The Department does not keep official statistics on food bank use, so no such assessment has been completed. Some food aid providers produce statistics on the number of food parcels distributed, but the Government has no plans to require individual food banks to keep records as this would place a significant burden on charitable and voluntary organisations.<\/p>
<\/p>
We have listened to feedback on how we can improve Universal Credit to support our claimants and acted quickly, making improvements such as extending advances, removing waiting days, and introducing housing benefit run on. These changes are giving support to vulnerable people who need it most, whilst at the same time helping people get into work faster.<\/p>
<\/p>
Furthermore, in Scotland, the Department delivers Universal Credit Scottish choices on behalf of the Scottish Government, providing the option of Universal Credit being paid twice a month rather than monthly, and having Universal Credit housing element being paid directly to landlords.<\/p>
<\/strong><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4423", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Will Quince"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Colchester"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Will Quince"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-10-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-10-08T10:07:32.15Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-10-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit: Scotland"}
, "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 recent assessment she has made of the effect of the time taken for universal credit payments to be made to claimants on trends in the level of food bank use in Scotland.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4614", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Hugh Gaffney"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Hugh Gaffney"}
], "uin" : "293692"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1130982", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1130982/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Department has not made an assessment of this nature.<\/p> <\/p> Caution should be exercised when considering any assessment of arrears derived from local authority level data which seeks to compare the legacy and Universal Credit welfare systems. This is because they do not compare groups with the same characteristics; typically, the legacy benefit group have been on benefits for some time, where the arrears may be under long-term management. The Universal Credit group, on the other hand, are often new to benefits, and are likely to have experienced a change in their circumstances \u2013 for example, a debt-creating event like losing a job or separation. Any arrears for this group will not have been under management and had time to clear.<\/p> <\/p> The initial analytical work we have carried out with a housing provider suggests that many tenants are arriving on Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears, that their arrears tend to increase prior to making a claim for Universal Credit, and that Universal Credit actually appears to be helping to clear arrears over time. We are currently extending this analysis to include a number of other housing providers. It will be published when completed. Furthermore, according to latest figures in November 2018 about 8 per cent of social rented households were on Universal Credit; therefore, it is difficult to see how a national trend can be attributed to Universal Credit.<\/p> <\/p> We have, however, responded to concerns in this area by putting a number of safeguards in place, such as 100% advances repayable over 12 months, increasing to 16 months in October 2021; a two-week Transition to Universal Credit Housing Payment; a new Help to Claim service to assist people to make their claim more easily; and Managed Payment to Landlord Arrangements, which allow for payments direct to the landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments, is unlikely to pay their rent or is in rent arrears equivalent to two months.<\/p> <\/p> Furthermore, in Scotland, the Department delivers Universal Credit Scottish choices on behalf of the Scottish Government, providing the option of Universal Credit being paid twice a month rather than monthly, and having Universal Credit housing element being paid directly to landlords.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4423", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Will Quince"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Colchester"}
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, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-18T15:28:46.223Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit: Scotland"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the effect of universal credit on the level of rent arrears owed to Scottish local authorities; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4614", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Hugh Gaffney"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Hugh Gaffney"}
], "uin" : "262433"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1042207", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Scotland Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1042207/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Evidence shows that Universal Credit is working. It empowers people to move into work and I am pleased that the budget announced a £4.5 billion cash boost for it, including measures that will allow millions of families to keep more of what they earn.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1512", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Mundell"}
}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "David Mundell"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-01-16T17:34:31.827Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Scotland"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Scotland"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit: Scotland"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "What assessment he has made of the effect on low-income families of the roll-out of universal credit in Scotland.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4614", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Hugh Gaffney"}
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, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Hugh Gaffney"}
], "uin" : "908518"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/934831", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/934831/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "