Earnings Allowance</p></td><td><p>£0.006m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Retirement Pension</p></td><td><p>£0.126m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sickness Benefit</p></td><td><p>£0.002m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Severe Disablement Allowance</p></td><td><p>£0.259m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Social Fund Loans</p></td><td><p>£73.925m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Social Fund Overpayments</p></td><td><p>£0.619m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Non UC Short Term Advances</p></td><td><p>£0.293m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Supplementary Benefit</p></td><td><p>£0.113m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tax Credit Overpayment</p></td><td><p>£635.113m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Unemployment Benefit</p></td><td><p>£0.020m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Widows Benefit</p></td><td><p>£0.045m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Widowed Mother Allowance</p></td><td><p>£0.418m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Widows Pension</p></td><td><p>£0.125m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Widowed Parent’s Allowance</p></td><td><p>£1.491m</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department works hard to prevent potential benefit overpayments from occurring. Internal and external data matches are increasingly helping inform benefit payments and alerting staff to check for any undeclared changes in people’s circumstances in real time.</p><p>Where overpayments do occur, the Department ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants who are subject to deductions to repay these overpayments.</p><p>It is not intended that the recovery of an overpayment should cause any claimant undue financial hardship.</p><p><em>*The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department. All figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.</em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 27/06/2019 16:54:19 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1134286

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
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	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 24 June 2019 to Question 264329, of the 749,000 claimants with deductions from universal credit for non-universal credit debts, how many claimants are repaying debts in each of the Prescribed Social Security Benefits / Payments categories.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	268401
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>As at 24 June 2019, 593k of the 749k debtors are currently repaying debts*. DWP is unable to break this down by benefit.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Department works hard to prevent potential benefit overpayments from occurring. Internal and external data matches are increasingly helping inform benefit payments and alerting staff to check for any undeclared changes in people’s circumstances in real time.</p><p> </p><p>Where overpayments do occur, the Department ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants who are subject to deductions to repay these overpayments.</p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>*The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department. </em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 27/06/2019 16:47:00 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1134287

registered interest
date	24/06/2019
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	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 24 June 2019 to Question 264329, of the 749,000 claimants with deductions from universal credit for non-universal credit debts, what is the (a) mean and (b) median average debt owed by claimants in each of the Prescribed Social Security Benefits / Payments categories.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	268402
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>Of the 749k debtors that made a payment in 2018/19, the Mean current balance per debtor is £1,740.68 and the Median current balance per debtor is £757.20.* DWP is unable to break this down by benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The Department works hard to prevent potential benefit overpayments from occurring. Internal and external data matches are increasingly helping inform benefit payments and alerting staff to check for any undeclared changes in people’s circumstances in real time.</p><p>Where overpayments do occur, the Department ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect claimants who are subject to deductions to repay these overpayments.</p><p><em>*The data provided in this response has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other, similar data subsequently released by the Department. </em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 27/06/2019 16:53:35 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead