Department for Work and Pensions<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 of standard allowance and from October 2021 we are increasing the maximum recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months.</p>Reading WestAlok Sharma2019-05-24false2019-05-24T13:07:43.513Z29Work and PensionsWork and Pensions2019-05-15Universal Credit1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 May to Question 249846, whether she has made an assessment of the feasibility of a claimant living with a 40 per cent reduction in their universal credit payment; and if she will make a statement.falseBirmingham, Selly OakSteve McCabe254732Department for Work and Pensions<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>Reading WestAlok Sharma2019-05-24false2019-05-24T12:02:18.013Z29Work and PensionsWork and Pensions2019-05-15Universal Credit1House of CommonsTo 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.falseBirmingham, Selly OakSteve McCabe254729Department for Work and Pensions<p>This Government has recently published a response to a Collective Defined Contribution schemes consultation, and have engaged extensively with key stakeholders. In this response we have committed to facilitate Collective Defined Contribution schemes and have stated that the Government will bring forward Primary legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.</p><p> </p><p>The response can be viewed here:</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789051/response-delivering-collective-defined-contribution-pension-schemes.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789051/response-delivering-collective-defined-contribution-pension-schemes.pdf</a></p>HexhamGuy Opperman2019-05-24false2019-05-24T09:23:36.847Z29Work and PensionsWork and Pensions2019-05-16Workplace Pensions1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to provide for collective defined contribution pension schemes.falseEast AntrimSammy Wilson255316Department for Work and Pensions<p>People who claim Universal Credit due to having a health condition or disability, and have been determined to have limited capability for work (LCW) or limited capability for work and work related activity (LCWRA) following a work capability assessment, may be entitled to an additional amount of benefit. However, the additional amount for having LCW is not payable for a health related claim made on or after 3 April 2017. Only health related claims made on or after that date and where the claimant is determined as having LCWRA will have access to an additional amount of benefit.</p><p> </p><p>The additional amount for having LCWRA may only become payable from the beginning of the assessment period following the assessment period in which the relevant period ends. The relevant period is the 3 month period starting from the first day on which the claimant provides evidence of their having a health condition or disability which limits their capability for work. This means that all claimants who are determined to have LCWRA - with some exceptions, for example where the claimant is terminally ill and is not expected to live for more than 6 months - have to serve a three month relevant period.</p><p> </p><p>The relevant period is used, before payment of the additional amount for having LCWRA can be made, to establish that the claimant has a long-term health condition or disability. During the relevant period the claimant is made financially secure through being paid the Universal Credit standard allowance, plus any additional amounts to which they may be entitled, such as those for children and housing costs.</p>North SwindonJustin Tomlinson2019-05-24false2019-05-24T13:00:38.303Z29Work and PensionsWork and Pensions2019-05-15Universal Credit1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect on universal credit claimants who have been awarded the limited work capacity (LWC) element in addition to their basic element of the wait to be awarded the extra element.falseBirmingham, EdgbastonPreet Kaur Gill254862Department for Work and Pensions<p>Pensions dashboard are a priority of this Government. The Government is committed to ensuring that the Money and Pensions Service has the funding necessary to develop the non-commercial dashboard and to work with industry, through the Industry Delivery Group (IDG), to develop the dashboard architecture.</p><p> </p><p>The Money and Pensions Service has £8.2m funding for 2019/20 to begin development of the non-commercial dashboard and the dashboard architecture. This funding consists of:</p><ul><li>£1.2m from the Department’s Autumn Budget 2018 settlement to cover the initial set up costs for the Industry Delivery Group.</li><li>£4.7m from the pensions guidance element of the Financial Services Levy.</li><li>£2.3m from the General Pensions Levy.</li></ul><p> </p><p>We will continue to work with the Money and Pensions Service to understand the future development and ongoing maintenance costs over future years, including over the next three years to ensure sufficient funding is allocated from the levies.</p>HexhamGuy Opperman2019-05-24254866false2019-05-24T08:35:53.087Z29Work and PensionsWork and Pensions2019-05-15Pensions: Consumer Information1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how funding for the Money and Pension Service for delivery of pensions dashboards will be allocated between (a) the delivery of a non-commercial dashboard hosted by the Money and Pensions Service and (b) the Industry Delivery group for implementation of the wider project.falseEast RenfrewshirePaul Masterton254867Department for Work and Pensions<p>Pensions dashboard are a priority of this Government. The Government is committed to ensuring that the Money and Pensions Service has the funding necessary to develop the non-commercial dashboard and to work with industry, through the Industry Delivery Group (IDG), to develop the dashboard architecture.</p><p> </p><p>The Money and Pensions Service has £8.2m funding for 2019/20 to begin development of the non-commercial dashboard and the dashboard architecture. This funding consists of:</p><ul><li>£1.2m from the Department’s Autumn Budget 2018 settlement to cover the initial set up costs for the Industry Delivery Group.</li><li>£4.7m from the pensions guidance element of the Financial Services Levy.</li><li>£2.3m from the General Pensions Levy.</li></ul><p> </p><p>We will continue to work with the Money and Pensions Service to understand the future development and ongoing maintenance costs over future years, including over the next three years to ensure sufficient funding is allocated from the levies.</p>HexhamGuy Opperman2019-05-24254867false2019-05-24T08:35:53.04Z29Work and PensionsWork and Pensions2019-05-15Pensions: Consumer Information1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding (a) has been and (b) is planned to be allocated to the Money and Pensions Service for the delivery of pensions dashboards in (i) 2019-20 and (ii) each of the three subsequent years from (A) the financial services levy on FCA-regulated firms, (B) the general levy on pension schemes and (C) general taxation.falseEast RenfrewshirePaul Masterton254866Department for Work and Pensions<p>All employers are already required to provide Statutory Sick Pay to an employee on sickness absence who meet certain criteria.</p><ol><li>To qualify for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) an individual must:</li></ol><p>(a) be an “employed earner” working for an employer who has liability to pay secondary Class 1 NI contributions</p><p>(b) have done some work for the employer</p><p>(c) have been ill for at least 4 days in a row (including non-working days)</p><p>(d) earn above the Lower Earnings Limit (currently at £118 per week)</p><p>(e) have given the correct notice to the employer.</p>North SwindonJustin Tomlinson2019-05-24false2019-05-24T11:56:23.517Z29Work and PensionsWork and Pensions2019-05-16Statutory Sick Pay1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on mandating private healthcare companies to provide statutory sick pay; and if she will make a statement.falseNewcastle-under-LymePaul Farrelly255297Department for Work and Pensions<p>The DWP and DHSC Joint Work and Health Unit is overseeing progress across 40 recommendations that were made in <em>Thriving at Work: The Stevenson / Farmer review of mental health and employers</em> published in October 2017 these range from short term deliverables to longer term reform. Government is committed to working with the authors of the review and key stakeholders across the public, private and voluntary sectors to ensure that employers of all sizes act to implement the core and enhanced standards and help them, and their employees, realise the benefits of healthy, inclusive workplaces.</p><p> </p><p>To improve information and advice for employers we are working with Mind and the Royal Foundation to continue developing their Mental Health at Work website (<a href="https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk" target="_blank">https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk</a>) which launched on 11<sup>th</sup> September 2018.</p>North SwindonJustin Tomlinson2019-05-24false2019-05-24T11:47:32.95Z29Work and PensionsWork and Pensions2019-05-16Employment: Mental Health1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring that workplaces (a) have stand-alone mental health policies for employees and (b) provide mental health training for management and staff to support colleagues.falseNewcastle-under-LymePaul Farrelly255298Department for Work and Pensions<p>We have undertaken significant reform of Access to Work, but there are still further opportunities for improvements and we are committed to listening to our customers and stakeholders.</p><p> </p><p>For example, to address points raised about the Access to Work self-employment customer journey in the DWP research report ‘Access to Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff’, published in November 2018, we worked closely with customers and stakeholders to identify the issues and develop a new self-employment customer journey for freelancers and contractors.</p><p> </p><p>To support this work, we are also developing an Access to Work ‘Workplace Adjustments Passport’, comprising a current record of an Access to Work customer’s support needs. This ‘passport’ is designed to be shared with new employers and commissioners, so that Access to Work customers who change jobs or move between contracts can be sure that their support needs are known in advance and adjustments may be put in place swiftly.</p><p>We will be announcing the detail of these new reforms later in the year.</p>North SwindonJustin Tomlinson2019-05-24false2019-05-24T12:40:20.897Z29Work and PensionsWork and Pensions2019-05-16Access to Work Programme: Self-employed1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Access to Work scheme supports disabled people who are self-employed.falseBatterseaMarsha De Cordova255393Department for Work and Pensions<p>I am committed to ensuring that disabled people and disabled people’s organisations are engaged with and listened to. My diary for this year is filling up with meetings with disabled people and stakeholders, ranging from individual Access to Work customers to larger organisations such as Action on Hearing Loss.</p><p> </p><p>Access to Work has a regular stakeholder forum which brings together disabled people and disabled people’s organisations to discuss how the Access to Work offer works for our customers. This group includes representatives from organisations such as the Thomas Pocklington Trust, Versus Arthritis and the National Deaf Children’s Association. The group is due to meet next month and will discuss plans for future improvements for the Access to Work scheme.</p><p> </p><p>DWP also undertakes regular engagement with stakeholders on specific issues. For example, this week officials held a stakeholder workshop on Access to Work’s Tech Fund policy, exploring strategies for encouraging the take-up of assistive technology to meet support needs. Next week, we are hosting the latest in a series of stakeholder workshops to discuss the Access to Work offer for self-employed people.</p>North SwindonJustin Tomlinson2019-05-24false2019-05-24T12:10:30.023Z29Work and PensionsWork and Pensions2019-05-16Access to Work Programme1House of CommonsTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with (a) disabled people and (b) disabled people's organisations on the Access to Work scheme.falseBatterseaMarsha De Cordova255394100112