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1105486

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	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, whether universal credit claimants are able to deduct the tax relief claimed by relief at source pension schemes from their earned income figure to calculate their award of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	237575
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>100% of contributions to employer pension schemes, whether Net or Relief at Source pensions, will be taken into account when calculating the level of employed earnings in UC. This means that a UC claimant that contributes to either type of pension will, automatically (where employers report the information correctly), have their UC entitlement calculated on their taxable pay, after their pension contribution. This ensures fairness for all affected UC employed claimants.</p><p> </p><p>If there is some discrepancy in the way in which it’s reported, DWP will manually ensure that the Relief at Source pension contribution is deducted before any UC entitlement is calculated on their employed earnings.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 17/06/2019 15:25:05 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1126539

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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 support her Department provides to local authorities to help (a) identify and (b) remedy errors in universal credit calculations.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	254088
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/06/2019 answer text <p>It is not clear whether the questions relate to the Local Authority as the provider of housing or as the administrator of Housing Benefit and Council Tax. This answer therefore responds on both counts.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Local Authority as landlord:</strong></p><p> </p><p>The Local Authority use the ‘Landlord Portal’ to provide details of a claimant’s rent and tenancy details. When the information provided does not match what the claimant has given, the claimant will then be able to accept or reject the information uploaded by the Local Authority by logging into their Universal Credit account.</p><p> </p><p>If the claimant accepts the information provided by the Local Authority no further action is required. If the Local Authority has provided information that is rejected by the claimant, the claimant is advised to make contact to resolve this. This could require a subsequent housing declaration to be provided. The ‘Landlord Portal’ has a summary screen that allows the Local Authority to confirm or change the information they are about to provide before it has been submitted.</p><p> </p><p>This process applies whenever there is a rent change, including annual uprating of rent. The Landlord Portal is the streamlined communication tool which allows the Local Authority to disclose the rent thus highlighting errors in the claimants Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Local Authority as administrator of Housing Benefit and Council Tax:</strong></p><p> </p><p>Once a claim to Universal Credit has been made, the Local Authority will receive a notification if the claimant is in receipt of Housing Benefit. This will inform the Local Authority of the claim to Universal Credit so they can take the action to close the Housing Benefit claim where needed. The Local Authority will inform Universal Credit of the action they have taken and if there is any payment to be offset within the first assessment period.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, during the Universal Credit claim process, the claimant will be asked if their name is on the council tax bill. If the claimant answers ‘yes’, they are asked if they have applied for a reduction in their council tax. If the claimant answers that they have applied or will apply for a Council Tax Reduction, their details will be shared with the Local Authority. This is a one-way communication which allows for the Local Authority to take the appropriate action regarding an application for a Council Tax Reduction.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 254086 question first answered 03/06/2019 13:09:40 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 119077 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1126537

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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 response her Department makes when notified by a local authority of an error in a resident’s universal credit calculation.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	254086
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/06/2019 answer text <p>It is not clear whether the questions relate to the Local Authority as the provider of housing or as the administrator of Housing Benefit and Council Tax. This answer therefore responds on both counts.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Local Authority as landlord:</strong></p><p> </p><p>The Local Authority use the ‘Landlord Portal’ to provide details of a claimant’s rent and tenancy details. When the information provided does not match what the claimant has given, the claimant will then be able to accept or reject the information uploaded by the Local Authority by logging into their Universal Credit account.</p><p> </p><p>If the claimant accepts the information provided by the Local Authority no further action is required. If the Local Authority has provided information that is rejected by the claimant, the claimant is advised to make contact to resolve this. This could require a subsequent housing declaration to be provided. The ‘Landlord Portal’ has a summary screen that allows the Local Authority to confirm or change the information they are about to provide before it has been submitted.</p><p> </p><p>This process applies whenever there is a rent change, including annual uprating of rent. The Landlord Portal is the streamlined communication tool which allows the Local Authority to disclose the rent thus highlighting errors in the claimants Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Local Authority as administrator of Housing Benefit and Council Tax:</strong></p><p> </p><p>Once a claim to Universal Credit has been made, the Local Authority will receive a notification if the claimant is in receipt of Housing Benefit. This will inform the Local Authority of the claim to Universal Credit so they can take the action to close the Housing Benefit claim where needed. The Local Authority will inform Universal Credit of the action they have taken and if there is any payment to be offset within the first assessment period.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, during the Universal Credit claim process, the claimant will be asked if their name is on the council tax bill. If the claimant answers ‘yes’, they are asked if they have applied for a reduction in their council tax. If the claimant answers that they have applied or will apply for a Council Tax Reduction, their details will be shared with the Local Authority. This is a one-way communication which allows for the Local Authority to take the appropriate action regarding an application for a Council Tax Reduction.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 254088 question first answered 03/06/2019 13:09:40 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 119078 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1126971

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept id	16
	answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
	hansard heading	Sri Lanka: Human Rights
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of Sri Lanka’s compliance with UN Resolution 30/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka which that country co-sponsored with the UK at the UN Human Rights Council in 2015; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	254719
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>On 21 March the Annual Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights assessed progress made by the Sri Lankan government in the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 and 34/1. We agree that progress has been made and welcome restoration of important democratic checks and balances, improvements in freedom of expression and assembly, the return of some military–held civilian land, the establishment of an Office of Missing Persons and the ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances.</p><p>However, we want to see further and faster progress. In particular, we encourage the Government to establish the full range of transitional justice mechanisms envisaged in resolution 30/1, to deliver meaningful devolution through constitutional reform, replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act with human rights compliant legislation, and return all remaining military-held private land. We continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to deliver fully on the commitments it made in resolutions 30/1 and 34/1.</p><p>On 21 March, the UK introduced a new Resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva rolling over these commitments, calling for the development of a comprehensive and time bound implementation strategy. I am pleased that this Resolution was adopted by consensus with 42 co-sponsors, including Sri Lanka.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 20/05/2019 16:18:08 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1126542

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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: 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 extent of the overpayment of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	254090
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The design of UC is expected to reduce considerably the losses that are currently incurred in DWP-administered benefits and in Tax Credits (TC) by around £1bn annually in steady state, meaning that overall levels of fraud and error across welfare (DWP benefits &amp; TC) should fall.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has a clear strategic approach to tackling fraud, error and debt, based on a clear understanding of where loss is incurred. This is informed by our own internal data and by the estimated levels of overpayments, published annually. The most recent edition (published 9 May 2019) can be accessed via the link below.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2018-to-2019-estimates" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2018-to-2019-estimates</a></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 254089 question first answered 20/05/2019 13:43:20 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1126541

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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: 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 reasons for the overpayment of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	254089
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The design of UC is expected to reduce considerably the losses that are currently incurred in DWP-administered benefits and in Tax Credits (TC) by around £1bn annually in steady state, meaning that overall levels of fraud and error across welfare (DWP benefits &amp; TC) should fall.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has a clear strategic approach to tackling fraud, error and debt, based on a clear understanding of where loss is incurred. This is informed by our own internal data and by the estimated levels of overpayments, published annually. The most recent edition (published 9 May 2019) can be accessed via the link below.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2018-to-2019-estimates" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2018-to-2019-estimates</a></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 254090 question first answered 20/05/2019 13:43:20 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1126538

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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, which organisations her Department defines as partners in the delivery of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	254087
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>We work with a wide range of stakeholders, many of whom we collaborate with directly and consider partners. The next phase of delivering Universal Credit (UC) involves moving legacy benefit claimants to Universal Credit. The Department plans to pilot this approach, to test our processes carefully to ensure that claimants on all legacy benefits with a range of characteristics can be successfully moved onto Universal Credit. The Department is working with a wide and diverse range of stakeholders to design the process and we are currently developing the detailed planning on how we will start the pilot process, including which groups or individuals we will begin to move to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>From 1 April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland are delivering the new ‘Help to Claim’ support to claimants making a new Universal Credit claim or moving from a legacy benefit to UC because of a change of circumstances. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim offers tailored, practical support to help people make a UC claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time. It is be available online, through web-chat, through a Freephone number and face to face through local Citizens Advice services.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 20/05/2019 12:43:12 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1126969

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what modelling her Department undertook on the financial effect on disabled households as a result of the full roll-out of universal credit; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	254718
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department estimates around 2 million disabled households will be in receipt of Universal Credit, as shown in table 4.4, page 86 of the Office for Budget Responsibility, Welfare Trends Report, here: <a href="http://obr.uk/wtr/welfare-trends-report-january-2018/" target="_blank">http://obr.uk/wtr/welfare-trends-report-january-2018/</a></p><p> </p><p>For those on Universal Credit due to a change in circumstance, it is not possible to calculate gainers or losers. As there has been a change of circumstance, the previous entitlement is not relevant for such a calculation. In order to carry out such an assessment, one would need to calculate individual notional legacy entitlement in tax credits, housing benefit and legacy DWP benefits, and then compare it to the Universal Credit entitlement. There is not the capacity within HMRC, Local Authorities or legacy DWP to run such calculations.</p><p> </p><p>For those who have yet to move over to Universal Credit, the same principle applies. The circumstances that will lead to them moving over are not known, so it is not possible to calculate.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is more generous than the legacy system, with around one million disabled households gaining around £100 per month on average.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 254716 254717 question first answered 20/05/2019 11:25:53 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1126968

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of disabled households will have a (a) higher and (b) lower benefit income than under the previous benefit system after the roll-out of universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	254717
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department estimates around 2 million disabled households will be in receipt of Universal Credit, as shown in table 4.4, page 86 of the Office for Budget Responsibility, Welfare Trends Report, here: <a href="http://obr.uk/wtr/welfare-trends-report-january-2018/" target="_blank">http://obr.uk/wtr/welfare-trends-report-january-2018/</a></p><p> </p><p>For those on Universal Credit due to a change in circumstance, it is not possible to calculate gainers or losers. As there has been a change of circumstance, the previous entitlement is not relevant for such a calculation. In order to carry out such an assessment, one would need to calculate individual notional legacy entitlement in tax credits, housing benefit and legacy DWP benefits, and then compare it to the Universal Credit entitlement. There is not the capacity within HMRC, Local Authorities or legacy DWP to run such calculations.</p><p> </p><p>For those who have yet to move over to Universal Credit, the same principle applies. The circumstances that will lead to them moving over are not known, so it is not possible to calculate.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is more generous than the legacy system, with around one million disabled households gaining around £100 per month on average.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 254716 254718 question first answered 20/05/2019 11:25:53 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1126967

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of disabled households that will be in receipt of universal credit when it is fully rolled out.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
	uin	254716
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department estimates around 2 million disabled households will be in receipt of Universal Credit, as shown in table 4.4, page 86 of the Office for Budget Responsibility, Welfare Trends Report, here: <a href="http://obr.uk/wtr/welfare-trends-report-january-2018/" target="_blank">http://obr.uk/wtr/welfare-trends-report-january-2018/</a></p><p> </p><p>For those on Universal Credit due to a change in circumstance, it is not possible to calculate gainers or losers. As there has been a change of circumstance, the previous entitlement is not relevant for such a calculation. In order to carry out such an assessment, one would need to calculate individual notional legacy entitlement in tax credits, housing benefit and legacy DWP benefits, and then compare it to the Universal Credit entitlement. There is not the capacity within HMRC, Local Authorities or legacy DWP to run such calculations.</p><p> </p><p>For those who have yet to move over to Universal Credit, the same principle applies. The circumstances that will lead to them moving over are not known, so it is not possible to calculate.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is more generous than the legacy system, with around one million disabled households gaining around £100 per month on average.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 254717 254718 question first answered 20/05/2019 11:25:53 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms