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1698027

	registered interest
	date	21/03/2024
	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 His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the readiness criteria used for the managed migration to universal credit; and, if not, why.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL3521
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2024 answer text <p>The Senior Responsible Owner for Universal Credit set out the criteria for the Public Accounts Committee at its hearing on March 11, 2024, Progress in implementing Universal Credit (HC 552) Question 26 <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/14467/pdf/" target="_blank">committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/14467/pdf/</a></p><p> </p><p>The formal assessments are published as part of the regular releases of Programme Board papers.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 27/03/2024 16:33:59 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1686927

	registered interest
	date	01/02/2024
	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 Assistance Schemes
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many English local authorities do not run a local welfare assistance scheme, and what assessment they have made of the impact on low-income residents in these local authority areas if the household support fund is not extended beyond this April.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL2134
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/02/2024 answer text <p>Local Authorities in England have the flexibility and power to use the funding they receive from the annual Local Government Finance Settlement. We do not have robust data on the number of Local Authorities providing a local welfare scheme.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is putting significant additional support in place for those on the lowest incomes from April. Subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by 6.7% while the Basic and New State Pensions will be uprated by 8.5% in line with earnings, as part of the ‘triple lock”.</p><p> </p><p>To further support low-income households with increasing rent costs, the government will raise Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents, benefitting 1.6m low-income households by on average £800 a year in 24/25. Additionally, the Government will increase the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 representing an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.</p><p> </p><p>The current Household Support Fund runs until the end of March 2024, and the government continues to keep all its existing programmes under review in the usual way.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 15/02/2024 14:28:15 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1681332

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2024
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for appointing specialist single parent work coaches within Jobcentre Plus to ensure that single parents can access tailored and relevant advice on childcare, benefits and appropriate flexible job opportunities that are available in the local area.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL1447
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>The department keeps the Work Coach role under regular review, to ensure they are well equipped to support a range of claimants, including single parents.</p><p> </p><p>All Work Coaches undergo a learning journey that equips them with the tools, knowledge, skills, and behaviours to enable them to support individuals moving closer to work. This includes childcare modules to support working single parents.</p><p> </p><p>All claimants are set requirements that take into account their circumstances and capability, including caring responsibilities, health conditions and disabilities. These requirements will be tailored by the Work Coach and will be achievable and realistic, and agreed within the Claimant Commitment.</p><p> </p><p>Work Coaches are also signposted to tools, guidance, and websites (internal and external), so that they have access to the most up to date advice and expertise to help them better support claimants, including single parents.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 22/01/2024 15:59:39 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1676826

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2023
	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: Uprating
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether the social security benefit cap will be lifted in line with inflation in April 2024; and if not, why.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL1068
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2023 answer text <p>The Secretary of State has a statutory obligation to review the levels at least once every five years. There is no requirement until November 2027.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 19/12/2023 13:52:35 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1670113

	registered interest
	date	14/11/2023
	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: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government why, from the next release of the benefit cap statistics, information on the youngest child in capped households will be suspended; and whether they propose to resume publication of those data in later releases.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL287
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2023 answer text <p>The Department advised users on GOV.UK on 7 November 2023, that information on the age of youngest child for capped Housing Benefit households will be suspended from the next release of Benefit Cap statistics (due to be published on 12 December 2023). This is due to an issue with the quality of the HM Revenue &amp; Customs (HMRC) statistical Child Benefit data, which is currently being investigated. We will reinstate the breakdown in the statistical series as soon as possible, in line with the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) Code of Practice for Statistics.</p><p> </p><p>In May 2023, 91% of capped households were on Universal Credit (UC) and are not affected by this issue. The statistics for the age of youngest child in UC capped households will be published as normal on 12 December 2023.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 21/11/2023 17:21:51 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1664798

	registered interest
	date	16/10/2023
	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: Refugees
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ability of newly recognised refugees to apply for Universal Credit and receive a first payment within the 28-day move-on period.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL10560
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2023 answer text <p>Asylum Support is available to asylum seekers through the Home Office whilst their status is under consideration. This support continues for 28 days after refugee status is granted. A claim to Universal Credit can be made immediately once refugee status is granted and Asylum Support is not deducted from the Universal Credit award during the 28 days period. Individuals should not wait until the end of the 28 days to make a Universal Credit claim and have received guidance to encourage them to apply for Universal Credit as soon as they receive a decision on their asylum claim.</p><p> </p><p>The first regular Universal Credit payment is usually made around five weeks after the claim is made. New claimants, including refugees, who need financial support before the end of their first assessment period can apply for a Universal Credit advance as soon as their ID and immigration status is verified. This will mean that they may be able to receive payments within the 28-day move-on period. This is an advance of up to 100% of their total expected award, which is paid back over a period of up to 24 months.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 26/10/2023 10:14:40 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1665578

	registered interest
	date	17/10/2023
	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	Sustainable Development: Developing Countries
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 1 in the UK.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL10632
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2023 answer text <p>The Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families. We will spend around £276bn through the welfare system in Great Britain in 2023/24 including around £124bn on people of working age and children, and around £152 billion on pensioners. Of this, around £79 billion will be spent on benefits to support disabled people and people with health conditions.</p><p> </p><p>From April, we uprated benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%, and in order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap levels also increased by the same amount.</p><p> </p><p>In 2021/22 there were 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty after housing costs than in 2009/10, including 400,000 fewer children, 1 million fewer working age adults and 200,000 fewer pensioners.</p><p> </p><p>With almost one million job vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on supporting individuals to move into and progress in work. This approach which is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. The latest statistics show that in 2021/22 working age adults living in workless families were 7 times more likely to be in absolute poverty after housing costs than working age adults in families where all adults work.</p><p> </p><p>Through the ambitious package announced at the Spring budget we are delivering measures that are designed to support people to enter work, increase their working hours and extend their working lives.</p><p> </p><p>To help people into work, our core Jobcentre offer provides a range of options, including face-to-face time with work coaches and interview assistance. In addition, there is specific support targeted towards young people, people aged 50 plus and job seekers with disabilities or health issues.</p><p> </p><p>To support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023, the National Living Wage (NLW) increased by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW. In addition, the voluntary in-work progression offer started to roll-out in April 2022. It is now available in all Jobcentres across Great Britain. We estimate that around 1.4m low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid work.</p><p> </p><p>This government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living which is why we are providing total support of over £94bn over 2022-23 and 2023-24 to help households and individuals with the rising bills.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 25/10/2023 11:00:35 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1643919

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2023
	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 His Majesty's Government what are the current annual savings to the Exchequer provided by (1) the benefit cap, and (2) the two-child limit on social security payments.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL8403
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2023 answer text <p>The saving to the Exchequer provided by the benefit cap in 2021/22 – the latest year for which data are available - was £400m.</p><p> </p><p>For the policy that provides support for a maximum of 2 children in Universal Credit (UC) and Child Tax Credits, it is not possible to provide a current annual savings measure and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>In our previously published analysis on the cost of ending the policy that provides support for a maximum of 2 children in Universal Credit (UC) and Child Tax Credits over the period 19/20-23/24 we estimated that the cost of ending this policy to be around £5bn up to 23/24.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s view is that providing support for a maximum of two children or qualifying young persons in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit ensures fairness between claimants on the one hand and, on the other, those taxpayers who support themselves solely through work. Where they are able to, Individuals should consider whether they are financially prepared to support a new child without relying on benefits.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family, which is why exceptions have been put in place to protect certain groups. On migration to Universal Credit families’ existing entitlement will be protected, so long as they remain responsible for the same children and entitled to benefit.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 26/06/2023 17:00:05 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1644896

	registered interest
	date	14/06/2023
	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	Carer's Allowance: Young People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to review the eligibility for Carer’s Allowance for young adult carers in England who are studying for more than 21 hours each week, to support them to stay in full-time education while managing their caring responsibilities.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL8500
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2023 answer text <p>Carer's Allowance was introduced principally to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who forgo the opportunity of full-time work in order to care for a severely disabled person for at least 35 hours a week. <br>    <br> The Government thinks it is right that people in full-time education should be supported by the educational maintenance system, via its range of loans and grants, and not the social security benefit system. That is why, as a general principle, full-time students are usually precluded from entitlement to income-related and income-maintenance benefits.</p><p /><p>There are currently no plans to change the full-time education rules for Carer’s Allowance, but carers are able to undertake part-time education and still receive Carer’s Allowance.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 22/06/2023 11:06:49 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1605373

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2023
	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 His Majesty's Government, further to the statement in the Spring Budget 2023 factsheet – Labour Market Measures that over 700,000 lead carers of children in receipt of Universal Credit will be made to look for work or increase the number of hours they work, what is their estimate of how this number will be broken down by (1) age of youngest child, and (2) by lone parent/other; and what additional work-related requirements will be applied to such claimants.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	uin	HL6635
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2023 answer text <p>The information requested is provided in the tables below.</p><p> </p><p>1) Estimate of the proportion of lead carers broken down by age of youngest child</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Age of youngest child</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>12%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>11%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>10%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>9%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>4%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>2) Estimate of the proportion of lead carers broken down by family type</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Family Type</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Single, with children</p></td><td><p>70%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Couple, with children</p></td><td><p>30%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Caveats &amp; Data Definitions:</p><ul><li>We do not hold data that explicitly identifies lead carers, as a result, figures are estimated assuming that if one member of the household has age of youngest child as required, and is in the relevant conditionality regime, then they are a “lead carer”.</li><li>Universal Credit conditionality regimes included are Intensive Work Search, Working with requirements, Planning for work and Preparing for work</li><li>Based on average volumes 2022/23</li><li>Based on internal Universal Credit Household dataset</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Lead carers of children aged 1-2 will be required to have regular work focussed conversations with a dedicated Jobcentre work coach more often.</p><p> </p><p>For lead carers of children aged 2, work coaches can offer claimants more support with work preparation activities such as, job readiness workshops; help with developing a CV; practicing interviewing skills; skills assessment; participating in training or employment programme.</p><p> </p><p>Lead carers of children aged 3-12 will be supported by their work coach to increase their work search and preparation activity and will be required to be available for higher paid or longer hours jobs to align with Department for Education’s 30hr free childcare offer.</p><p> </p><p>Work search activities could include carrying out work searches, making job applications and creating and maintaining online job profiles. The requirements will be tailored to a claimant’s circumstances (e.g., location of job, claimant eligibility for free childcare provision, availability and location of childcare provision, and transport).</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 03/04/2023 15:35:10 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett