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1142307

	registered interest
	date	25/07/2019
	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	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 her evidence of 24 July 2019 to the Work and Pensions Committee on increased support with upfront childcare costs, whether work coaches use the Flexible Support Fund to provide that additional support after the first month.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	282561
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>Work Coaches can use the Flexible Support Fund (FSF) to pay 100% of the upfront childcare costs up to the payment limits set that the claimant incurs between starting work and receiving their first wage. This is paid directly to the childcare providers and is not repayable. Examples of what it can be used to cover include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Deposit – To pay a provider a one off advance payment of childcare costs.</li><li>Retainer – To pay a provider a one off advance payment to secure the nursery provision prior to the parent starting work or training.</li><li>Fees – To pay a provider upfront childcare fees in advance of the service being delivered; and</li><li>Taster/Settling in periods – To pay a provider a one off advance payment to enable the parent to prepare their child before taking up the full childcare offer.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Once a claimant has received their first wage, we have given Work Coaches the flexibility to use Budgeting Advances to help pay for further upfront childcare costs where required and where a claimant is eligible. This includes - during school holidays, change of childcare provider, or additional childcare in order to increase work hours. Budgeting Advances do have to be repaid, however, up to 85% of these childcare costs can be reimbursed through the UC childcare offer (up to caps) once a paid receipt is submitted.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 282562 question first answered 05/09/2019 11:53:46 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1142308

	registered interest
	date	25/07/2019
	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	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 her oral evidence of 24 July 2019 to the Work and Pensions Committee on increased support with upfront childcare costs on Wednesday 24 July, whether work coaches will be given greater flexibility to use the Flexible Support Fund.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	282562
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>Work Coaches can use the Flexible Support Fund (FSF) to pay 100% of the upfront childcare costs up to the payment limits set that the claimant incurs between starting work and receiving their first wage. This is paid directly to the childcare providers and is not repayable. Examples of what it can be used to cover include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Deposit – To pay a provider a one off advance payment of childcare costs.</li><li>Retainer – To pay a provider a one off advance payment to secure the nursery provision prior to the parent starting work or training.</li><li>Fees – To pay a provider upfront childcare fees in advance of the service being delivered; and</li><li>Taster/Settling in periods – To pay a provider a one off advance payment to enable the parent to prepare their child before taking up the full childcare offer.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Once a claimant has received their first wage, we have given Work Coaches the flexibility to use Budgeting Advances to help pay for further upfront childcare costs where required and where a claimant is eligible. This includes - during school holidays, change of childcare provider, or additional childcare in order to increase work hours. Budgeting Advances do have to be repaid, however, up to 85% of these childcare costs can be reimbursed through the UC childcare offer (up to caps) once a paid receipt is submitted.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 282561 question first answered 05/09/2019 11:53:46 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1140016

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Universal Credit
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that Universal Credit payments begin within a week of a person registering for that benefit.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL17251
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/09/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit payments are available on the first day of a claim in the form of an advance payment of benefit. Advances of up to 100 per cent of a claimant’s expected Universal Credit award are available from day one of their claim, if required. Advances are paid back over a maximum of 12 months and in the Autumn Budget 2018, we announced that from October 2021, the payback period for these advances will be extended further, to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>This is just one of a number of measures the Department has put in place to support claimants during their first assessment period, such as removing waiting days and paying those claimants moving from Housing Benefit onto Universal Credit a two week ‘transitional housing payment’. We are also introducing a two-week run on for eligible claimants of Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance from July 2020.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 02/09/2019 15:49:10 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1139921

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	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 claimants of universal credit that have taken an advance payment have seen payments reduced by (a) up to 20 percent (b) between 21 and 30 per cent, (c) 31 to 40 per cent and (d) over 40 percent of the initial amount in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	278385
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <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.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable. The maximum rate of deductions cannot normally exceed 40 per cent of the Universal Credit standard allowance and does not reduce other components of an award, such as money paid for children, housing or when someone is caring for a severely disabled person. From October 2019 this will be reduced to 30 per cent and from October 2021 we are increasing the maximum recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt, so last resort deductions can be applied to protect vulnerable claimants from eviction and/or having their fuel supply (gas/electricity) cut off, by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of these essential services. In these cases, when it is considered to be in the best interests of the claimant and their family, deductions may be taken above the 40 per cent limit.</p><p> </p><p>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>The latest available data for eligible claims to UC Full Service is provided in table 1:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Table 1</p></td><td colspan="3"><p>Month Payment Due</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Feb-17</p></td><td><p>Feb-18</p></td><td><p>Feb-19</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>%</p></td><td><p>%</p></td><td><p>%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>up to 20 percent of Standard Allowance</p></td><td><p>42%</p></td><td><p>49%</p></td><td><p>47%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>between 21 and 30 per cent of Standard Allowance</p></td><td><p>20%</p></td><td><p>19%</p></td><td><p>18%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>31 to 40 per cent of Standard Allowance</p></td><td><p>35%</p></td><td><p>31%</p></td><td><p>33%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>over 40 percent of Standard Allowance</p></td><td><p>3%</p></td><td><p>1%</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Notes</p><p>1. The latest month for which data is available is February 2019.</p><p>2. When categorising claims into the groups above, the figures for the percentage of the Standard Allowance for individual claims have been rounded to the nearest percent.</p><p>3. Deductions include advance repayments and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.</p><p>4. A claim can have more than one type of deduction applied to a given payment e.g. the total deduction could be the total of both an advance repayment and another deduction type.</p><p>5. Figures are for Universal Credit Full Service only; Universal Credit full service was fully rolled out by the end of 2018.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 22/07/2019 15:03:58 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1140534

	registered interest
	date	19/07/2019
	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	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 it her policy to extend the eligibility for budgeting loans to all families in receipt of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne North
	tabling member printed	Catherine McKinnell
	uin	279419
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/09/2019 answer text <p>This Government is committed to providing a strong safety-net for those who need it and continues to spend over ￡95 billion a year on working age welfare benefits. This includes a well-established system of hardship payments, benefit advances and budgeting loans for those who need extra support. The Government also provides a range of additional financial support to families and this includes free school meals, Healthy Start vouchers and help with health costs.</p><p>Budgeting Advances have replaced Budgeting Loans for those in receipt of Universal Credit helping to provide additional assistance for emergency household costs, such as replacing a broken cooker, getting a job or staying in work or funeral costs. Eligibility for a Budgeting Advance is explained on GOV.UK and can be accessed at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/other-financial-support" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/other-financial-support</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 02/09/2019 14:24:22 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell

1140204

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2019
	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	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 May 2019 High Court judgment, when she plans to deliver transitional and ongoing payments for people who have lost the Severe Disability Premium since moving onto universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Newport East
	tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
	uin	278934
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The transitional payments provisions for claimants previously entitled to the severe disability premium contained in the Universal Credit (Managed Migration and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 will come into force 24<sup>th</sup> July 2019. That means that we will be able to provide immediate support for these claimants who were entitled to the Severe Disability Premium on legacy benefits and who have already moved onto Universal Credit. These claimants will also be considered for backdated payments covering the time since they moved onto Universal Credit, as well as ongoing monthly payments that reflect any lost Severe Disability Premium. We will make these payments as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/07/2019 16:58:45 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden

1137829

	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	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 claimants have successfully applied for universal credit (a) once, (b) twice and (c) three or more times in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
	uin	275219
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>The proportion of claimants, between July 2018 and June 2019, that have successfully applied for Universal Credit</p><p>a) Once was 91%</p><p>b) Twice was 7%</p><p>c) Three or more times was 1%</p><p> </p><p>A successful application to Universal Credit is defined as a contract for which at least one statement is provided i.e. has received at least one payment.</p><p> </p><p>There are many reasons why a claimant might be required to make a claim on more than one occasion, such as a claimant entering temporary work and then reclaiming at the end of their employment.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><em>Notes: Percentages are rounded to the nearest percent</em><em>.  </em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 15/07/2019 15:43:12 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1141279

	registered interest
	date	23/07/2019
	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	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 he has made of the proportion of universal credit claimants that have had a deduction as a result of arrears to their (a) first, (b) second, (c) third, (d) fourth, (e) fifth and (f) sixth universal credit payment in the most recent period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	280971
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The maximum rate of deductions cannot normally exceed 40 per cent of the Universal Credit standard allowance and does not reduce other components of an award, such as money paid for children, housing or when someone is caring for a severely disabled person. From October 2019 this will be reduced to 30 per cent and from October 2021 we are increasing the maximum recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt, so last resort deductions can be applied to protect vulnerable claimants from eviction and/or having their fuel supply (gas/electricity) cut off, by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of these essential services. In these cases, when it is considered to be in the best interests of the claimant and their family, deductions may be taken above the 40 per cent limit.</p><p> </p><p>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>The table below gives the proportion of claims in the first to sixth assessment periods, for which a deduction was taken relating to arrears in February 2019, the latest month which data is available for.  <strong>  </strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Assessment Period</p></td><td><p>% with arrears deductions</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>3.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>4.3%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>5.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>6.1%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>6.7%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p>1. Figures relate to Universal Credit full service.</p><p>2. Figures are rounded to the nearest per cent.</p><p>3. Figures included arrears for gas, electric, water, rent and service charges</p><p>4. We would expect to see overall amount increasing as the caseload and number of claims with deductions increase, but the average over that time also decreases.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 03/09/2019 15:52:39 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1142236

	registered interest
	date	25/07/2019
	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	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 been offered a flexible support fund payment between 1 January 2019 and 25 July 2019 to assist with upfront childcare costs.
	tabling member constituency	High Peak
	tabling member printed	Ruth George
	uin	282505
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held in a format that can be easily disaggregated and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 03/09/2019 15:31:41 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1136896

	registered interest
	date	04/07/2019
	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	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 publish the (a) forecast number of new claims for universal credit between April 2018 and March 2019, (b) date on which that forecast was made and (c) actual number of new claims made during that period.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	273365
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not available as the Department does not forecast new claims to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>The actual number of claims made between April 2018 and March 2019 can be found under the ‘Claims to Universal Credit’ dataset available at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a></p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 12/07/2019 14:01:25 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas