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1124357

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	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: 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, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2019 to Question 243334 on Universal Credit: Private Rented Housing, whether she has plans to classify being in receipt of benefits as a protected characteristic in order to eliminate discrimination against benefit recipients in the rental housing market.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	249850
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government has no current plans to classify receipt of benefits as a protected characteristic (under Equalities Legislation).</p><p> </p><p>Ministers are working with stakeholders from across the private rental sector to discuss how it can work with them to eliminate practices which prevent benefit recipients from renting property.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 08/05/2019 10:00:53 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1130130

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	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 information her Department holds on the number of claimants of universal credit without a permanent fixed address.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	260541
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>This information is not centrally collated, and to do so would create a disproportionate cost to the Department. Universal Credit case managers and work coaches are aware of the reported circumstances of individuals and are able to provide a tailored approach, which includes those without a fixed address.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is committed to ensuring that those who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, get the appropriate support to stabilise their lives and move into work. There is a range of support which can be considered, such as access to Alternative Payment Arrangements, easements to work-search requirements, and partnerships between Jobcentres and housing organisations. By law, work coaches in England must offer a voluntary referral to claimants they consider may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to a Local Housing Authority.</p><p>Data on homelessness by local authority level, provided by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, is available at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/06/2019 12:20:43 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1130132

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Public Spaces Protection Orders: Homelessness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what regulations are in place to stop local authorities from the excessive use of public space protection orders against homeless people.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	260542
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>Revised statutory guidance on the use of the powers provided by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, published in December 2017 made it clear that public space protection orders should be used proportionately and should not be used to target people based solely on the fact that someone is homeless or sleeping rough.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 14/06/2019 10:57:56 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1126906

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Paediatrics: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will support the Children and Young People's Transformation Programme within the NHS Long Term Plan by (a) publishing the Government's timetable for the implementation of the paediatric Workforce Implementation Plan and (b) guaranteeing that the Workforce Implementation Plan will be fully-funded from the public health budget.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	254728
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 May 2019 to Question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-04-30/249197/" target="_blank">249197</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst there are no plans for a specific ‘paediatric Workforce Implementation Plan’, the NHS People Plan will include those working with children and young people. A final Plan will be published following the 2019 Spending Review.</p> answering member constituency Wimbledon answering member printed Stephen Hammond question first answered 20/05/2019 14:31:49 answering member 1585 label Biography information for Stephen Hammond
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1124349

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2019 to Question 243330 on Universal Credit, what proportion of universal credit claimants are unable to pay back the benefit advances they have taken within 12 months of their receipt in each year for which information is available.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	249845
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>33% of UC advances which were paid before 5th May 2018, have not been fully repaid as at 5th May 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Advances are not loans; they are an interest free payment benefit advance, available to help people who need immediate financial support, which is then recovered over an agreed period. The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that the recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable. From October 2021 we are increasing the recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months, further supporting those in financial need.</p><p> </p><p>Queries against the current repayment stock are only ever a snap shot in time and therefore the position at the end of each financial year cannot be recreated.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 13/05/2019 17:00:23 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1124350

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	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, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2019 to Question 243330 on Universal Credit, what assessment her Department makes of other repayment commitments that claimants may have alongside their obligation to repay a universal credit advance; and whether any such assessments affect the repayment period relating to such advances.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	249846
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>The purpose of Universal Credit new claim advances is to provide those in financial need with fast access to a payment to see them through until their first Universal Credit payment is due. Introducing an assessment of claimant’s other repayment commitments would delay this.</p><p> </p><p>Affordability is managed by ensuring the recovery rate will not be more than the equivalent of 40% of their benefit unit’s standard allowance. Help is available for those struggling to meet the recovery rate. In exceptional circumstances, recovery can be deferred for up to 3 months from the start of the recovery period.</p><p> </p><p>Advances are not loans; they are an interest free payment benefit advance, available to help people who need immediate financial support, which is then recovered over an agreed period. The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that the recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable. From October 2021 we are increasing the recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months, further supporting those in financial need.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 08/05/2019 17:10:20 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1124351

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	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 information her Department holds on the number of universal credit claimants that have debts in addition to a universal credit advance.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	249847
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Universal Credit already has procedures and regulations in place to protect claimants from excessive deductions. The maximum rate of deductions cannot normally exceed 40% of the Universal Credit standard allowance, and from October 2019, this will be reduced to 30% of a claimant’s standard allowance of their UC award. If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions being made they can contact the Department to request that a reduction in deductions be considered.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit (UC) new claim advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due. Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, for which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 months, and in the Autumn Budget 2018, we announced that from October 2021, the payback period for these advances will be extended further, up to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>Currently there are around 850,000 claimants that have a UC advance repayment in place. Of these claimants, the table below shows 440,000 also have at least one other debt relating to benefit overpayments, social fund loans or previous advances (figures rounded to nearest ten thousand). The data held by the Department does not include other third party debts, for example arrears, utility bills or other borrowing. However, research conducted by Almo’s shows that while many people join UC with pre-existing arears, this fell by a third after 4 months on universal credit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Debt Source/Combination</p></td><td><p>Volume</p></td><td><p>Percent</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tax Credits only</p></td><td><p>120,000</p></td><td><p>27.31</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Social Fund only</p></td><td><p>80,000</p></td><td><p>18.29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Combinations inc Social Fund</p></td><td><p>62,000</p></td><td><p>14.04</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Combinations</p></td><td><p>40,000</p></td><td><p>9.05</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UC Overpayment only</p></td><td><p>22,000</p></td><td><p>4.94</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Combinations inc UC</p></td><td><p>20,000</p></td><td><p>4.49</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Combinations inc Leg OP &amp; SF</p></td><td><p>18,000</p></td><td><p>4.05</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Legacy Benefit overpayment only</p></td><td><p>18,000</p></td><td><p>4.04</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Combinations inc Legacy</p></td><td><p>17,000</p></td><td><p>3.89</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>UC Recoverable Hardship Payment</p></td><td><p>10,000</p></td><td><p>2.39</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Legacy Benefit overpayment and Social Fund</p></td><td><p>10,000</p></td><td><p>2.22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Housing Benefit only</p></td><td><p>10,000</p></td><td><p>2.20</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tax Credits &amp; Housing Benefit</p></td><td><p>9,000</p></td><td><p>2.05</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Housing Benefit &amp; Social Fund</p></td><td><p>5,000</p></td><td><p>1.03</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source: DWP internal statistics</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p> </p><p>1. Data has been sourced from DWP internal statistics.</p><p>2. The figures within the data table for those with more than two types of benefit debt have been combined and reported according to whether they have both a legacy benefit (LegOP) and a social fund (SF) debt, either of these singularly or another UC related debt.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 249941 question first answered 08/05/2019 17:20:03 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1124353

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	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: 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, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April to Question 243333, on Universal credit: private rented housing, what percentage of new claimants contact the Money and Pensions Service within three months of signing on to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	249848
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2019 answer text <p>The requested information is not centrally collected by the Department.</p><p> </p><p>The Money and Pension Service (MaPS) has replaced the three existing providers of government-sponsored financial guidance – the Money Advice Service, the Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise – which has brought together the provision of debt advice, money guidance and pension guidance for the first time, streamlining the services offered and reducing confusion for members of the public on who they should contact.</p><p> </p><p>The new body delivers free and impartial financial guidance and a more streamlined service to members of the public providing easier access to the information and guidance.</p><p> </p><p>From January to March 2019 around 9,300 individuals visited the <a href="https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/tools/money-manager" target="_blank">Money Manager tool</a> for Universal Credit claimants, hosted on the Money Advice Service website. Additionally, over the same period, The Money and Pension Service money guidance contact centre was contacted around 1,100 times regarding Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 249849 question first answered 10/05/2019 14:57:13 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1124356

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2019
	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: 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, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April to Question 243333 on Universal Credit: Private Rented Housing, if he will make an assessment of trends in the level of claimants making contact since February 2019 as a result of those changes.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	249849
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2019 answer text <p>The requested information is not centrally collected by the Department.</p><p> </p><p>The Money and Pension Service (MaPS) has replaced the three existing providers of government-sponsored financial guidance – the Money Advice Service, the Pensions Advisory Service and Pension Wise – which has brought together the provision of debt advice, money guidance and pension guidance for the first time, streamlining the services offered and reducing confusion for members of the public on who they should contact.</p><p> </p><p>The new body delivers free and impartial financial guidance and a more streamlined service to members of the public providing easier access to the information and guidance.</p><p> </p><p>From January to March 2019 around 9,300 individuals visited the <a href="https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/tools/money-manager" target="_blank">Money Manager tool</a> for Universal Credit claimants, hosted on the Money Advice Service website. Additionally, over the same period, The Money and Pension Service money guidance contact centre was contacted around 1,100 times regarding Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 249848 question first answered 10/05/2019 14:57:13 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1126933

	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
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what penalties universal credit claimants incur if they are unable to repay their advance within 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
	tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
	uin	254729
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2019 answer text <p>Before accepting a Universal Credit Advance the number of monthly repayment instalments is agreed with a claimant, up to a maximum of 12. For a variety of reasons, instalments may not occur consecutively, so claimants do not incur a penalty if it takes them more than 12 calendar months.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable. From October 2019 we are reducing the maximum rate of deductions to 30 per cent and from October 2021 we are increasing the maximum recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/05/2019 12:02:18 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe