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1692560

	registered interest
	date	28/02/2024
	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	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, how much his Department spent on exempt accommodation in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	16270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2024 answer text <p>Providing the requested information would incur disproportionate costs to the Department due to the resource required to resolve data quality issues on exempt accommodation, which is a particular type of supported housing.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is working to resolve a historical data quality issue in relation to how supported housing status is captured on Housing Benefit claims. The resulting fix will be for new claims and will not address historic claims.</p><p> </p><p>In 2022, DWP made investments to deliver improvements to local authority (LA) IT systems, to accurately record all new Housing Benefit claims. This has substantially improved data quality for new claims. DWP have also taken action to improve data on existing claims. LAs have received funding to review their Housing Benefit caseload and set the supported housing status accurately by 31<sup>st</sup> March 2024.</p><p> </p><p>The Departments’ analysts will then make a final assessment of these case reviews in Summer 2024, once they have received the full relevant data set, and will determine whether it is sufficiently robust to support quantification of the scale and cost of specified accommodation.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 06/03/2024 11:16:50 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1687968

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2024
	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	Playgrounds: Disability and Special Educational Needs
	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 make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility to local playgrounds for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	13415
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2024 answer text <p>The department published the Disability Action Plan on 5 February 2024 which includes measures looking at the accessibility of playgrounds.</p><p> </p><p>A large amount of guidance about how to improve playground accessibility is already available, but practitioners are not always able to locate this advice. The Disability Unit will create an online hub of information for local authorities on creating accessible playgrounds with a new families disabled people’s experience panel helping to support the hub’s development.</p><p> </p><p>This is a national-level approach that should support improvements across many local authorities. We will continue to monitor this area, as well as working with partners to explore the potential for new or updated guidance.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 14/02/2024 13:55:18 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1688000

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2024
	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	Homelessness: Local Housing Allowance
	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 merits of increasing discretionary housing payments to help reduce homelessness.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	13440
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2024 answer text <p>Current rental data and the broader fiscal context were considerations in the Secretary of State’s review of Local Housing Allowance rates last Autumn.</p><p> </p><p>As announced in the Autumn Statement (AS) from April 2024 the Government is investing £7bn over five years to increase Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents in 2024/25. This is in addition to the around £30bn spent annually on housing support. Taken together with the wider benefits uprating, this will improve housing affordability for low-income households on benefits renting in the private sector, helping them afford their rent and reducing the risk of rent arrears and homelessness.</p><p> </p><p>Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs This is not restricted to those who meet the statutory definition of being at risk or homeless, which allows DHPs to be used to stabilise tenancies and thus preventing the need to access to homelessness services.</p><p> </p><p>We’re providing £300m for DHPs between 2022-25. In addition to the central government contribution, English and Welsh local authorities can top up DHP funding up to a maximum of two and a half times this figure using their own funds.</p><p /><p>In addition, there has been an investment of over £1bn in DLUHC’s Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) over three years, including a £109m top-up this year (2023-24). There has also been funding of £120m to help councils address Ukraine and homelessness pressures in 2024/25, including funding for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 14/02/2024 14:00:17 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1667758

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2023
	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	Housing Benefit
	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 he has made of the adequacy of the level of housing benefit.
	tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
	tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
	uin	442
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2023 answer text <p>We are forecast to spend £31 billion in 2023/24 on housing support. Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were boosted by almost £1 billion in 2020, this significant investment has been kept annually to maintain rates at 2020 levels.</p><p> </p><p>The level of LHA rates is reviewed annually by the Secretary of State. LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas. However, the Department monitors average rents and housing support levels provided to claimants to assess the impact of the policy.</p><p> </p><p>For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support. Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.7 billion in DHP funding to local authorities</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 15/11/2023 11:35:43 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

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