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1129973

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Bus Services: Concessions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will protect the concessionary bus pass in the forthcoming Spending Review.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	260537
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>Decisions on public spending, including on concessionary travel, will be made in the round as part of the Spending Review.</p> answering member constituency South West Norfolk answering member printed Elizabeth Truss question first answered 11/06/2019 10:53:49 answering member 4097 label Biography information for Elizabeth Truss
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1130121

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2019 to Question 240478, if he will itemise each step referred to in that Answer.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	260538
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that the recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable.</p><p> </p><p>Affordability is managed by ensuring the recovery rate for these advances will not be more than the equivalent of 40 per cent of the claimant’s standard allowance. The claimant is given the choice over the repayment period and it is explained to them exactly how much will be deducted each month depending on the option they choose. If the claimant is making the advance application online, these options are clearly displayed on screen for them to choose from.</p><p> </p><p>If during the recovery of an advance the claimant experiences an unforeseen expense that would cause them or their family genuine hardship if they were required to continue to repay the advance, then they can be offered a deferral period of the repayment of the advance of up to 3 months for a new claim, benefit transfer or change of circumstance advance and up to 6 months for a budgeting advance.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has also announced that from October 2019 the maximum rate of deductions from a claimant’s standard allowance will be reduced from 40 per cent to 30 per cent and from October 2021 we will be increasing the recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months, further supporting those in financial need. This is in addition to having previously increasing the amount a claimant could receive as an advance payment from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of their indicative award.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/06/2019 12:43:28 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1130122

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2019 to Question 240478, for what reason the decision was made to extend the recovery period for advances to 16 months.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	260539
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Currently, the maximum amount of an advance is determined by the claimants expected UC payment and the need to repay it over 12 months at a maximum deduction rate of 40% of the standard allowance.</p><p>We have announced that we will reduce this maximum rate to 30% to ensure that claimants with the highest rate of deductions will keep more of their monthly payment. UC claimants who currently have deductions of over 30% will benefit from this change, because they will have up to 10% more of their Universal Credit standard allowance available each month.</p><p>We recognise that this could impact the maximum advance available to claimants, to ensure that this does not happen and that claimants still receive the level of support they need, we have increased the amount of time claimants have to repay the Advance from 12 to 16 months.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/06/2019 15:58:25 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1130129

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May to Question 254729 on universal credit, what penalties can be levied on claimants of universal credit if they are unable to repay their advance within 12 repayment instalments.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	260540
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not levy penalties on claimants who do not repay their advance within either a calendar 12 month from taking out the advance, nor where they do not repay the advance in 12 monthly instalments.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/06/2019 12:58:47 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1130130

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	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 information her Department holds on the number of claimants of universal credit without a permanent fixed address.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	260541
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>This information is not centrally collated, and to do so would create a disproportionate cost to the Department. Universal Credit case managers and work coaches are aware of the reported circumstances of individuals and are able to provide a tailored approach, which includes those without a fixed address.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is committed to ensuring that those who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, get the appropriate support to stabilise their lives and move into work. There is a range of support which can be considered, such as access to Alternative Payment Arrangements, easements to work-search requirements, and partnerships between Jobcentres and housing organisations. By law, work coaches in England must offer a voluntary referral to claimants they consider may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to a Local Housing Authority.</p><p>Data on homelessness by local authority level, provided by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, is available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/06/2019 12:20:43 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1129679

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2019
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May to Question 249845 on Universal Credit, what proportion of universal credit claimants who had not fully repaid their advance as of 5 May 2019 had taken out that advance prior to 5 November 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	259851
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>8.1% of UC advances which were paid before 5 November 2017, have not been fully repaid as at 5 June 2019, which is the latest position available.</p><p>Universal Credit 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. From October 2021, this maximum repayment period will be extended further to 16 months.</p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. This data has been sourced from internal management information and was not intended for public release. It should therefore not be compared to any other similar data subsequently released by the Department.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/06/2019 14:08:16 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1129153

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	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 information her Department holds on the demographic of (a) universal credit claimants and (b) universal credit claimants that have taken out an advance.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	258968
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2019 answer text <p>Statistics on demographics of those on Universal Credit, including age, gender and postcode area, can be found under the ‘People on Universal Credit’ dataset available at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p><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><p>Demographic data on Universal Credit claimants who received an advance is collected but is not published regularly as part of the official statistics. Data relating to advance payments associated with a UC award, rather than individual claimants, can be provided by region, constituency and local authority.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 06/06/2019 16:00:59 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1129156

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	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, pursuant to answer of 20 May 2019 to Question 254733, what information her Department uses to verify the statement that 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.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	258971
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Claimants’ circumstances are always taken into account when applying debt repayment thresholds to avoid undue hardship.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit already has procedures and regulations in place to protect claimants from excessive deductions. The maximum rate of deductions cannot normally exceed 40 per cent of the Universal Credit standard allowance, and from October 2019 this will be reduced to 30 per cent.</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions, where it relates to benefit debt, a social fund loan or rent arrears, they can request that a reduction be considered. Similarly, if a claimant is having difficulty repaying a benefit overpayment, they can request a reconsideration of the amount that is being taken. Reductions are always based on the individual circumstances of the claimant, rather than the amount of the overpayment, which helps to ensure that a sustainable repayment plan based on affordability is put in place.</p><p> </p><p>The claimant should provide reasonable evidence to support their request. This could include information about the household income and expenditure where hardship is claimed on financial grounds. Where hardship is claimed because either the claimant or a member of their family is seriously ill, they would need to provide supporting evidence to explain how or why recovery would be detrimental to the health or welfare of the claimant or their family.</p><p> </p><p>A Repayment Negotiation Framework based on the individual circumstances of the customer, rather than the size of the debt and repayment period has been developed. This makes the process much simpler, and ensures both on and off benefit customers are treated fairly. This framework is contained within the Benefit Overpayment Recovery Guide which can be found on Gov.uk via the link below. The Repayment Negotiation Framework can be found on page 38, paragraph 5.68.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/616116/benefit-overpayment-recovery-guide.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/616116/benefit-overpayment-recovery-guide.pdf</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 06/06/2019 16:55:08 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1129266

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Mental Health Services: Hearing Impairment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of mental health support for people who (a) are deaf and (b) have a hearing impairment; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	258972
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that all people who have a mental health need, including those who are deaf or have a hearing impairment, are able to access appropriate support when they need it regardless of other physical health conditions. Commissioners are responsible for commissioning appropriate cultural and linguistic provisions when planning services for deaf people.</p><p>Deaf patients are able to access mental health services based on a clinical assessment of need with the support and involvement of clinicians (including consultant psychiatrists and mental health nurses) with the skills and experience of working with deaf people with mental illness and who are able to communicate using British Sign Language (BSL) where needed.</p><p>NHS England commissions specialised mental health services for children, young people and adults who are deaf or have a hearing impairment. These include inpatient and outreach services for children and young people and services for adults who require inpatient care, including care in secure mental health services.</p><p>The Specialised Mental Health Clinical Reference Group provides advice and support to NHS England about improving commissioning, including through service specifications and quality schemes. NHS England has developed a specific Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) scheme in 2019-20 for specialised deaf services aimed at introducing a standardised approach to the assessment and understanding of a patient’s individual communication skills, which will improve the effectiveness of interactions with staff, care planning and delivery.</p><p>The Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health has published guidance for commissioners of primary care mental health services for deaf people. This is for use by clinical commissioning groups, local authorities and service providers across primary and secondary care. The content is evidence based and incudes what is deemed to be best practice when commissioning mental health services for deaf people. The guide is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="http://www.improvement.nhs.uk/resources/improving-mental-health-services-for-deaf-people/" target="_blank">www.improvement.nhs.uk/resources/improving-mental-health-services-for-deaf-people/</a></p><p>The guidance recommends the training of psychological wellbeing practitioners through an accredited standard Improving Access to Psychological Therapies low intensity training course adapted for delivery in BSL. It also sets out the benefit of providing the current specialist BSL workforce with access to continuing professional development training so that they are able to further develop their skills and expertise through programmes such as high intensity therapy, counselling for depression, supervision qualifications and other appropriate interventions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price grouped question UIN 258975 question first answered 06/06/2019 15:37:32 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1129267

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Counselling: Sign Language
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the availability of deaf-focused NHS counselling using British sign language as the first language in England; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	258973
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2019 answer text <p>The National Health Service Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme is available to all adults. If an individual is deaf and requires British Sign Language (BSL) to be used, services can either use a BSL interpreter or refer them to Sign Health, an IAPT service which delivers therapy using BSL trained therapists. Sign Health is available nationally but is funded via individual funding requests, so clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for funding decisions. In 2018/19 Sign Health received £1 million from 116 CCGs for the treatment of around 250 people. Other alternatives that may be suitable for deaf people include therapy delivered via a digital route, for example text messaging.</p><p>The NHS England IAPT manual, published in June 2018, specifies that commissioners, managers, primary and secondary care clinicians should develop local IAPT care pathways in consultation with patient groups and community leaders, including under-represented groups. The IAPT manual recommends that commissioners and providers consider commissioning services that have bilingual clinicians who speak the language of local minority groups, including clinicians who are fluent in BSL for deaf people.</p><p>Local commissioners have to pay due regard to the equality legislation when commissioning IAPT services. They are able to decide whether they meet their responsibilities through services who provide BSL trained therapists or through interpreters in their locality.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 06/06/2019 16:11:41 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe