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1037893

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2019
	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	Personal Independence Payment: Hearing Impairment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how hearing is tested in assessments for personal independence payment.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	206409
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>There is no hearing examination within the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment and the PIP Assessment Guide reflects this.</p><p /><p>However, someone with a hearing impairment may still need to attend an assessment <em>and</em> they may have other health conditions. An interpreter in British Sign Language can be arranged for the assessment if a claimant contacts the Assessment Provider to request one when the appointment letter arrives.</p><p> </p><p>The assessment is a functional assessment and not a diagnostic assessment so Assessment Providers do not determine if someone is deaf. It would be up to the claimant to state if they are deaf (if they chose to) and provide any supporting evidence or request an interpreter (again if they chose to).</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 16/01/2019 17:59:45 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1168987

	registered interest
	date	06/01/2020
	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, if she will make the assessment period for universal credit coterminous with HMRC deadlines.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	493
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2020 answer text <p>Entitlement to Universal Credit is calculated and paid monthly in arrears, in a single payment.</p><p> </p><p>Assessment periods allow Universal Credit awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, to reflect as closely as possible the actual circumstances of a household during that period. This helps to ensure that if a claimant’s income changes, they do not have to wait several months for a corresponding change in their Universal Credit award.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 13/01/2020 15:10:53 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1168988

	registered interest
	date	06/01/2020
	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	Work Capability Assessment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will issue guidance to ensure that claimants of benefits are aware that they have the right to record work capability assessments.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	491
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/01/2020 answer text <p>The letter that is sent to claimants advising when they need to attend a face-to-face assessment (known as an AL1C) makes it clear that claimants can request audio recording.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/01/2020 14:49:53 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1248925

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	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	Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments
	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 effect on tax credit claimants of the closure of the interface with HMRC on tax credit debt.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	111573
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2020 answer text <p>As part of our initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic we suspended recovery of all overpayment deductions as well as pausing notification of any new overpayments. The transfer of Tax Credit debts from HMRC to DWP was temporarily suspended as part of this approach.</p><p>Recovery of existing Tax Credit overpayments from Universal Credit has now resumed, along with the transfer of new Tax Credit debt to DWP.</p><p>There have been several discussions with HMRC, who own the Tax Credit Debt, to ensure that both the action of stopping tax credit collection and restarting has taken into account the customer perspective.</p><p>We want to ensure that repayment of all debt owed to the Department is sustainable and takes into account the customer’s ability to pay. Claimants are encouraged to contact DWP if they are unable to afford the rate of recovery. The recovery rate of Tax Credit overpayments can be reduced where a claimant is experiencing financial hardship.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/11/2020 17:48:57 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1249454

	registered interest
	date	09/11/2020
	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: Coronavirus
	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 effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the interface on tax credit debt and deductions from universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	113148
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2020 answer text <p>As part of our initial response to the Covid-19 pandemic we suspended recovery of all overpayment deductions, as well as pausing notification of any new overpayments. The transfer of Tax Credit debts from HMRC to DWP was temporarily suspended as part of this approach.</p><p> </p><p>Recovery of existing Tax Credit overpayments from Universal Credit has now resumed, along with the transfer of new Tax Credit debt to DWP.</p><p> </p><p>Our stance remains that we want to ensure that repayment of all debt owed to the Department is sustainable and takes into account the customer’s ability to pay. Claimants are encouraged to contact DWP if they are unable to afford the rate of recovery; the recovery rate of Tax Credit overpayments can be reduced where a claimant is experiencing financial hardship.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst we have no current plans to pause the recovery of Tax Credit overpayments from Universal Credit, we have been clear that we will keep our Covid measures under review.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 12/11/2020 13:29:19 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1249632

	registered interest
	date	09/11/2020
	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, how many universal credit payments are subject to deductions for tax credit debt.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	113149
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2020 answer text <p>From 3rd April 2020, deductions for benefit overpayments were temporarily suspended for three months. These began to be reinstated from the beginning of July, taking a phased approach.</p><p> </p><p>Most recent figures show, for Universal Credit claims due a payment during August 2020, 2% (102,000 claims) had a deduction for Tax Credit Overpayments.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 113150 question first answered 12/11/2020 16:43:14 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1249633

	registered interest
	date	09/11/2020
	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, how many universal credit deductions have been made for tax credit repayments since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	113150
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2020 answer text <p>From 3rd April 2020, deductions for benefit overpayments were temporarily suspended for three months. These began to be reinstated from the beginning of July, taking a phased approach.</p><p> </p><p>Most recent figures show, for Universal Credit claims due a payment during August 2020, 2% (102,000 claims) had a deduction for Tax Credit Overpayments.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 113149 question first answered 12/11/2020 16:43:14 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1307958

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2021
	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	Personal Independence Payment: Benefits Rules
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the extension to personal independence payment awards to allow time for renewal claims to be submitted is still in place; and whether that policy incorporates awards that are won at appeal.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	179256
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2021 answer text <p>Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants given an award without a review, whether following an appeal or not, were extended due to the pandemic to ensure renewal claims did not have to be made at that time and awards would not go out of payment.</p><p> </p><p>We have now returned to a business-as-usual process.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 15/04/2021 12:45:29 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1314900

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2021
	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 steps she is taking to reduce the backlog of assessments for universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	1334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2021 answer text <p>For the purposes of this response, I have assumed the Honourable Member is referring to Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) used to assess the health entitlement in Universal Credit when referring to “assessments.”</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the pandemic following the suspension of face to face Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) to protect the health of our customers and staff, we continued to assess people on paper evidence whenever possible and introduced telephone assessments from May 2020, doing so in a cautious and evidence-based way, in order to reduce the risk of incorrect benefit outcomes.</p><p> </p><p>Our priority was and continues to be to get our customers into payment as soon as possible. Therefore, telephone assessments initially focused on claimants who were most likely to benefit from having an assessment i.e. those who were likely to have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), with this being the only outcome available. Using a test and learn approach, we expanded the range of outcomes available in telephone assessments during the course of the pandemic and, from February 2021, the full range outcomes have been able. This is enabling us to provide a further telephone assessment to those customers who didn’t get an outcome from their first one. We are also, in parallel, doing a small number of Video Assessments.</p><p> </p><p>We have continuously improved our guidance and processes to minimise the number of customers for whom a telephone assessment is not suitable because of their health condition. Now only a small proportion of customers are unable to undertake a telephone assessment. These customers will be prioritised for a face to face assessment following their resumption this month.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 19/05/2021 12:48:43 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1488522

	registered interest
	date	12/07/2022
	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	Job Centres: Aviation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department began promoting aviation roles and recruitment via job centres and training for jobs coaches.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	34983
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2022 answer text <p>The department has been actively promoting opportunities in the aviation sector for some years, most notably following the collapse of airlines such as Monarch, Flybe and Thomas Cook and the reopening of the sector after the Covid 19 pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>We work closely with local airports and in partnership with Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority to provide bespoke support, sharing expertise with Work Coaches to ensure they understand recruitment practices in the sector.</p> answering member constituency Hertford and Stortford answering member printed Julie Marson question first answered 15/07/2022 10:43:37 answering member 4768 label Biography information for Julie Marson
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh