Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1136764

	registered interest
	date	03/07/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Buscombe on 25 June (HL Deb, col 1004), what sources they used to inform their statements that the UK (1) delivers the fourth most generous level of welfare support in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), (2) spends more on family benefits than any other country in the G7, and (3) spends the second highest amount on family benefits as a share of GDP, in the OECD.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL16914
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>(1) This statement was due to official error. We are the fourth most generous country according to the UN 2019 World Happiness Report. The UK spends £220bn on welfare each year, providing vital financial support for the most vulnerable in society.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>(2) and (3) These two statements come from OECD 2015 data (<a href="https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?datasetcode=SOCX_AGG" target="_blank">https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?datasetcode=SOCX_AGG</a>). 2015 data is used as it is the most recent full data set. Please note that OECD definitions do not always match UK definitions, but insure data is comparable across OECD countries.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 17/07/2019 14:09:48 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1137378

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Welfare State
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to create a new "safety net" to prevent people from becoming destitute; and what consideration they have given to re-establishing a national assistance board to assist in this endeavour.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL16985
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>This Government is committed to providing a strong safety-net for those who need it. We continue to spend over £95 billion a year on working age welfare benefits. We have a well-established system of hardship payments, benefit advances and budgeting loans for those who need extra support, and Jobcentre managers work closely with external partners to help vulnerable claimants. Our local government finance settlement means that over this year and next, councils will get over £10 billion in direct grants from central government to continue to offer a range of vital services to their local communities. We have no plans to re-establish a national assistance board.</p> answering member printed Baroness Buscombe question first answered 17/07/2019 15:04:19 answering member 3349 label Biography information for Baroness Buscombe
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1137478

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Pension Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how long on average it takes to (a) agree and (b) allocate pension credit to eligible claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Norwich South
	tabling member printed	Clive Lewis
	uin	274594
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The specific information requested is not available.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/07/2019 15:49:35 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4500 label Biography information for Clive Lewis

1137479

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Pension Credit and 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 steps she is taking to improve accessibility to pension credit and universal credit for pensioners.
	tabling member constituency	Norwich South
	tabling member printed	Clive Lewis
	uin	274595
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>Pension Credit is an important benefit specifically intended to help the poorest pensioners. There are over 1.6m pensioners already claiming Pension Credit worth over £5billion a year. However, the Government wants to ensure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled.</p><p> </p><p>We also welcome and encourage initiatives to promote take up of Pension Credit by national and local organisations who may often be best placed to understand the local circumstances and needs in the community. For this reason we have developed the Pension Credit toolkit, as an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up. It can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-<strong>credit</strong>-toolkit</a></p><p> </p><p>The toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The toolkit also provides links to information about disability and carers benefits.</p><p> </p><p>Organisations can use the Pension Credit calculator <a href="https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator</a> to help people check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances. The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about benefits to potential claimants; including information on <a href="https://gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://gov.uk/</a> but also in leaflets and by telephone. DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>People can telephone either the Pension Service helpline for general enquiries on 0800 731 0469 or those wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by calling 0800 99 1234.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is designed to target resources at those that need them most and to provide support for people who cannot work or need help moving towards the labour market.</p><p> </p><p>For those that are unable to access or use digital services, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 and face-to-face support is available in Jobcentres. In exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, claimants can access support with their Universal Credit application through the Citizen’s Advice Help to Claim service which, offers tailored, practical support online, over the phone, and face-to-face. You can contact an adviser through the free national Help to Claim phone service:</p><p>England: 0800 144 8 444</p><p>Wales: 08000 241 220</p><p>Scotland: 0800 023 2581</p><p>We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our own staff or via referrals from local services.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/07/2019 15:44:28 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4500 label Biography information for Clive Lewis

1137725

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	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 assessment she has made of the extent to which people are excluded from unemployment statistics as a result of not being eligible for social security benefits.
	tabling member constituency	Wansbeck
	tabling member printed	Ian Lavery
	uin	275194
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The UK’s official measure of unemployment is produced by the independent ONS and based on the International Labour Organisation’s long-standing definition of unemployment: persons without work, available for work in the next 2 weeks, and who have actively sought work in the last 4 weeks.</p><p>The latest available statistics were released by the ONS on 11 June 2019 and show an unemployment rate (for ages 16+) of 3.8% - the lowest since 1974. This statistic is estimated using responses to the Labour Force Survey and is unrelated to a person’s eligibility for social security benefits.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 17/07/2019 13:35:08 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4139 label Biography information for Ian Lavery

1137797

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Marketing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's budget is for advertising and marketing in 2019-20.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	275119
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions is the biggest Government department with around 22 million citizens depending on our services on a daily basis. However, we are conscious that many people who want information about the services and support we provide won’t be aware of the different Government channels they can use to access that information, or may not have easy access to them. Equally, it is right that we advertise our services widely so that, should people need urgent support, they will have a level of awareness about where they can find that help and what that support might look like. Actively trying to reach the widest possible audience around the country is both necessary and responsible. This is in line with other Government departments.</p><p /><p /> <p> </p><p /><p /> <p>The current predicted DWP communications budget for advertising and marketing in 2019-20 is £13,332,000. This budget is constantly under review as we need to be flexible, ensure best value for money for the taxpayer and meet our responsibility to communicate Government policies effectively.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 17/07/2019 15:34:35 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1137837

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	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	Child Maintenance Service
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to increase (a) funding and (b) staffing of the Child Maintenance Service.
	tabling member constituency	Warrington South
	tabling member printed	Faisal Rashid
	uin	275246
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>Child Maintenance Service funding and staffing is determined as part of the funding settlement that DWP receives to provide the range of services that it provides. DWP, along with all other Government Departments, is currently agreeing its budgets for the approaching Spending Review period with HM Treasury. No decisions on the level of future budgets has been agreed at this point but is expected to be resolved in the latter part of 2019.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 17/07/2019 10:05:34 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4670 label Biography information for Faisal Rashid

1137841

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	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	Flexible Support Fund and 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 increase awareness of the (a) universal support and (b) flexible support fund.
	tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
	tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
	uin	275211
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>Alongside the Universal Credit telephony and face to face support for non-digital and vulnerable claimants, The Help to Claim service is being delivered from 1 April 2019 by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland. Some aspects of this were previously delivered by Local Authorities before 31 March 2019 under the name “Universal Support”.</p><p>DWP works together with Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland through the Help to Claim partnership to ensure that support is signposted for claimants and partners: this is not a fund but a support offer for claimants making their claim to Universal Credit through to receiving their first payment.</p><p> </p><p>The Flexible Support Fund (FSF) is a discretionary fund that work coaches can use to support eligible claimants to get closer to or move into work. On 11 January 2019, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced that the FSF could also be used more widely to pay for upfront childcare costs until the claimant receives their first wage. The availability of this fund is actively promoted in jobcentres and to all claimants who might benefit.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 17/07/2019 13:24:43 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1137856

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	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	Industrial Diseases: Death
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons his Department does not record deaths caused by (a) industrial disease and (b) other occupational hazards after the age of 75.
	tabling member constituency	Cambridge
	tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
	uin	275214
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) estimates of the annual number of deaths linked to past exposures at work include deaths occurring at all ages. However, analyses of national mortality data based on the last occupation of the deceased recorded on death certificates, such as the mesothelioma analyses published by HSE, do not include deaths beyond age 74. This is because it is known that the accuracy of occupational information recorded on death certificates declines for older ages. Therefore, the data on the last occupation of the deceased is only coded for those aged 16 to 74 in England and Wales by the Office for National Statistics.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 17/07/2019 09:19:13 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1137857

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2019
	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	Mesothelioma: Death
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of deaths caused by mesothelioma in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Cambridge
	tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
	uin	275215
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The number of mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain occurring in each of the last three years for which data are available is provided in the following table:</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>2017</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Number of mesothelioma deaths*</p></td><td><p>2547</p></td><td><p>2606</p></td><td><p>2523</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Figures for 2018 are not yet available due to the length of time taken for some mesothelioma deaths occurring in a given year to be registered.</p><p> </p><p><em>*A</em><em>ll deaths where the death certificate mentioned mesothelioma within the description of the cause of death. </em></p><p><em> </em></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 17/07/2019 09:41:34 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner