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1176309

registered interest
date	05/02/2020
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	Universal Credit
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 High Court judgment of 11 January 2019, [2019] EWHC 23 (Admin), on universal credit and periodic assessments of income, what submissions on remedies her Department has made to the court.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	12944
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2020 answer text <p>The judgment affects a small number of people on Universal Credit (UC), with specific characteristics. The Department is currently appealing this judgment, and as such will await the outcome of that process before taking any further action.</p><p>Monthly assessment periods align to the way the majority of employees are paid and also allows UC to be adjusted each month. This means that if a claimant's income falls, they will not have to wait several months for a rise in their UC.</p><p>The amount of UC paid to claimants reflects the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period, as closely as possible<strong>.</strong></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 14/02/2020 14:59:59 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1176403

registered interest
date	05/02/2020
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	Universal Credit
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 effectiveness of aligning the timescales for payment of universal credit and direct payments to landlords to ensure that tenants are not falsely shown to be in arrears.
tabling member constituency	Mansfield
tabling member printed	Ben Bradley
uin	12993
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2020 answer text <p>Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs), such as a Managed Payment to Landlord (MPtL), are available to enable the housing costs element to be paid directly to the landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments or is in rent arrears. APAs will only be considered where a lack of financial capability poses a risk to the claimant, or their family, and the decision to implement one is assessed on a case by case basis.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 14/02/2020 15:01:21 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4663 label Biography information for Ben Bradley

1175969

registered interest
date	04/02/2020
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to change the calculation of universal credit payments to take account of when earnings are scheduled to be paid to claimants.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	12354
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2020 answer text <p>Assessment periods allow for UC awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if a claimant’s income changes, they do not have to wait several months for a corresponding change in their UC award.</p><p> </p><p>Earnings are taken into account in the assessment period they are received and in this way the UC paid to claimants reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has been working closely with HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC) since UC went live in 2013 to support and inform employers who report payroll earnings, to emphasise the importance of timely reporting via the Real Time Information (RTI) system.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC have updated their guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of reporting payroll accurately and the impact of reporting payments late.</p><p> </p><p>Employers should already record on HMRC’s RTI system the date a salary is scheduled to be paid, rather than the date it is paid, where it is earlier due to a weekend, bank holiday or at Christmas.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 12286 question first answered 12/02/2020 16:34:51 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1176012

registered interest
date	04/02/2020
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether funding is available to existing universal credit claimants to pay for childcare so that they are not required to pay up front and claim the money back.
tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
uin	12273
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2020 answer text <p>The Universal Credit childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes free childcare hours and tax free childcare. Claimants can utilise both the free childcare entitlement and Universal Credit childcare costs in conjunction with each other. This offer means that reasonable childcare costs should not form a barrier to work. The Government is committed to supporting parents with moving into work and, as part of this, Universal Credit pays up to 85% of childcare costs, compared to 70% in legacy benefits.</p><p> </p><p>The Flexible Support Fund (FSF) can pay up to 100% of the upfront childcare costs (subject to payment limits) that the claimant incurs before starting work and receiving their first wage. Through FSF, work coaches can support claimants with barriers that may prevent them from moving into employment, such as childcare or travel costs. Each case is considered carefully on its own merits with financial help available in advance to eligible claimants.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit claimants are able to upload digital copies of their childcare cost receipts or invoices through their online Universal Credit account. In October 2019, the Department introduced changes to give parents longer to report their childcare costs. Childcare costs can be claimed in the same assessment period they were paid, or by the end of the following assessment period.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/02/2020 13:15:45 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

1176037

registered interest
date	04/02/2020
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to introduce a mechanism into universal credit to allow claimants to move their review date, in order to avoid fluctuations in their benefit payments when there is no change in wages.
tabling member constituency	Filton and Bradley Stoke
tabling member printed	Jack Lopresti
uin	12286
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2020 answer text <p>Assessment periods allow for UC awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if a claimant’s income changes, they do not have to wait several months for a corresponding change in their UC award.</p><p> </p><p>Earnings are taken into account in the assessment period they are received and in this way the UC paid to claimants reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has been working closely with HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC) since UC went live in 2013 to support and inform employers who report payroll earnings, to emphasise the importance of timely reporting via the Real Time Information (RTI) system.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC have updated their guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of reporting payroll accurately and the impact of reporting payments late.</p><p> </p><p>Employers should already record on HMRC’s RTI system the date a salary is scheduled to be paid, rather than the date it is paid, where it is earlier due to a weekend, bank holiday or at Christmas.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 12354 question first answered 12/02/2020 16:34:51 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	3989 label Biography information for Jack Lopresti

1176168

registered interest
date	04/02/2020
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have moved into employment since the roll out-of universal credit in each year for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Chelmsford
tabling member printed	Vicky Ford
uin	12440
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2020 answer text <p>The latest caseload data shows Universal Credit is supporting 2.8 million claimants across the country to more easily start work and access smoother incentives, such as the work allowance and taper, to increase hours. We have scrapped the cliff edges and complicated hours’ rules of the legacy benefit system to ensure claimants have flexibility to access the opportunities offered in the labour market.</p><p> </p><p>There are a record number of people in work at 32.9 million – up by over 3.8 million since 2010. During August 2019 and September 2019, the latest information available, just over 200,000 Universal Credit claimants have succeeded in getting into jobs.</p><p> </p><p>Monthly information surrounding the volumes of Universal Credit claimants who have moved into work is shown in the table below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>-</p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2019/20</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>April</strong></p></td><td><p>320</p></td><td><p>5,150</p></td><td><p>25,000</p></td><td><p>79,900</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>May</strong></p></td><td><p>550</p></td><td><p>5,900</p></td><td><p>26,800</p></td><td><p>87,400</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>June</strong></p></td><td><p>650</p></td><td><p>6,310</p></td><td><p>29,200</p></td><td><p>81,600</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>July</strong></p></td><td><p>1,010</p></td><td><p>6,500</p></td><td><p>31,600</p></td><td><p>87,800</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>August</strong></p></td><td><p>1,290</p></td><td><p>7,630</p></td><td><p>38,900</p></td><td><p>94,200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>September</strong></p></td><td><p>1,890</p></td><td><p>10,100</p></td><td><p>47,300</p></td><td><p>106,300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>October</strong></p></td><td><p>2,150</p></td><td><p>10,800</p></td><td><p>52,600</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>November</strong></p></td><td><p>2,600</p></td><td><p>11,700</p></td><td><p>59,900</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>December</strong></p></td><td><p>2,320</p></td><td><p>9,600</p></td><td><p>44,300</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>January</strong></p></td><td><p>3,230</p></td><td><p>14,700</p></td><td><p>61,400</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>February</strong></p></td><td><p>3,940</p></td><td><p>16,600</p></td><td><p>68,800</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>March</strong></p></td><td><p>5,070</p></td><td><p>22,100</p></td><td><p>84,200</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p>1. Figures are for Universal Credit Full Service only</p><p>2. Figures are at household level. In some cases both members of a household may have entered work in the same month, but only one job entry would be counted in our response.</p><p>3. Figures are based upon situations when a household reports no earnings in one Assessment Period but then has earnings in the next.</p><p>4. Self-employed jobs are not included in the table.</p><p>5. Figures also include instances of a household moving out of work and at a later date moving back into work.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/02/2020 11:53:21 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford

1175557

registered interest
date	03/02/2020
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to review the effect of the three month relevant period limitation on universal credit claimants with long-term illnesses.
tabling member constituency	Edmonton
tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
uin	11559
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2020 answer text <p>The Department does not centrally collect data surrounding the volume of Universal Credit claimants who have had claims restricted or rejected because of relevant period regulations.</p><p> </p><p>For those who claim Universal Credit on health grounds, we generally determine if the claimant has limited capability for work (LCW), limited capability for work and work related activity (LCWRA) or is fit for work, based on the advice given by the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments’ health care professional who carried out the claimant’s work capability assessment (WCA).</p><p> </p><p>Where the claimant is determined to have LCWRA, an additional amount of benefit may be awarded. This additional amount will be included in the Universal Credit award from the first full assessment period after the 3 month relevant period ends.</p><p> </p><p>The 3 month relevant period in Universal Credit mirrors the 13-week assessment phase in Employment and Support Allowance and is used, in both benefits, to establish whether the claimant has a long-term health condition or a short term illness, and also ensures a consistent date of application, as there may be fluctuations in times taken to process and apply a decision following a WCA.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 11560 question first answered 11/02/2020 10:55:21 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor

1175558

registered interest
date	03/02/2020
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have had claims restricted or rejected because of relevant period regulations in (a) 2017, (b) 2018 and (c) 2019.
tabling member constituency	Edmonton
tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
uin	11560
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2020 answer text <p>The Department does not centrally collect data surrounding the volume of Universal Credit claimants who have had claims restricted or rejected because of relevant period regulations.</p><p> </p><p>For those who claim Universal Credit on health grounds, we generally determine if the claimant has limited capability for work (LCW), limited capability for work and work related activity (LCWRA) or is fit for work, based on the advice given by the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments’ health care professional who carried out the claimant’s work capability assessment (WCA).</p><p> </p><p>Where the claimant is determined to have LCWRA, an additional amount of benefit may be awarded. This additional amount will be included in the Universal Credit award from the first full assessment period after the 3 month relevant period ends.</p><p> </p><p>The 3 month relevant period in Universal Credit mirrors the 13-week assessment phase in Employment and Support Allowance and is used, in both benefits, to establish whether the claimant has a long-term health condition or a short term illness, and also ensures a consistent date of application, as there may be fluctuations in times taken to process and apply a decision following a WCA.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 11559 question first answered 11/02/2020 10:55:21 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor

1175085

registered interest
date	31/01/2020
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	Universal Credit
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 January 2020 to Question 5465, if she will publish the value of deductions to universal credit payments by parliamentary constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	10759
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>The requested information surrounding the value of deductions to Universal Credit payments by parliamentary constituency is shown in the attached table.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/02/2020 18:12:48 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince attachment 1 file name Deductions table.xlsx title Deductions to Universal Credit payments
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1175089

registered interest
date	31/01/2020
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of staff given responsibility for (a) monitoring and (b) responding to messages on universal credit claimants' online journals.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	10760
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>In December 2019 we had 4,598 Case Managers, 12,711 Work Coaches and 1048 UC Decision Makers delivering Universal Credit. All of these job roles will use the journal to correspond with claimants as just one part of their varied job roles, and Case Managers will use their dashboards to see their cases that have a journal entry waiting to be viewed. Not all journal entries will require a response.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/02/2020 18:12:31 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens