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1105463

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	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: Refugees
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on collaboration between the Home Office and her Department to ensure that refugees are able to access the employment support and social security benefits that they are entitled to.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol West
	tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
	uin	237692
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions is working in partnership with the Home Office to improve processes for refugees claiming benefits. In order to achieve this aim we have set up the Post Grant Appointment Scheme (PGAS).</p><p> </p><p>The scheme involves contacting persons at the point when they are granted refugee status to see if they wish to apply for benefits and require assistance to do so. If they say they do, an appointment at a local DWP office is arranged for them.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/04/2019 10:22:09 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1087241

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2019
	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, what proportion of universal credit claimants have verified their identity face-to-face in a jobcentre in each year for which information is available.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	231352
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2019 answer text <p>The table below shows the proportion of UC Full Service claimants that attended a face to face meeting in order to provide evidence of their identification.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Calendar Year</p></td><td><p>Proportion of Claimants</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>88%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>78%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>68%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p>The data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The data should therefore be treated with caution.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We have previously answered a PQ stating that 38% of claimants verify their identity successfully online. The percentages may not appear to add up for the following reasons:</p><p> </p><p>We cannot rule out the possibility that some of the people in the table above also tried the verify their ID online. However, if there are any such people they are likely to be small in number.</p><p> </p><p>The figures are based upon claims that successfully had their ID verified and accepted a claimant commitment. This is to ensure consistency with other Departmental figures on UC claims.</p><p> </p><p>All figures have been rounded to the nearest percentage point.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 15/03/2019 14:08:34 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1108699

	registered interest
	date	01/04/2019
	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	Work Capability Assessment
	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 her speech entitled Closing the gap between intention and experience delivered on 5 March 2019, what the timetable is for her Department to introduce the proposed small test of a no conditionality approach for claimants awaiting a work capability assessment.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	239291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department is still finalising the design of the Proof of Concept and seeking input from key representatives from the sector. It is a small scale test which will be run in 2-4 jobcentres during summer 2019. We will use the Proof of Concept to test whether we can increase engagement with claimants with disabilities or health conditions. Work Coaches will start with no mandatory requirements and then tailor conditionality up, based on an individual’s circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>We intend to apply it to those claimants pre-Work Capability Assessment; and, that, for those post work capability assessment found to have a Limited Capability for Work. We will apply it to all claimants presenting with medical evidence of a health condition, or disability, excluding only those who are Terminally Ill or who have conditions defined in schedule 8 or schedule 9 of the Universal Credit Regulations. Universal Credit does not use the ICD10 classification system for claimants recognising that each claimant is unique. Further detailed design on inclusion/exclusion criteria have yet to be defined.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The evaluation of the Proof of Concept will take place in Autumn 2019 after which we will determine next steps.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 239290 239292 question first answered 04/04/2019 12:52:02 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1060864

	registered interest
	date	13/02/2019
	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, for how long consent is granted, when the criteria are met, to friends, family members or professionals to access information on a claimant's universal credit claim.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	220726
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2019 answer text <p>Explicit consent, which can be given by a claimant via their journal, over the phone, or in person when accompanied by their adviser, is not indefinite for representatives. Once explicit consent has been provided by a claimant, it will last until the specific request for information is resolved, or until the end of the Assessment Period after the one in which the consent was given. Alternatively, a claimant can withdraw their consent at any stage.</p><p>Explicit consent is time bound because the Department must ensure that it protects the comprehensive data belonging to our claimants effectively and that it ensures it is used only for the purposes intended.</p><p>The Department also has a well-established appointeeship arrangement system for claimants who are unable to manage their own affairs.</p><p>In our response to the Social Security Advisory Committee in November 2018 in respect of the managed Managed mMigration regulations, we have agreed to explore options for improving the process of explicit consent in collaboration with the committee.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/02/2019 16:40:46 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1063826

	registered interest
	date	18/02/2019
	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, for what proportion of successful new universal credit claims in the past year the claimant has been given an advance at the start of their claim.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	222761
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>Internal data shows that from February 2018 - January 2019, 57% of eligible new claims to Universal Credit Full Service received an advance payment. Subject to some fluctuation, this rate of advance take-up has been broadly consistent. This shows that claimants are being made aware of advances and that our advance system is being utilised so people receive help when they need it.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/02/2019 16:51:17 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1082282

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2019
	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	Jobcentres: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what purposes jobcentre staff will visit claimants in hospital.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
	tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
	uin	228729
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2019 answer text <p>Officers from the DWP Visiting Team, as appropriate, visit claimants to support them in making an application for benefit or for on-going administration of their claim – for example if they have a change in their circumstances. The majority of visits conducted by DWP take place in a claimant’s home. However, an officer can also arrange an appointment at an alternative place, such as an information point (surgery) or hospital, if a claimant is deemed to be vulnerable or is in need of additional support when making an application for benefit or for on-going support. We may also visit centenarians to confirm they can receive and appreciate a congratulatory birthday card from the Queen.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 11/03/2019 18:09:51 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1063605

	registered interest
	date	18/02/2019
	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, for what reason claimants of universal credit are subject to a five week delay before payment in cases where the claimant is (a) transferring from another benefit; (b) has just left a weekly paid job and (c) has just left a job with a zero hours contract.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	222590
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>All Universal Credit claimants are subject to an initial assessment period, regardless of the circumstances that have led to a claim. Assessment periods allow for Universal Credit awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if a claimant’s income falls, they do not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit award.</p><p>To support claimants with the move to Universal Credit, we have announced that from July 2020 their existing DWP legacy benefit will continue for two weeks with no requirement to repay the overlap. A similar run-on is already in place for Housing Benefit claimants who move to Universal Credit as a result of a change in circumstances.</p><p>New claimants to Universal Credit can also apply for a Universal Credit Advance in their first month if they need some financial support until the first regular payment of Universal Credit is made.</p><p>We have previously increased the maximum amount available for advances from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the total award, and increased the repayment period from 6 months to 12 months.</p><p>It was also announced in the 2018 Budget that from October 2021 we will extend the maximum period over which advances can be recovered from 12 to 16 months. This will enable the maximum possible advance return to current levels for all claimants.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/02/2019 16:38:03 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1061210

	registered interest
	date	14/02/2019
	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, for what reason her Department decided to track only the first 10,000 successful applicants through the managed migration pilot and not to track unsuccessful applications.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	221636
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>Subject to parliamentary approval, we have sought powers to conduct a pilot phase of Managed Migration, to track up to a maximum of 10,000 claimants through the process. The goal of the pilot is to learn as much as possible and to increase numbers as slowly and gradually as necessary, and there will be safeguards in the process to ensure that no-one is left behind. We will report on our findings from the pilot before bringing forward legislation to extend managed migration.</p><p> </p><p>We have said that all individuals will be tracked all the way through the pilot process and understanding the reasons for unsuccessful applications will be an important part of the pilot. However, there will be safeguards in place to protect those who might otherwise fail to make a successful claim.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is committed to finding those who will need support and will help them through the process, including home visits where necessary. This will give an indication of the size of the support requirement which will be key information for any future scaling.</p><p> </p><p>Our stakeholders and partners will also play a key role and we will work with partners to ensure we reach people who might otherwise be missed, and the further development of these delivery relationships is a major aspect of this phase of the programme.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 21/02/2019 16:46:53 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1062114

	registered interest
	date	15/02/2019
	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, for what reason her Department requires owners of limited companies to provide company financial accounts when applying for universal credit; and if she will review that policy.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	222036
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not require owners of limited companies to provide company financial accounts when applying for Universal Credit. Self-employed earnings are reported on a simplified 'cash accounting' basis, which asks for the total income from receipts into the business and details of payments out of the business under defined categories during the assessment period. The requirements were designed to be as simple as possible in order for self-employed claimants to easily report their earnings.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has therefore not made an assessment.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 222037 question first answered 20/02/2019 17:36:18 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1088796

	registered interest
	date	14/03/2019
	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, for what reason the extension of the period over which universal credit advance payments have to be repaid from 12 months to 16 months is not being implemented until October 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
	tabling member printed	Neil Gray
	uin	232579
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>We have carefully considered the impact and deliverability of the measures announced in the Autumn Budget 2018 for Universal Credit. The delivery dates we announced achieve the best balance between continually improving Universal Credit to respond to claimant need and ensuring the service is technically and operationally scalable as the volumes on Universal Credit continue to rise through 2019 and 2020.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 232578 question first answered 20/03/2019 13:22:42 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray