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1378391

registered interest
date	15/11/2021
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	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 waivers were granted for universal credit overpayments classed as official error in financial year 2020-21.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	75017
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2021 answer text <p>The table below details the number of waivers of Universal Credit Official Error overpayments granted in the requested years:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Financial Year</p></td><td><p>Number of UC Official Error overpayments where recovery was waived</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020/2021</p></td><td><p>9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021/2022 (April to October)</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p /><p><em>Please note that this data is taken from operational data systems, and is not intended for publication. Therefore, the data itself is not quality assured to the standard of published Official Statistics and National Statistics.</em></p><p> </p><p>DWP pays welfare benefits to around 23 million people and is committed to ensuring that the right people are paid the right amount of Universal Credit. The vast majority of benefit expenditure (more than £200bn across all benefits last financial year) is paid correctly, with front line staff working hard to prevent overpayments from occurring.</p><p> </p><p>Where an overpayment does occur, the Department has a responsibility to taxpayers to recover the money without creating undue financial hardship. Universal Credit overpayments are recoverable, irrespective of how they arose. Where recovery is made by deduction from Universal Credit, there is a limit placed on the overall amount that can be deducted. Formerly 40% of the Universal Credit Standard Allowance, this was reduced to 30% in October 2019 and again to 25% in April 2021.</p><p> </p><p>A waiver can only be granted where the recovery of the overpayment is causing substantial medical and/or financial hardship, and where clear evidence of this can be provided.</p><p> </p><p>However, any claimants struggling with the proposed rate of deductions are encouraged to contact DWP Debt Management to discuss affordability, so that a lower repayment rate can be negotiated as appropriate.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 75018 question first answered 18/11/2021 17:04:44 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1378393

registered interest
date	15/11/2021
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	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 waivers have been granted for universal credit overpayments with the classification of official error in financial year 2021-22 to date.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	75018
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2021 answer text <p>The table below details the number of waivers of Universal Credit Official Error overpayments granted in the requested years:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Financial Year</p></td><td><p>Number of UC Official Error overpayments where recovery was waived</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020/2021</p></td><td><p>9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021/2022 (April to October)</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p /><p><em>Please note that this data is taken from operational data systems, and is not intended for publication. Therefore, the data itself is not quality assured to the standard of published Official Statistics and National Statistics.</em></p><p> </p><p>DWP pays welfare benefits to around 23 million people and is committed to ensuring that the right people are paid the right amount of Universal Credit. The vast majority of benefit expenditure (more than £200bn across all benefits last financial year) is paid correctly, with front line staff working hard to prevent overpayments from occurring.</p><p> </p><p>Where an overpayment does occur, the Department has a responsibility to taxpayers to recover the money without creating undue financial hardship. Universal Credit overpayments are recoverable, irrespective of how they arose. Where recovery is made by deduction from Universal Credit, there is a limit placed on the overall amount that can be deducted. Formerly 40% of the Universal Credit Standard Allowance, this was reduced to 30% in October 2019 and again to 25% in April 2021.</p><p> </p><p>A waiver can only be granted where the recovery of the overpayment is causing substantial medical and/or financial hardship, and where clear evidence of this can be provided.</p><p> </p><p>However, any claimants struggling with the proposed rate of deductions are encouraged to contact DWP Debt Management to discuss affordability, so that a lower repayment rate can be negotiated as appropriate.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 75017 question first answered 18/11/2021 17:04:44 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1367414

registered interest
date	09/11/2021
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	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 9 November 2021 to Question 68249 on Universal Credit, what proportion of the £67.8 million deducted from universal credit claims as a result of Government debt in May 2021 was as a consequence of (a) non-fraud Tax Credit Overpayment, (b) non-fraud DWP Benefit Overpayment and (c) non-fraud Housing Benefit Overpayment.
tabling member constituency	Stalybridge and Hyde
tabling member printed	Jonathan Reynolds
uin	72410
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2021 answer text <p>For Universal Credit claims with a payment due during May 2021, £67,800,000 was deducted to repay Government debt, of which:</p><p> </p><p>(a) 56% (£37,700,000 ) for Tax Credit Overpayment (non-fraud)</p><p>(b) 30% (£20,500,000) for DWP Benefit Overpayment (non-fraud)</p><p>(c) 5% (3,500,000) for Housing Benefit Overpayment (non-fraud)</p><p> </p><p>As a Department, we carefully balance our duty to the taxpayer to recover overpayments, with our support for claimants. Processes are in place to ensure deductions are manageable, and in April we further reduced the cap on deductions from Universal Credit awards.</p><p> </p><p>Customers can contact DWP if they are experiencing financial hardship in order to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment, or a temporary suspension, depending on their financial circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Fraud and error in the benefit system is rare, with 95% of benefits worth more than £200bn paid correctly and just 0.4% of benefits being overpaid due to DWP error.</p><p> </p><p><strong><em>Notes</em></strong></p><p><em>1) Figures are provisional and subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.</em></p><p><em>2) Amount deducted rounded to the nearest 100,000 and percentage rounded to the nearest percent.</em></p><p><em>3) Government debt includes: DWP Benefit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Tax Credit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Housing Benefit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Social Fund Loan, Recoverable Hardship Payment, Administrative Penalty, Civil Penalty, Eligible Loan Deductions, Integration Loan.</em></p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 18/11/2021 13:24:29 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4119 label Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds

1367434

registered interest
date	09/11/2021
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	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 recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of Universal Credit deductions on the risk of poverty among benefit claimants.
tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
uin	72390
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2021 answer text <p>No recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of Universal Credit deductions on the risk of poverty among benefit claimants.</p><p> </p><p>To enable households to retain more of their Universal Credit award towards day to day living costs we have reduced the normal maximum amount that can be deducted from Universal Credit, from 40% of the Universal Credit Standard Allowance, to 30% and from April 2021 to 25%. As a result, there were 792,000 people in May 2021 who potentially have had reduced deductions due to the most recent policy change. Customers can also contact DWP Debt Management if they are experiencing financial hardship to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment of benefit overpayments, or a temporary suspension, depending on financial circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 17/11/2021 16:00:15 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1366478

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of universal credit payments.
tabling member constituency	East Renfrewshire
tabling member printed	Kirsten Oswald
uin	904068
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The Secretary of State is legally required to conduct an annual review of working age benefits rates to determine whether they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices.</p><p> </p><p>The up-rating process for working age benefits has traditionally relied on the September CPI figure and in April 2021 Universal Credit was increased by CPI of 0.5%.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/11/2021 17:52:24 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4413 label Biography information for Kirsten Oswald

1366481

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of ending the universal credit uplift on levels of in-work relative poverty.
tabling member constituency	Bethnal Green and Bow
tabling member printed	Rushanara Ali
uin	904071
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The uplift to Universal Credit was a temporary measure, that is why an assessment has not been completed on its withdrawal.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continues to do so through many measures. We expect to spend over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit recipients in work will soon benefit from a reduction in the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, and increasing the work allowance by £500 per year means that 1.9m working households will be able to keep substantially more of what they earn. These changes represent an effective tax cut for low income working households in receipt of UC worth £2.2 billion a year in 2022-23, for the lowest paid in society, and are combined with a rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/11/2021 17:47:47 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4138 label Biography information for Rushanara Ali

1366482

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment she has made of the potential effect of ending the uplift to universal credit on (a) household budgets and (b) levels of poverty.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
uin	904072
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The uplift to Universal Credit was a temporary measure, that is why an assessment has not been completed on its withdrawal.</p><p>This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continues to do so through many measures. We expect to spend over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.</p><p>Universal Credit recipients in work will soon benefit from a reduction in the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, and increasing the work allowance by £500 per year means that 1.9m working households will be able to keep substantially more of what they earn. These changes represent an effective tax cut for low income working households in receipt of UC worth £2.2 billion a year in 2022-23, for the lowest paid in society, and are combined with a rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour.</p><p>We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 08/11/2021 17:47:39 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1366813

registered interest
date	08/11/2021
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	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 28 October 2021 to Question 62643 on Universal Credit, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the universal credit assessment period and payment structure; and what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Court of Appeal Judgement of 22 November 2020 [2020] EWCA Civ 778.
tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
uin	71287
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2021 answer text <p>The Department has no plans to change either Universal Credit assessment periods or payment structures. They are fundamental parts of the design, reflecting payment patterns in the world of work, where the majority of people are paid monthly. Ensuring similarities between paid employment and receiving benefits eliminates an important barrier which could prevent claimants from adjusting to paid employment.</p><p> </p><p>The Court of Appeal judgment in the case of Johnson and others, handed down on 22 June 2020, ruled that the way the Department calculated Universal Credit awards involving earnings in an assessment period was a correct application of the regulations, but that the Department’s position of not considering the impact on the small number of specific cases of those paid calendar monthly who are affected by ‘a non-banking day salary shift’ should change.</p><p> </p><p>The Court of Appeal Judgment was narrowly focussed on calendar monthly paid claimants who are affected by a ‘non-banking day salary shift’ resulting in two payments being counted in one assessment period, none in another and the loss of a work allowance. The legislation changes we made to remedy these cases came into force on 16<sup>th</sup> November 2020 and allow us to move one of these monthly payments to the assessment period where there is none. Moving an additional four-weekly payment from the assessment period with two payments would not have the same effect, but would simply mean there would be two payments in a different assessment period.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 16/11/2021 12:42:52 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

1366353

registered interest
date	05/11/2021
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	Universal Credit
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 make an assessment of the (a) impact and (b) financial impact on claimants of (i) the three month waiting period for the limited capability for work-related activity element of universal credit for people with severe health issues and (ii) the decision not to backdate payments for the three month waiting period.
tabling member constituency	Knowsley
tabling member printed	Sir George Howarth
uin	70230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2021 answer text <p>Where the claimant is determined to have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), an additional amount of Universal Credit (UC) may be awarded. However, before the additional amount is payable, a UC claimant must serve the ‘relevant’ period to establish that they have a long-term health condition. This approach replicates the 13-week assessment period which is applied in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to assess the impact of the relevant period or current backdating rules. Where an additional amount of UC is payable, this is backdated to the start of the assessment period following the assessment period in which the relevant period ends.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the period before the award of the LCWRA addition, claimants will receive the applicable standard allowance plus any additions, reflecting the claimants’ personal circumstances, for example for children, housing costs, childcare costs. They may also be eligible for support through PIP.</p><p> </p><p>There are exceptions to serving the relevant period in UC, including where someone accesses benefits via the Special Rules for Terminal Illness. Where a claimant deemed to have LCWRA in ESA moves to UC, and those claims are continuous, the relevant period does not apply. An exception also applies in relation to claimants whose award ended in the previous six months as a result of their earnings exceeding their entitlement. Where that claimant’s previous award included the LCWRA addition, they do not, on reclaiming, have to serve the relevant period again.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 30/11/2021 16:58:54 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	481 label Biography information for Sir George Howarth

1365845

registered interest
date	03/11/2021
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	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 potential effect of the change to the universal credit taper rate on families with children who are less able to take on additional work.
tabling member constituency	East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
tabling member printed	Dr Lisa Cameron
uin	69127
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2021 answer text <p>No assessments have been made on the effect of the change to Universal Credit taper rates on families who are less able to take on additional work.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit recipients in work will soon benefit from a reduction in the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, and increasing the work allowance by £500 per year means that 1.9m working households will be able to keep substantially more of what they earn. These changes represent an effective tax cut for low income working households in receipt of Universal Credit worth £2.2 billion a year in 2022-23, for the lowest paid in society, and are combined with a rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour.</p><p> </p><p>Many of those who are unable to increase their hours as a result of family commitments will also benefit from the increase in Work Allowance by £500 a year, and under new rules from 24<sup>th</sup> November, they can earn, in some cases, over £550 each month before their benefits begin to be withdrawn.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is fully committed to supporting parents moving into work and improving their earnings once employed. Eligible Universal Credit claimants can claim back up to 85 per cent of eligible childcare costs each month, up to the maximum amount of £646.35 per month for one child and £1,108.04 per month for two or more children, regardless of the number of hours they work.</p><p> </p><p>In Universal Credit, childcare costs can be claimed up to a month before starting a job. In cases where people need to pay for childcare upfront, prior to starting work, Work Coaches can use the Flexible Support Fund for eligible claimants, to meet these costs until their first wage is received. Budgeting advances are also available to those who are eligible and who require help with upfront costs, for example when altering hours worked or changing childcare providers.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/11/2021 16:15:46 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4412 label Biography information for Dr Lisa Cameron