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61573

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
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	Apprentices: Sick Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will bring forward proposals to make apprentices who earn below earning thresholds eligible for statutory sick pay.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	200562
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>There is no intention to increase the financial burden on business and extend the qualifying rules for Statutory Sick Pay to bring apprentices earning below the lower earnings level into eligibility. An apprentice earning below the lower earnings limit will, in line with other employees on a low income, continue to have access to Employment and Support Allowance.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 17/06/2014 12:51:41 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

61826

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
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	Employment Schemes: Disclosure of Information
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department taks to investigate allegations from a whistleblower of impropriety in a Work Choice contract.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	200520
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department treats any allegation of fraud by contractors very seriously, regardless of where these emanate from. Any fraud is completely unacceptable. Where we identify, or are notified of, allegations of contractor fraud, these cases are investigated thoroughly by the Department's professionally trained and experienced investigators to a standard required to support reference to the Police whenever evidence of criminal offences is discovered.</p><p> </p><p>All contracted employment providers are required to have whistleblowing procedures that support their employees in reporting suspected wrongdoing at work and ‘making a disclosure in the public interest'. If they consider that they cannot raise suspicions of abuse of government funds with their employer, they should contact the Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office (NAO). This route is used to escalate whistleblower concerns and DWP Internal Investigations work with the NAO to investigate these matters and take appropriate action where issues are identified. This is an important channel in ensuring that employees can raise concerns and that they can be protected legally when doing so.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey grouped question UIN 200519 question first answered 19/06/2014 15:59:26 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey previous answer version 2140 answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

61828

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
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	Employment Schemes: Disclosure of Information
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to investigate whistleblowers' allegations of impropriety relating to employment support contracts.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	200519
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The Department treats any allegation of fraud by contractors very seriously, regardless of where these emanate from. Any fraud is completely unacceptable. Where we identify, or are notified of, allegations of contractor fraud, these cases are investigated thoroughly by the Department's professionally trained and experienced investigators to a standard required to support reference to the Police whenever evidence of criminal offences is discovered.</p><p> </p><p>All contracted employment providers are required to have whistleblowing procedures that support their employees in reporting suspected wrongdoing at work and ‘making a disclosure in the public interest'. If they consider that they cannot raise suspicions of abuse of government funds with their employer, they should contact the Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office (NAO). This route is used to escalate whistleblower concerns and DWP Internal Investigations work with the NAO to investigate these matters and take appropriate action where issues are identified. This is an important channel in ensuring that employees can raise concerns and that they can be protected legally when doing so.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey grouped question UIN 200520 question first answered 19/06/2014 15:59:25 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey previous answer version 2137 answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

61829

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
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	Jobseeker's Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of jobseeker's allowance claims processed within (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 30, (d) 40, (e) 60 and (f) more than 60 working days.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	200530
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2014 answer text <p>The information requested is not available.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 17/06/2014 11:37:33 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

61830

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
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	Housing Benefit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of housing benefit claims processed within (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 30, (d) 40, (e) 60 and (f) more than 60 working days.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	200531
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>None. The average speed of processing statistics for Housing Benefit are not broken down in this way. Published statistics are at the GOV.UK website: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/housing-benefit-and-council-tax-benefit-statistics-on-speed-of-processing--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/housing-benefit-and-council-tax-benefit-statistics-on-speed-of-processing--2</a></p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 17/06/2014 12:07:35 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

61831

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
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	Employment and Support Allowance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of employment and support allowance claims processed within (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 30, (d) 40, (e) 60 and (f) more than 60 working days.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	200532
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The information requested is not available.</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 17/06/2014 11:47:59 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

61838

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
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: Greater Manchester
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit sanctions for (a) not actively seeking employment, (b) refusal of employment, (c) failure to attend a mandatory interview, (d) failure to participate in work-related activity, (e) non-compliance with a Jobseeker's Direction were received by claimants in Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency between (i) April 2011 and March 2012 and (ii) April 2013 and March 2014.
tabling member constituency	Wythenshawe and Sale East
tabling member printed	Mike Kane
uin	200418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The available information as requested is shown in the table below.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><p>Number of adverse benefit sanctions applied in Wythenshawe and Sale East parliamentary constituency by referral reason.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Reason for referral</p></td><td><p>April 2011 to March 2012</p></td><td><p>April 2013 to December 2013</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Not actively seeking employment</p></td><td><p>230</p></td><td><p>220</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Refusal of employment</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>-</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Failure to attend a mandatory interview</p></td><td><p>870</p></td><td><p>320</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Failure to participate in Work-related activity</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>70</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Non-compliance with a Jobseekers Direction</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Source: (JSA and ESA): DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database.</p><p>Source (IS): Income Support Computer System</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p> </p><p>1. ‘-‘denotes nil or negligible. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest ten.</p><p>2. Data provided is up to December 2013 which is the latest available.</p><p>3. The number of benefit sanctions applied is the number of sanction or disallowance referrals where the decision was found against the claimant for those in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) in the work related activity group, or Income Support (Lone Parents).</p><p>4. The following reasons for referral apply to JSA only: Not actively seeking employment; Refusal of employment; Non-compliance with a Jobseekers Direction.</p><p>5. Failure to attend a mandatory interview includes fail to attend a mandatory interview for ESA claimants, failure to attend/participate in a work focussed interview for ISLP claimants and failure to attend an adviser interview for JSA claimants.</p><p>6. Failure to participate on Work-related activity applies to ESA claimants in the work related activity group only</p><p>7. New sanctions rules came into force for JSA from 22 October 2012 and for ESA from 3 December 2012. The number of JSA sanctions applied for the new regime is the number of low, intermediate, and high level referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. Further information can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-overview-of-sanctions-rules" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-overview-of-sanctions-rules</a></p><p>8. New regulations for ISLP claimants came into force on 28 April 2014.</p><p>An explanation of the full regulations is provided below can be found at: <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1097/contents/made" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1097/contents/made</a></p><p>9. This information for JSA and ESA sanctions is published at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 19/06/2014 15:52:38 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey previous answer version 2138 answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	4316 label Biography information for Mike Kane

61839

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
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	Housing Benefit
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 he has made of the effect of the extension of the shared accommodation rate to people under the age of 35 years.
tabling member constituency	Hyndburn
tabling member printed	Graham Jones
uin	200363
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>The final research outputs from DWP's independent evaluation of the changes to the Local Housing Allowance are due to be published this summer. The research will cover the impact of extending the age threshold for the Shared Accommodation Rate.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 17/06/2014 12:01:56 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
tabling member	3999 label Biography information for Graham P Jones

61840

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
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, how many and what proportion of universal credit claims made in pilot areas have been based on independent self-assessment.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	200464
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>We have interpreted the question as the proportion of people who assess their own eligibility for UC via the on-line self assessment tool.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/entitlement" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/entitlement</a></p><p> </p><p>The Department does not collect this data</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 17/06/2014 14:49:44 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

61841

registered interest
date	12/06/2014
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 the waiting period will be before an individual qualifies for support through universal credit; and how long he expects it will take to calculate entitlement and process new claims for universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Mr Frank Field
uin	200465
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Chancellor announced in the 2013 Spending Review that a seven day waiting period is to be introduced into Universal Credit from April 2015.</p><p>Each claim for UC is assigned an assessment period. The payment due date is a fixed day of the month that falls 7 days after the end of the assessment period and on the same day of each subsequent month. Entitlement will be assessed so that payment should arrive in the claimant's bank account on or before the payment due date.<br></p><p>If any claimant is in need of support during this time they are eligible to apply for a UC Advance (New Claim).</p> answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey question first answered 18/06/2014 16:45:56 answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey previous answer version 2139 answering member constituency Wirral West answering member printed Esther McVey answering member 4084 label Biography information for Esther McVey
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead