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1132228

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
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: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria her Department uses to categorise universal credit applicants as gainfully self-employed.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	264731
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department provides tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through our work coaches to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can refer low-earning claimants to mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance providers and sign-post claimants to the other extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.</p><p> </p><p>All claimants with earnings from self-employment, whether gainfully self-employed or not, are required to self-report these each month to ensure that any Universal Credit (UC) payments take into account all household earnings. Monthly reporting allows UC to be adjusted monthly. Claimants are required to report the total of actual payments into and out of their business in each month, minus any Income Tax, National Insurance, permitted business expenses and relievable pension contributions actually paid. This gives a net profit figure, which is treated as the self-employed earnings total in the UC calculation. Any drawings from business to personal accounts or, where a claimant has incorporated their business, payment of salary from their company to their personal account, is disregarded in this calculation to avoid double counting.</p><p> </p><p>When a claim is made to Universal Credit the Department will, on the basis of the information provided by the claimant, assess whether the claimant may reasonably be expected to work. If a claimant is in a group expected to work, the number of hours they may be expected to work is a maximum of 35 but may be lower, for example to take account of caring responsibilities or a health condition.</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant is self-employed and in a group expected to work, the Department then considers a number of factors to establish whether someone is gainfully self-employed. A claimant is considered to be in gainful self-employment where all of the following apply:</p><p> </p><ul><li>the claimant is carrying on a trade, profession or vocation as their main employment</li><li>their earnings from that trade, profession or vocation are self-employed earnings</li><li>the trade, profession or vocation is organised, developed, regular and carried out in expectation of profit</li></ul><p> </p><p>If all of the above are satisfied, then the claimant is considered gainfully self-employed. A Minimum Income Floor (MIF) is calculated by multiplying the number of hours the gainfully self-employed claimant is expected to work by the relevant National Minimum Wage for their age, minus notional deductions for Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions. Gainfully self-employed claimants with a MIF applied to their claim are free from requirements to seek other work and are free to undertake those activities that they consider will maximise their profit including decisions about when and how to work most effectively.</p><p> </p><p>As we announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, we are extending the 12-month start-up period where claimants are exempt from the Minimum Income Floor to all gainfully self-employed claimants who are new to Universal Credit. This start-up period will provide time for self-employed claimants to establish and grow their business, or to adjust to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>On average earnings from self-employment are lower than from employment and the self-employed make up a significant proportion of those in in-work poverty. The Government believes the MIF, by incentivising claimants to earn more from self-employment, or alternatively enter employment, offers the most effective way of tackling in-work poverty for the self-employed.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 264733 264734 question first answered 24/06/2019 15:58:34 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1132229

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
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: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants are categorised as self-employed in (a) Arfon, (b) Wales and (c) the UK.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	264732
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department plans to publish statistics on Universal Credit and self-employment, including claimant numbers, in the future. The Government’s commitment remains to helping self-employed claimants with viable businesses to thrive, while protecting public funds.</p><p>We provide tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through our work coaches to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can also sign-post claimants to the extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.</p><p>As we announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, we will be extending the 12-month start-up period where claimants are exempt from the Minimum Income Floor to all gainfully self-employed claimants who are new to Universal Credit. This start-up period will provide time for self-employed claimants to establish and grow their business, or to adjust to Universal Credit.</p><p>The Department has also extended mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance mentors to Universal Credit claimants with earnings below their Minimum Income Floor, to help them to develop a plan to grow their earnings.</p><p /> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 24/06/2019 13:38:46 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1132231

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
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: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria her Department use to assess whether a self-employed universal credit applicant is working 35 hours per week or more in paid employment.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	264733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department provides tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through our work coaches to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can refer low-earning claimants to mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance providers and sign-post claimants to the other extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.</p><p> </p><p>All claimants with earnings from self-employment, whether gainfully self-employed or not, are required to self-report these each month to ensure that any Universal Credit (UC) payments take into account all household earnings. Monthly reporting allows UC to be adjusted monthly. Claimants are required to report the total of actual payments into and out of their business in each month, minus any Income Tax, National Insurance, permitted business expenses and relievable pension contributions actually paid. This gives a net profit figure, which is treated as the self-employed earnings total in the UC calculation. Any drawings from business to personal accounts or, where a claimant has incorporated their business, payment of salary from their company to their personal account, is disregarded in this calculation to avoid double counting.</p><p> </p><p>When a claim is made to Universal Credit the Department will, on the basis of the information provided by the claimant, assess whether the claimant may reasonably be expected to work. If a claimant is in a group expected to work, the number of hours they may be expected to work is a maximum of 35 but may be lower, for example to take account of caring responsibilities or a health condition.</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant is self-employed and in a group expected to work, the Department then considers a number of factors to establish whether someone is gainfully self-employed. A claimant is considered to be in gainful self-employment where all of the following apply:</p><p> </p><ul><li>the claimant is carrying on a trade, profession or vocation as their main employment</li><li>their earnings from that trade, profession or vocation are self-employed earnings</li><li>the trade, profession or vocation is organised, developed, regular and carried out in expectation of profit</li></ul><p> </p><p>If all of the above are satisfied, then the claimant is considered gainfully self-employed. A Minimum Income Floor (MIF) is calculated by multiplying the number of hours the gainfully self-employed claimant is expected to work by the relevant National Minimum Wage for their age, minus notional deductions for Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions. Gainfully self-employed claimants with a MIF applied to their claim are free from requirements to seek other work and are free to undertake those activities that they consider will maximise their profit including decisions about when and how to work most effectively.</p><p> </p><p>As we announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, we are extending the 12-month start-up period where claimants are exempt from the Minimum Income Floor to all gainfully self-employed claimants who are new to Universal Credit. This start-up period will provide time for self-employed claimants to establish and grow their business, or to adjust to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>On average earnings from self-employment are lower than from employment and the self-employed make up a significant proportion of those in in-work poverty. The Government believes the MIF, by incentivising claimants to earn more from self-employment, or alternatively enter employment, offers the most effective way of tackling in-work poverty for the self-employed.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 264731 264734 question first answered 24/06/2019 15:58:35 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1132233

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
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: 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 differentiates between annual turnover and salary when assessing the incomes of self-employed applicants of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	264734
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department provides tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through our work coaches to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can refer low-earning claimants to mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance providers and sign-post claimants to the other extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.</p><p> </p><p>All claimants with earnings from self-employment, whether gainfully self-employed or not, are required to self-report these each month to ensure that any Universal Credit (UC) payments take into account all household earnings. Monthly reporting allows UC to be adjusted monthly. Claimants are required to report the total of actual payments into and out of their business in each month, minus any Income Tax, National Insurance, permitted business expenses and relievable pension contributions actually paid. This gives a net profit figure, which is treated as the self-employed earnings total in the UC calculation. Any drawings from business to personal accounts or, where a claimant has incorporated their business, payment of salary from their company to their personal account, is disregarded in this calculation to avoid double counting.</p><p> </p><p>When a claim is made to Universal Credit the Department will, on the basis of the information provided by the claimant, assess whether the claimant may reasonably be expected to work. If a claimant is in a group expected to work, the number of hours they may be expected to work is a maximum of 35 but may be lower, for example to take account of caring responsibilities or a health condition.</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant is self-employed and in a group expected to work, the Department then considers a number of factors to establish whether someone is gainfully self-employed. A claimant is considered to be in gainful self-employment where all of the following apply:</p><p> </p><ul><li>the claimant is carrying on a trade, profession or vocation as their main employment</li><li>their earnings from that trade, profession or vocation are self-employed earnings</li><li>the trade, profession or vocation is organised, developed, regular and carried out in expectation of profit</li></ul><p> </p><p>If all of the above are satisfied, then the claimant is considered gainfully self-employed. A Minimum Income Floor (MIF) is calculated by multiplying the number of hours the gainfully self-employed claimant is expected to work by the relevant National Minimum Wage for their age, minus notional deductions for Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions. Gainfully self-employed claimants with a MIF applied to their claim are free from requirements to seek other work and are free to undertake those activities that they consider will maximise their profit including decisions about when and how to work most effectively.</p><p> </p><p>As we announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, we are extending the 12-month start-up period where claimants are exempt from the Minimum Income Floor to all gainfully self-employed claimants who are new to Universal Credit. This start-up period will provide time for self-employed claimants to establish and grow their business, or to adjust to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>On average earnings from self-employment are lower than from employment and the self-employed make up a significant proportion of those in in-work poverty. The Government believes the MIF, by incentivising claimants to earn more from self-employment, or alternatively enter employment, offers the most effective way of tackling in-work poverty for the self-employed.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 264731 264733 question first answered 24/06/2019 15:58:35 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1132253

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
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: Mental Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to implement the six core standards for workplaces as set out in the Government’s thriving at work report; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Knowsley
tabling member printed	Sir George Howarth
uin	264730
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>In November 2017, the joint DWP/DHSC Work and Health Unit (WHU) published Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability setting out our response to Thriving at Work and WHU is now overseeing progress across 40 recommendations. The Civil Service is committed to being a leading employer and implementing the core and enhanced mental health standards to deliver lasting cultural change. All main government departments have benchmarked themselves against the mental health standards to identify best practice and areas requiring further action, and every Civil Service Permanent Secretary now has a performance objective directly related to implementing the standards and Civil Service Wellbeing Confident Leaders training is being rolled out to senior leaders.</p><p> </p><p>One of the review’s recommendations was about transparency as a significant opportunity to encourage cultural change around mental health. We have worked with partners, including employers, to develop a framework to support organisations to record and voluntarily report information on disability and mental health in the workplace. This framework was published on 22<sup>nd</sup> November 2018 and is aimed at large employers with 250 or more employees. The WHU is an active member of the Thriving at Work Leadership Council consisting of a range of business and public sector representatives, and leading trade associations. The council is an employer led group that will continue to meet throughout 2019 with the primary objectives to champion the mental health standards and explore innovative solutions to further drive their implementation and adoption. Individual members committed to promoting the standards through their networks and to create sector champions.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 12:17:50 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	481 label Biography information for Sir George Howarth

1132265

registered interest
date	14/06/2019
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	State Retirement Pensions
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 Answer of 28 May 2019 to Question 256267 on State Retirement Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of cases where a person has received an inaccurate state pension forecast as a result of part of their state pension being contracted out.
tabling member constituency	Bridgend
tabling member printed	Mrs Madeleine Moon
uin	264744
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Chancellor. State Pension forecasts are based on the individual’s National Insurance record that is held at the time the forecast is produced. There may be subsequent changes to the National Insurance information; additionally for a small percentage of National Insurance records the information may be incomplete. Where this is the case, this may affect the State Pension forecast. For this reason the forecasts make it clear that they are subject to change.</p><p> </p><p>HMRC and DWP continue to work closely to improve our ability to identify and correct inaccuracies as quickly as possible. Where inaccurate or incomplete National Insurance records are identified they are routinely corrected by HMRC. Additionally, HMRC also ensure that any inconsistencies that remain on an individual’s National Insurance record are investigated in the period leading up to State Pension age to ensure the correct amount of State Pension is put into payment.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 24/06/2019 16:24:45 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	1490 label Biography information for Mrs Madeleine Moon

1131990

registered interest
date	13/06/2019
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: Pensioners
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether pensioner couples who are no longer eligible for pension credit and housing benefit because one of the couple is below state pension age, will still be eligible to have their rent paid directly to their landlord under universal credit.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	264296
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>Mixed age couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners immediately before the implementation date on 15 May 2019 will not be affected by the policy, so long as they remain entitled to either benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Those making a new claim to Universal Credit, or already claiming it, will be able to have a conversation with their work coach or case manager, in the same way as other claimants, so that a managed payment to their landlord can be considered in Universal Credit for their housing costs.</p><p> </p><p>Couples who would have been eligible for Pension Credit or Housing Benefit for pensioners under the previous rules but had not claimed before 15 May 2019, will have up to 13 August 2019 to make a backdated claim to 14 May 2019.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 18/06/2019 15:07:20 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1132050

registered interest
date	13/06/2019
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: Overpayments
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 Answer of 5 June 2019 to Question 257458, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications there have been for a reduction in repayment rates for benefits overpayment in each year since 2013.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	264327
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not available.</p><p> </p><p>Our systems do not hold data on the recovery rates that were applied to debts that have either been fully repaid, or have been written off. It is therefore not possible to give a complete figure for the total number of successful, or unsuccessful applications for a reduction in an overpayment recovery rate.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/06/2019 15:00:09 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1132084

registered interest
date	13/06/2019
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 universal credit claimants (a) received and (b) did not receive an advance payment in 2018-19.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	264328
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit new claim advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first payment is due. Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, for which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 months. From October 2021, this maximum repayment period will be extended from 12 to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>The Department ensures claimants are made aware of their maximum advance entitlement and informed that their Universal Credit award will be adjusted over the relevant recovery period to take into account the advance of benefit they received.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>There were 1,046,000 claims made to Universal Credit during January to December 2018 which went into payment. Of these claims, 598,000 (57%) received an advance by end of February 2019 and 449,000 (43%) did not receive an advance.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><ol><li>Figures relate to Universal Credit full service</li><li>Figures capture all advances types</li><li>Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000</li><li>Advances paid are provided for claims which went into payment in the 2018 calendar year to ensure enough time has elapsed to be certain these claims did actually progress to payment</li></ol> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/06/2019 14:57:13 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1132085

registered interest
date	13/06/2019
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 universal credit claimants had (a) an advance payment repayment deduction, (b) a historic debt repayment and (c) both attached to their claim in 2018-19.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	264329
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Under Universal Credit there is a structured approach to deductions from benefit, which simplifies the complex arrangements that exists within legacy benefits. From October 2019 the maximum rate of deductions from a claimant’s standard allowance will be reduced from 40% to 30%. From October 2021 we are increasing the recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months, further supporting those in financial need.</p><p> </p><p>If a claimant considers that they are facing 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. Furthermore, work coaches can pause some repayments in certain circumstances to ensure they are manageable. This is called a financial hardship decision.</p><p> </p><p>During 2018/19 there were: (a) 1.043m claimants with deductions from UC for UC Advance repayments; (b) 0.749m claimants with deductions from UC for non-UC debts; and; (c) 0.491m claimants with deductions from UC for both UC Advance repayments and non-UC debts in 2018/19 (this volume is included in volumes for (a) and (b).</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/06/2019 15:20:34 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead