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1143796

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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: Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to introduce details of the calculation of (a) housing costs, (b) LHA limits, (c) spare bedroom deductions and (d) non-dependent contributions in Universal Credit Full Service payment statements.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	285438
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>The Department is expecting to include the information mentioned in the Universal Credit statement by this Autumn. We will also include shared accommodation rates and rent free weeks when appropriate.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/09/2019 10:01:01 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1143797

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2019
	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 her Department has made of the length of time taken to respond to journal messages submitted by claimants of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	285059
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit is a 24 hour, seven days a week, digital service that allows claimants to manage their own data and account online at a time which is convenient for them. Via their account, claimants can check their Universal Credit benefit payments through their account, notify us of changes and record notes on the online journal facility.</p><p>The journal is primarily used to support work search activity and as such not every journal entry will require a response.</p><p>The Case Manager or Work Coach receives a notification in real time each time a claimant submits an entry to their online journal. Journal entries are monitored daily as part of our case management approach.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 05/09/2019 13:10:26 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1147904

	registered interest
	date	02/10/2019
	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 discussions her Department has had with social landlords on rent arrears caused by the time between a claimant’s universal credit being paid and the housing costs being sent to the landlord via APA on the next bulk payment run.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	293707
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>Initial analytical work we have carried out with a single housing provider suggests that many tenants are arriving on Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears, supporting research carried out by the National Federation of ALMOs which shows over three quarters of their tenants come onto Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears. It also shows that arrears tend to increase prior to making a claim for Universal Credit, and that Universal Credit actually appears to be helping to clear arrears over time. We are currently extending this analysis to include a number of housing providers. It will be published when completed.</p><p>The Department encourages all Universal Credit claimants to actively consider how best to manage their personal budget which includes making their own rent payments to landlords, with additional advice and support available from work coaches and case managers where needed. We regularly engage with a range of stakeholders, including landlords, to ensure we understand concerns which helps us to design improvements to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs), such as a managed payment to landlord (MPTL), are available to enable the housing costs element to be paid directly to the landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments or is in rent arrears. APAs will only be considered where a lack of financial capability poses a risk to the claimant, or their family, and the decision to implement one is assessed on a case by case basis.</p><p> </p><p>The Department issues a schedule of payments to Social Rented Sector (SRS) landlords, and our Third Party Creditor system - currently used to pay SRS landlords - uses a 28-day payment cycle. We are currently working with a range of landlords to design, develop and test a better services with the intention of having a solution in place by the end of this year.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 293708 question first answered 08/10/2019 09:58:48 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1147906

	registered interest
	date	02/10/2019
	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 plans her Department has to introduce any-day payment of housing costs via APA to avoid delays between the tenant’s universal credit payment date and the next bulk payment of housing costs to landlords.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	293708
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>Initial analytical work we have carried out with a single housing provider suggests that many tenants are arriving on Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears, supporting research carried out by the National Federation of ALMOs which shows over three quarters of their tenants come onto Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears. It also shows that arrears tend to increase prior to making a claim for Universal Credit, and that Universal Credit actually appears to be helping to clear arrears over time. We are currently extending this analysis to include a number of housing providers. It will be published when completed.</p><p>The Department encourages all Universal Credit claimants to actively consider how best to manage their personal budget which includes making their own rent payments to landlords, with additional advice and support available from work coaches and case managers where needed. We regularly engage with a range of stakeholders, including landlords, to ensure we understand concerns which helps us to design improvements to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs), such as a managed payment to landlord (MPTL), are available to enable the housing costs element to be paid directly to the landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments or is in rent arrears. APAs will only be considered where a lack of financial capability poses a risk to the claimant, or their family, and the decision to implement one is assessed on a case by case basis.</p><p> </p><p>The Department issues a schedule of payments to Social Rented Sector (SRS) landlords, and our Third Party Creditor system - currently used to pay SRS landlords - uses a 28-day payment cycle. We are currently working with a range of landlords to design, develop and test a better services with the intention of having a solution in place by the end of this year.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 293707 question first answered 08/10/2019 09:58:48 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1184583

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2020
	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	Discretionary Housing Payments: Care Leavers
	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 provide local authorities with updated guidance on awarding discretionary housing payments for care leavers until the shared accommodation rate exemption comes into force in 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	28622
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2020 answer text <p>The Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) scheme is administered by Local Authorities (LAs) who have full discretion as to whether a claimant will receive a monetary award and set their own list of priorities.</p><p>In order to support LAs to manage the allocation and administration of DHP awards, DWP produces a detailed guidance manual for LAs in England and Wales. The manual also includes a good practice guide, which offers both advice and examples of good practice in supporting vulnerable people. This manual already recommends LAs support care leavers.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 17/03/2020 16:24:43 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1184589

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2020
	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: Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the ability of the housing element of universal credit to reflect local rental market rates; and when that assessment was made.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	28628
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2020 answer text <p>For claimants living in the Private Rented Sector, the housing costs calculation is based on either the total amount of rent and service charges they pay, or the applicable Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate - whichever is lowest, less any deductions for housing costs contributions for any relevant non-dependents living in the claimant’s home.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 20/03/2020 14:24:32 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1184590

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2020
	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: Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the housing element of universal credit is calculated; and whether those calculations are made by her Department.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	28629
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2020 answer text <p>For claimants living in the Private Rented Sector, the housing costs calculation is based on either the total amount of rent and service charges they pay, or the applicable Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate - whichever is lowest, less any deductions for housing costs contributions for any relevant non-dependents living in the claimant’s home.</p><p> </p><p>Single claimants under 35 years of age will usually receive only the Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR), unless they are subject to an exemption.</p><p> </p><p>For claimants living in the Social Rented Sector, the housing costs calculation is based on the actual rent and any eligible service charges, less any deductions for removal of spare room subsidy if the claimant has spare bedrooms, less any deductions for housing costs contributions for any relevant non-dependents living in the claimant’s home.</p><p> </p><p>These calculations are made by the Department.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 20/03/2020 14:23:25 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1184591

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2020
	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: Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how often her Department updates the housing element of universal credit to reflect changes in local market rents; what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the length of time between those updates; and if she will take steps to ensure that the housing element of universal credit reflects those rents.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	28735
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2020 answer text <p>Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates form part of the Universal Credit housing costs calculation for households in the private rented sector. This calculation is based on either the total amount of rent and service charges they pay, or the applicable LHA rate - whichever is lowest, less any deductions for housing costs contributions for any relevant non-dependents living in the claimant’s home.</p><p> </p><p>LHA rates are usually considered annually with any changes to LHA rates effective from April each year. From April 2020 LHA rates will be increased by CPI.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/03/2020 15:29:42 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1184592

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2020
	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: Housing
	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 effect of the housing element of universal credit on trends in the levels of (a) homelessness, (b) health and well-being, (c) poverty and (d) the socio-economic profile of communities.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	28736
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2020 answer text <p>No such assessment has been made.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 17/03/2020 15:38:09 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1184594

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2020
	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 findings in the report by the Tussell Trust, entitled Five weeks too long, published in September 2019, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the finding in that report that referrals to food banks have increased on average by 30 per cent in the 12 months after the roll-out of universal credit in the local authority area in which those food banks are located; and what assessment she has made of the potential link between the roll-out of universal credit and use of food banks.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	28738
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2020 answer text <p>The Department does not keep official statistics on food bank use, so no such assessment has been completed.</p><p> </p><p>The Trussell Trust have claimed that there is a 52% growth in food bank demand in areas where Universal Credit (UC) has rolled out, however, the data used in this report is unrepresentative and therefore categorically does not prove that UC is the reason behind increased food bank usage. With UC people can get paid urgently if they need it and we’ve changed the system so people can receive even more money in the first two weeks than under the old system.</p><p> </p><p>In common with the legacy benefit system, and also the structures used by employers’ payroll systems, UC is not paid immediately at the beginning of a claim but follows a predictable payment cycle. Assessment periods ensure UC entitlement is accurately calculated each month, responding efficiently to changes in household circumstances including employment earnings.</p><p> </p><p>The Department continues to design and implement improvements to UC. We have already abolished the 7-day waiting period and continue to pay Housing Benefit for two weeks when people move to Universal Credit. New run-ons will be introduced from July 2020 for claimants transitioning from other DWP legacy benefits, which will be paid during the first assessment period and provide a one-off gain of approximately £200.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 01/05/2020 15:34:22 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi