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. In January 2018 we increased the amount available for advances from 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the total award.<\/p>
<\/p>
From October 2021 we are increasing the recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months, further supporting those in financial need. Furthermore, if a claimant feels that they are experiencing financial hardship because of the amount that is being deducted from their Universal Credit award, they can ask the Department to consider reducing their deductions. From October 2019, the overall maximum level of deductions that can be taken from a Universal Credit award will be reduced from 40% to 30% of the claimant\u2019s Standard Allowance. The Money and Pension Service also provides debt advice and money guidance to claimants if they need support managing their money.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-08T15:47:41.877Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of advance repayments of universal credit on the (a) household income and (b) levels of debt among claimants.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/298", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve McCabe"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Selly Oak"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Steve McCabe"} ], "uin" : "240478"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1109455", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1109455/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department supports head teachers in using exclusion where this is warranted.<\/p>
In March 2018, the Government launched an externally led review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review is exploring how head teachers use exclusion, and why pupils with particular characteristics are more likely to be excluded from school. It is also considering the differences in exclusion rates across primary and secondary schools in England.<\/p>
The review along with the Government response will be published in due course. The full terms of reference for the review can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusions-review-terms-of-reference<\/a>.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/111", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nick Gibb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bognor Regis and Littlehampton"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nick Gibb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-08T15:36:54.727Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pupil Exclusions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of school exclusions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/298", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve McCabe"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Selly Oak"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Steve McCabe"}
], "uin" : "240479"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1109458", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1109458/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government has been clear that unfair stigmatisation of social residents will not be tolerated, whether that be through restrictions on playground use or otherwise.<\/p> We are looking closely at how we encourage and support genuinely mixed homes and communities. I have asked officials to explore strengthening our existing planning guidance to emphasise the importance of integrated communities and help prevent this kind of thing from ever happening again.<\/p> MHCLG has been consulting widely on the question of stigma including through the Social Housing Green Paper. Many people living in England\u2019s social homes told us they feel ignored and stigmatised and the Green Paper committed to tackling this. Our response to the Green Paper will be published in due course.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4495", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kit Malthouse"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North West Hampshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kit Malthouse"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-08T15:05:46.577Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Housing, Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Housing: Construction"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government is taking steps to prevent the development of policies which result in restrictions on playground use similar to the case of Henley Homes in Lambeth.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/298", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve McCabe"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Selly Oak"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Steve McCabe"}
], "uin" : "240480"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1109463", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1109463/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "