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1124179

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of people claiming tax credits who have an overpayment in the latest period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	249939
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave her on 11 January 2019, UIN: 206456. Updated estimates will be published in Summer 2019.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 08/05/2019 09:46:41 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1124181

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of the £6.9 billion of tax credit debt has been held by HMRC (a) for more than seven years, (b) between two and seven years and (c) less than two years.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	249940
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>The £6.9 billion of tax credit debt in 2017/18 is net £0.3billion of debt that was transferred to DWP. A breakdown of the age of tax credits debt is only readily available on the gross debt estimate of £7.2 billion. This shows that (a) 16 per cent relates to the 2010-11 award year or older, (b) 52 per cent relates to award years between 2011/12 to 2015/16, and (c) 29 per cent relates to the 2016/17 award year or after.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 08/05/2019 13:18:44 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1124182

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
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	Universal Credit: Arrears
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the universal credit claimants who have taken an advance payment on their first payment are in arrears.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	249941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Universal Credit already has procedures and regulations in place to protect claimants from excessive deductions. The maximum rate of deductions cannot normally exceed 40% of the Universal Credit standard allowance, and from October 2019, this will be reduced to 30% of a claimant’s standard allowance of their UC award. If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions being made they can contact the Department to request that a reduction in deductions be considered.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit (UC) new claim advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due. Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, for which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 months, and in the Autumn Budget 2018, we announced that from October 2021, the payback period for these advances will be extended further, up to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>Currently there are around 850,000 claimants that have a UC advance repayment in place. Of these claimants, the table below shows 440,000 also have at least one other debt relating to benefit overpayments, social fund loans or previous advances (figures rounded to nearest ten thousand). The data held by the Department does not include other third party debts, for example arrears, utility bills or other borrowing. However, research conducted by Almo’s shows that while many people join UC with pre-existing arears, this fell by a third after 4 months on universal credit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Debt Source/Combination</p></td><td><p>Volume</p></td><td><p>Percent</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tax Credits only</p></td><td><p>120,000</p></td><td><p>27.31</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Social Fund only</p></td><td><p>80,000</p></td><td><p>18.29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Combinations inc Social Fund</p></td><td><p>62,000</p></td><td><p>14.04</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Combinations</p></td><td><p>40,000</p></td><td><p>9.05</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UC Overpayment only</p></td><td><p>22,000</p></td><td><p>4.94</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Combinations inc UC</p></td><td><p>20,000</p></td><td><p>4.49</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Combinations inc Leg OP &amp; SF</p></td><td><p>18,000</p></td><td><p>4.05</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Legacy Benefit overpayment only</p></td><td><p>18,000</p></td><td><p>4.04</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Combinations inc Legacy</p></td><td><p>17,000</p></td><td><p>3.89</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UC Recoverable Hardship Payment</p></td><td><p>10,000</p></td><td><p>2.39</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Legacy Benefit overpayment and Social Fund</p></td><td><p>10,000</p></td><td><p>2.22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Housing Benefit only</p></td><td><p>10,000</p></td><td><p>2.20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tax Credits &amp; Housing Benefit</p></td><td><p>9,000</p></td><td><p>2.05</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Housing Benefit &amp; Social Fund</p></td><td><p>5,000</p></td><td><p>1.03</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source: DWP internal statistics</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p> </p><p>1. Data has been sourced from DWP internal statistics.</p><p>2. The figures within the data table for those with more than two types of benefit debt have been combined and reported according to whether they have both a legacy benefit (LegOP) and a social fund (SF) debt, either of these singularly or another UC related debt.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 249847 question first answered 08/05/2019 17:20:03 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1124183

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
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	Universal Credit: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in receipt of severe disability premium (SDP) who claimed universal credit before 16 January 2019 and who will be repaid their entitlement to SDP when the Universal Credit (Managed Migration) Regulations 2018 come into force.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	249942
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 215614, from 6 February 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Since the introduction of The Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (SDP Gateway) Amendment Regulations 2019, which came into force on 16th January 2019, claimants who are entitled, or have been within the last month, to an award of an existing benefit that includes SDP have not been required to move to Universal Credit; even if they have experienced a relevant change in their circumstances. The draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019, which are currently before Parliament, make provision for SDP transitional payments for those eligible claimants who have already moved to UC and for moving existing legacy claimants onto Universal Credit and implementing transitional protection.</p><p>We are currently considering the court judgment handed down on 3 May 2019.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/05/2019 13:44:40 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1124320

registered interest
date	01/05/2019
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Police: Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the treatment of survivor pensions for police widows and widowers is different from that of such pensions for the widows and widowers of armed forces personnel.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	250024
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government believes that there is a specific justification for allowing all surviving partners of Armed Forces Pension Scheme members to retain their survivor’s pension for life. The combination of risk to life in the execution of duty and disruption to family life is unique to Armed Forces personnel.</p><p>The Government has accepted that the arguments were compelling in respect of police officers who have died as a result of an injury on duty. Chang-es to the Police Pension Scheme were made with effect from April 2015 to allow surviving spouses or civil partners of those police officers to receive survivor benefits for life.</p> answering member constituency Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner answering member printed Mr Nick Hurd question first answered 13/05/2019 13:28:14 answering member 1561 label Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1123094

registered interest
date	25/04/2019
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Birds of Prey: Conservation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a vicarious liability for estate owners in relation to (a) the actions of gamekeepers and (b) the illegal killing of birds of prey.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	247781
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2019 answer text <p>The Government does not currently have any plans to introduce vicarious liability in England. The introduction of new legislation, such as vicarious liability, requires evidence that it will be effective. So far there is no compelling evidence that the introduction of the provisions in Scotland and Northern Ireland has had a significant deterrent effect on those who persecute such birds.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 30/04/2019 10:16:15 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1121993

registered interest
date	18/04/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Driving: Diabetes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) statutory requirements he is subject to in relation to and (b) what is the statutory basis for (i) the production of guidance on driving and diabetes and (ii) the appointment of an honorary medical advisory panel on driving and diabetes.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	245981
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>The overarching legal requirements governing medical fitness to drive are contained in sections 92-96 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.</p><p> </p><p>The statutory basis for the standards relating to driving and diabetes can be found in Section 72 of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency produces guidance for the public and medical professionals based on the legal requirements.</p><p> </p><p>The appointment of an honorary medical advisory panel on driving and diabetes is not provided for in law. The panel’s role is to help maintain and improve road safety by providing the Secretary of State for Transport with expert medical advice about diabetes and its impact on driving. The panel complies with the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Panels, which provides guidance on processes and practices for bodies providing independent scientific advice to government.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 25/04/2019 10:15:40 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1110598

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
hansard heading	Railway Stations: Access
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timescale is for groups to apply for the Mid-Tier Access for All programme.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	242933
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>We have made £20m available for Mid-Tier Access for All projects. Details of how this funding will be allocated are being finalised now and we intend to open the nomination process later this summer.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 15/04/2019 11:27:53 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1110624

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
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	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 Written Statement of 12 March on Universal Credit, HCWS1399, whether a person's legacy benefits could be terminated if they have not made a claim for universal credit during the course of the pilot.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	242938
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>We do not intend to stop anyone’s benefit during the pilot. In the pilot phase, our intention is to learn how to effectively assist people onto Universal Credit and to develop processes to deliver that help. This is particularly important for vulnerable and hard-to-reach claimants, who the Department will help to move across to the new system. We are piloting this approach precisely to learn how we can contact and support people to move to Universal Credit without ending their legacy entitlement.</p><p>Through the pilot process we will work to understand the reasons for unsuccessful applications. However, there will be safeguards in place to protect those who might otherwise fail to make a successful claim.</p><p> </p><p>We will report on our findings from the pilot before bringing forward legislation to extend this process.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 242943 question first answered 15/04/2019 16:03:53 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1110625

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, reference to the Written Statement of 12 March on Universal Credit, HCWS1399, whether her Department plans to pay discretionary payments to cover the two-week run on for all claimants migrating to universal credit during the course of the pilot.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	242939
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>Subject to the Parliamentary approval, of the draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) regulations 2019, the Department will introduce a Discretionary Hardship Payment to support those claimants who will be a part of the pilot phase and who appear to be in hardship. The power for Discretionary Hardship Payments is broad and could be used to pay the equivalent of the two-week legacy run on to claimants who will be moved to Universal Credit as part of the piloting phase and who are in hardship on account of the absence of the run on. We will also have the discretion to make payments if any other issues related to managed migration have resulted in hardship.</p><p /><p /> <p>Introducing the Discretionary Hardship Payment during the piloting phase will allow the Department to evaluate this support and assess what impact the current policy may have on claimants before introducing the run-ons from July 2020. This evaluation will allow us to consider whether further support is needed as a result of other issues that may arise and we have committed to reporting on our findings from the pilot before bringing forward legislation to proceed with volume managed migration.”</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 15/04/2019 16:41:19 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George