Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1175722

	registered interest
	date	03/02/2020
	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: British Nationals Abroad
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what welfare support she plans to make available to UK citizens living in the EU who are no longer entitled to that support from EU member states after the transition period.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	11641
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2020 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>UK nationals living in an EEA state or Switzerland by 31 December 2020 are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, EU rules on social security coordination will continue to apply to them for as long as they remain in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement.</p><p> </p><p>UK nationals who are currently being paid a pension or benefit by an EEA state or Switzerland will need to check with the organisation that pays them to find out what they will need to do to continue receiving any benefits or pension after 31 December 2020. For example, they may be required to register their residence. Country specific guidance can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides#eu-and-other-countries-affected-by-brexit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides#eu-and-other-countries-affected-by-brexit</a></p><p> </p><p>The rules for UK nationals who are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement and move to live in an EEA state or Switzerland from 1 January 2021 will depend on the outcome of negotiations with the EU and may change.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 06/02/2020 11:04:32 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

867168

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2018
	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: Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the savings accrued to the public purse in 2017-18 as a result of the removal of the automatic eligibility of 18 to 21 year-olds to claim universal credit for housing costs.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	133286
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2018 answer text <p>As a result of the removal of the automatic eligibility of 18 to 21 year olds to claim universal credit for housing costs the Department estimates savings of £5 million in welfare spending in 2017/2018.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 22/03/2018 14:59:20 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1519031

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	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	Universal Credit: 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 Government's Growth Plan 2022, published in September 2022, if she will make an estimate of the number of people on Universal Credit who will be placed in the Intensive Work Search regime following the increase in the Administration Earnings Threshold announced in that plan by (a) constituency, (b) region and (c) nation.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	59194
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>DWP forecasts that approximately 120,000 claimants will be affected by increase in the Administrative Earnings Threshold planned from January 2023. The information is not held in the format requested. The forecasts indicate that there is not a significant geographical variation in the number of claimants that will move into the Intensive Work Search Regime as a result of the planned changes.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 18/10/2022 15:49:27 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1440208

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2022
	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	Department for Work and Pensions: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has for the role of Advanced Customer Support Senior Leaders in the future.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	138334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2022 answer text <p>During 2021 we continually assessed the effectiveness of the Advanced Customer Support Senior Leader (ACSSL) role. It has been demonstrated that ACSSLs are effective in supporting existing DWP Service Lines to assist customers most at risk of harm.</p><p> </p><p>Following this work, ACSSLs’ future focus will include their coaching and facilitator role, their work with external agencies, and strengthening the learning they return to the business in real time.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 21/03/2022 16:38:10 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1696454

	registered interest
	date	15/03/2024
	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	Universal Credit: Rents
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that social housing tenants who receive Universal Credit are not financially affected by the 53-week rent year in the 2024-25 financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	18923
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2024 answer text <p>In the financial year 2024-25 social housing tenants will face 52 weekly rent payment days so Universal Credit will make provision for the exact amount of their liability.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit always converts weekly amounts to monthly sums using 52 weeks. This may lead to a slight advantage to the claimant when converting weekly incomes and to a slight disadvantage when dealing with outgoings. The system is used because it is simple to operate and understand. The department has considered alternative options for those with weekly tenancies, but each have their own limitations and disadvantages for claimants and so there are no plans to change.</p><p> </p><p>The legitimacy of this calculation formula in Universal Credit was confirmed by the High Court in 2020 who found it to be neither irrational or discriminatory.</p><p> </p><p>Discretionary Housing Payments 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. Since 2011, the government has provided nearly £1.7 billion in Discretionary Housing Payments to local authorities.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 25/03/2024 12:10:36 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1519266

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	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	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 recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the calculation of Local Housing Allowance rates applicable in financial year 2022-23.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	59968
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas.<em> </em>For Great Britain in May 2022, 55% of the households on LHA had rents higher than the LHA rates. For these households the average gap was £146 per month.</p><p> </p><p>In April 2020 LHA rates were increased to the 30th percentile of local rents. This significant investment of nearly £1 billion provided 1.5 million claimants with an average £600 more housing support in 2020/21 than they would otherwise have received.</p><p> </p><p>LHA rates have been maintained at their increased levels since then, so that everyone who benefitted from the increase will continue to do so.</p><p> </p><p>For those who require additional support with housing costs, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. Since 2011 we have provided almost over £1.5 billion in DHPs.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 18/10/2022 13:24:00 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1488779

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2022
	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	Maternity Pay: Self-employed
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to increase the level of maternity pay for self-employed mothers.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	36053
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2022 answer text <p>Maternity Allowance, which is payable to eligible self-employed women, is reviewed annually, alongside other state benefits, and is generally increased in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). From April 2022 the standard rate of Maternity Allowance increased to £156.66, in line with the September 2021 CPI rate of 3.1%. The Government has no plans to increase the standard rate of Maternity Allowance outside of annual uprating.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 21/07/2022 13:46:41 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1420505

	registered interest
	date	07/02/2022
	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	Maternity 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 her Department has made of changes since 2010 in the relative value of the standard weekly rate of Maternity Allowance compared to (a) the adult rate of the National Living Wage and (b) women's median weekly earnings.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	119738
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/02/2022 answer text <p>No assessment has been made.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Maternity Allowance (MA) is not intended to replace a woman's earnings completely. Instead, it provides a measure of financial security to help pregnant working women take time off work for a reasonable period around the expected date of birth, to protect their own health and wellbeing and that of their baby. MA is a benefit paid by the State, which is treated as unearned income.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 15/02/2022 14:57:55 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1453557

	registered interest
	date	23/03/2022
	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	Maternity Pay
	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 Answers of 23 February 2022 to Question 125365 and 8 March 2022 to Question 134067 on Maternity Allowance, and with reference to the data on Statutory Maternity Pay starts provided by HMRC in Freedom of Information Act responses dated 5 June 2019 (FOI2019/01113) and 24 September 2021 (FOI2021/20932), what assessment she has made of the reasons for the absence of any decline in the number of Statutory Maternity Pay starts over the period in which the number of grants of Maternity Allowance to employed women has fallen by 45 per cent.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	145959
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2022 answer text <p>Statutory Maternity Pay is delivered through HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold the raw data on Statutory Maternity Payment starts.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 30/03/2022 13:35:33 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse

1541912

	registered interest
	date	14/11/2022
	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	Maternity Allowance: Data Protection
	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 note on his Department's website, dated 17 October 2022, on the loss of Maternity Allowance statistics for May 2022, for what reason this data was lost; and whether his Department (a) has received and (b) expects to receive financial compensation for the data loss.
	tabling member constituency	Bath
	tabling member printed	Wera Hobhouse
	uin	86556
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2022 answer text <p>The 5% Maternity Allowance data scan for May 2022 has not been produced following an administrative error by data suppliers in the scheduling of the run of the data. The scan containing MA data was run a month ahead of schedule and therefore reflected an incomplete count.</p><p>Since discovery, suppliers have implemented safeguards to prevent a reoccurrence.</p><p>Data for the next data point, August 2022, were created successfully using the new safeguards and will be released at 9:30 on 14 February 2023.</p><p>Provision of this data is core funded with an internal Service Level Agreement with no financial compensation in the agreement. Therefore, no compensation is expected.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 22/11/2022 15:53:12 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4602 label Biography information for Wera Hobhouse