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1660305

	registered interest
	date	12/09/2023
	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	Housing Benefit: Supported 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 he has made of the potential impact of benefits rules on levels of employment of residents of supported housing who have their housing costs supported through the housing benefit system.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	199214
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2023 answer text <p>The Department acknowledges the challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those working and living in supported housing as the two systems were never intended to run alongside one another.</p><p> </p><p>People in receipt of Housing Benefit are always better off in work. The income taper in Housing Benefit ensures people in work are better off than someone wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health.</p><p> </p><p>We are working to gain a broader understanding of the impact of benefit rules in Housing Benefit on residents of supported housing who are in employment including the impact on different claimant groups.</p><p> </p><p>After a successful bid to the Labour Market Evaluations and Pilot Fund, we are designing a proof of concept in conjunction with West Midlands Combined Authority. The voluntary PoC will test financial support for eligible 18–24-year-olds living in commissioned supported housing who move into work or increase their working hours and cease receiving Universal Credit. They will receive a top-up payment for 6 months. We are hopeful that this will provide new insight to inform future policy.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside the pilot, officials will continue to work to build our understanding of this topic and to impact future policy options.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 19/09/2023 11:29:10 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1660306

	registered interest
	date	12/09/2023
	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	Housing Benefit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to review the 65p Housing Benefit taper rate; and if will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing that rate in line with the Universal Credit taper rate in incentivising young people into work.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	199215
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2023 answer text <p>There are no plans to bring the Housing Benefit taper in line with that of Universal Credit. The two benefits have different treatment of earnings rules, both include tapers that ensure that all claimants are better off working than wholly reliant on benefits.</p><p> </p><p>At present, there is a broad spectrum of claimants receiving their rent support through Housing Benefit; those resident in supported housing or temporary accommodations as well as those claimants who have not yet migrated to Universal Credit. Any amendment to the Housing Benefit taper rate would apply to all of these groups and could result in Housing Benefit outstripping the provision provided by Universal Credit in some circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>The Department acknowledges the challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those working and living in supported housing and temporary accommodation. This issue is a complex one, and eradicating the financial cliff edge some individuals face as they incrementally increase their earnings could not be achieved by simply aligning the taper rates within the two benefits. Officials are working to explore this issue further considering the impact including impact on different groups and consider policy options.</p><p>It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 19/09/2023 11:27:22 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1648233

	registered interest
	date	27/06/2023
	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	Universal Credit: Private Rented Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of his Department's recent policy change in paying Universal Credit's Housing Element directly to claimants rather than to landlords and housing providers on the timeliness of rent payments.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	191435
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2023 answer text <p>No assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is designed to mirror the world of work in order to ease the transition back into employment. The intention is that the same considerations and choices faced by people not in receipt of benefits should also face those claiming benefits. Expecting claimants to manage their own finances helps to achieve this.</p><p> </p><p>The Department understands that some claimants will require support to help them handle monthly payments and has put in place procedures to address this.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 04/07/2023 15:52:44 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1608803

	registered interest
	date	29/03/2023
	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	Support for Mortgage Interest
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when support for mortgage interest will be implemented; and what that figure will be.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	176820
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2023 answer text <p>An increase to the rate paid through the SMI scheme was triggered on Wednesday 29<sup>th</sup> March 2023. The rate will increase from 2.09% to 2.65% and will be implemented no later than 10<sup>th</sup> May 2023.</p><p> </p><p>The rate of SMI payments only changes when the Bank of England’s average mortgage rate differs by 0.5 percentage points or more from the standard interest rate.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 17/04/2023 10:46:47 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1463762

	registered interest
	date	17/05/2022
	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	Employment
	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 report by the Local Government Association entitled Work local: unlocking talent to level up, published on 10 May 2022, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of proposals for an integrated and devolved employment and skills service; and if she will make it her policy to implement the Work Local model in full.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	3720
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/05/2022 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is supportive of better integration of employment and skills services. The Levelling Up White Paper (LUWP), published on 2 February 2022, established three Employment and Skills Pathfinders: in Blackpool, Walsall and Barking and Dagenham. The UK Government will bring greater alignment to the delivery of employment and skills interventions in these areas. This is a joint project between DWP and the Department for Education (DfE), the Department responsible for further education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills and funding in England. The Pathfinders are bringing together local delivery partners to share understanding of local employers’ skills needs, support people into work, and identify progression opportunities for people in part-time work.</p><p> </p><p>The LUWP also established an ‘English Devolution Framework.’ It takes a tiered approach to devolution and enables DWP to offer local government, a single institution or County Council with a directly elected Mayor, a role in the design and delivery of future contracted employment programmes. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is leading devolution deal negotiations with those areas identified in the LUWP.</p><p> </p><p>DWP works closely with local government to understand local labour market issues and reflect these in our employment support and is committed to working with the LGA to strengthening our engagement, alongside other local government organisations.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 25/05/2022 16:31:37 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1419289

	registered interest
	date	02/02/2022
	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	Vacancies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has her department made of the implications for her policies of the number of job vacancies in the labour market as of 2 February 2022 in (a) Weaver Vale constituency, (b) the North West and (c) the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	117060
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2022 answer text <p>For October to December 2021 there were a record high 1.2 million vacancies nationally, many in key sectors. Official statistics are not available at a local level, but ONS publish experimental statistics based on online job adverts. These suggest that, as of 28 January 2022, there are almost 40% more job adverts online in the North West than they were in February 2020. Our labour market policies are designed to support claimants who can work to move into work, improving their financial situation and wellbeing; and to support employers who need to fill vacancies.</p><p> </p><p>To deliver the workforce needed by the labour market, the Government has launched ‘Way to Work’. This will apply the lessons from the Kickstart Scheme to bring employers and claimants together in our Jobcentres. This will expedite applications and interviews and speed up the process of getting people into work. We will also make it easier for employers to work with us to fill their vacancies through jobs fairs (both in person and online), Employer Hubs, our social media channels (including JobHelp), and advertising on FindAJob.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>This is good news for employers who need to fill their vacancies. It is also good for our claimants who will be better off financially in work.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 10/02/2022 14:55:21 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1187035

	registered interest
	date	23/03/2020
	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	Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that her Department's social security claims enquiry lines are adequately staffed during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	33601
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2020 answer text <p>As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we are working quickly to deploy staff on to critical services. These are rapidly developing circumstances, we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.</p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 31/03/2020 09:28:35 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1169090

	registered interest
	date	07/01/2020
	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	Thomas Cook: Insolvency
	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 implications for her policies of reports that former Thomas Cook staff are having difficulties accessing and navigating the benefits system.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	1038
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2020 answer text <p>The Department is offering a range of support to anyone affected by the closure of Thomas Cook, through our Rapid Response Service (RRS) and wider services. This is designed to give practical support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with redundancy.</p><p> </p><p>The RRS is delivered in partnership with a range of national and local partners, including National Careers Service and local service providers. It was mobilised for former Thomas Cook employees to help people find a new job as soon as possible by offering tailored and individual support. Each Jobcentre Plus district area deploys resources according to the local situation and the needs of their claimants.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland continue to deliver ‘Help to Claim’ support to claimants making a new Universal Credit claim. Help to Claim have offered locally tailored support to former Thomas Cook employees in need of assistance face to face, and through prioritised telephony and web-chat channels.</p><p> </p><p>The Department keeps information we provide surrounding redundancies under review. This includes how we explain RRS and entitlements to benefits such as New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit. We are committed to having the right level of resource in place to support and direct people to the correct benefit type.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 14/01/2020 13:09:45 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1147991

	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	Thomas Cook: Insolvency
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what dedicated emergency support her Department has put in place to help and advise Thomas Cook members of staff who have lost their jobs.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	293716
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2019 answer text <p>DWP stands ready to support anyone affected by the closure of Thomas Cook, with our Rapid Response Service (RRS) offer. This is a redundancy service designed to give support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with redundancy. It is coordinated nationally by the National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT) and is managed by Jobcentre Plus.</p><p> </p><p>The RRS has been mobilised to help people find a new job as soon as possible by offering tailored support. Each Jobcentre Plus district deploy resources according to the situation and the requirements of the workforce. The RRS is delivered in partnership with a range of national and local partners, including National Careers Service and local service providers.</p><p> </p><p>NEPT have contacted several large employers and trade bodies to identify a range of opportunities for Thomas Cook members of staff who have lost their jobs and the Department is working closely with over 100 employers to offer support and opportunities. We are delivering over 65 Job Fairs nationally, where ex-employees can meet local employers with vacancies.</p><p> </p><p>The full range of support available from Jobcentre Plus and partners includes:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Information advice and guidance.</li><li>Connecting people to jobs in the labour market.</li><li>Help with job search including CV writing, interview skills, where to find jobs and how to apply for them.</li><li>Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps (linked to the local labour<br> market).</li><li>Training to update skills, learn new ones and gain industry recognised<br> certification that will improve employability.</li><li>Help to overcome barriers to attending training or securing a job or <br> self-employment such as child care costs, necessary tools, work clothes, travel costs etc.</li><li>On-site presentations to those affected.</li><li>Job Fairs and Job Clubs where appropriate.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Our local teams are monitoring all new claims to benefits to identify where the claimant is an ex-employee of Thomas Cook so that they quickly receive the right level of support.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested on the number of ex-employees who have been offered alternative employment opportunities is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 293717 question first answered 07/10/2019 17:05:18 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1147992

	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	Thomas Cook: Insolvency
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employees of Thomas Cook who have lost their jobs following the company's collapse have been offered alternative employment opportunities as of 2 October 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	293717
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2019 answer text <p>DWP stands ready to support anyone affected by the closure of Thomas Cook, with our Rapid Response Service (RRS) offer. This is a redundancy service designed to give support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with redundancy. It is coordinated nationally by the National Employer and Partnership Team (NEPT) and is managed by Jobcentre Plus.</p><p> </p><p>The RRS has been mobilised to help people find a new job as soon as possible by offering tailored support. Each Jobcentre Plus district deploy resources according to the situation and the requirements of the workforce. The RRS is delivered in partnership with a range of national and local partners, including National Careers Service and local service providers.</p><p> </p><p>NEPT have contacted several large employers and trade bodies to identify a range of opportunities for Thomas Cook members of staff who have lost their jobs and the Department is working closely with over 100 employers to offer support and opportunities. We are delivering over 65 Job Fairs nationally, where ex-employees can meet local employers with vacancies.</p><p> </p><p>The full range of support available from Jobcentre Plus and partners includes:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Information advice and guidance.</li><li>Connecting people to jobs in the labour market.</li><li>Help with job search including CV writing, interview skills, where to find jobs and how to apply for them.</li><li>Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps (linked to the local labour<br> market).</li><li>Training to update skills, learn new ones and gain industry recognised<br> certification that will improve employability.</li><li>Help to overcome barriers to attending training or securing a job or <br> self-employment such as child care costs, necessary tools, work clothes, travel costs etc.</li><li>On-site presentations to those affected.</li><li>Job Fairs and Job Clubs where appropriate.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Our local teams are monitoring all new claims to benefits to identify where the claimant is an ex-employee of Thomas Cook so that they quickly receive the right level of support.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested on the number of ex-employees who have been offered alternative employment opportunities is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 293716 question first answered 07/10/2019 17:05:18 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury