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1131637

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on advertising the state pension age increase for women.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	263828
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold a detailed record of the cost of advertising changes to men and women’s State Pension age since the passage of the Pensions Act 1995. The Department has previously provided information to the House of Commons in a multitude of ways that clearly demonstrate the extensive steps the Department of Social Security and then the Department for Work and Pensions, took to communicate State Pension age changes at a significant cost to those departments.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 20/06/2019 14:00:55 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1131672

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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, what steps her Department is taking to provide additional payments for claimants of universal credit who previously received additional support through the Severe Disability Premium; and what steps her Department is taking to notify former Severe Disability Premium claimants of their entitlement to additional support.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	263658
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>Since the introduction of The Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (SDP Gateway) Amendment Regulations 2019, which came into force on 16th January 2019, claimants who are entitled, or have been within the last month, to an award of an existing benefit that includes Severe Disability Premium (SDP) have not been required to move to Universal Credit; even if they have experienced a relevant change in their circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>The draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019, which are currently before Parliament, make provision for SDP transitional payments for those eligible claimants who have already moved to UC and for moving existing legacy claimants onto Universal Credit and implementing transitional protection.</p><p> </p><p>On Friday 3 May 2019, the High Court handed down a judgment in relation to Universal Credit and the SDP. The judgment quashed the SDP related parts of the draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019. The Department is pleased that the court recognises that it is for Ministers to determine the appropriate transitional arrangements for moving claimants on to Universal Credit, and we are currently considering the options open to us and will respond in due course.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 21/06/2019 13:37:00 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1131674

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	Zero-hours Contracts: West Midlands
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in the West Midlands on zero-hour contracts.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	263688
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>Data from the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that in 2018 75,000 people in the West Midlands are employed on zero hours’ contracts – representing just 2.7% of people employed in the West Midlands.</p><p> </p><p>In the UK in 2018 the ONS estimate that 844,000 people were employed on zero hours’ contracts – 2.6% of all people employed.</p><p> </p><p>A record number of people (32.7 million) in the UK are employed. Since 2010 nearly 80% of the growth in employment has been in full-time work and over 75% has come from permanent employment’. Average wages have grown faster than inflation for 15 consecutive months.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 17/06/2019 15:05:37 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1131675

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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, if she will introduce a box on the universal credit application form through which claimants may give permissions for their data to be used to register their children for free school meals and other income-related educational benefits.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	263718
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Education (DfE) provides an Electronic Eligibility Checking Service (ECS) to all local authorities in England, which is used to confirm eligibility for free school meals.</p><p> </p><p>To support this, there are already data sharing agreements in place between DfE and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and other government departments who administer benefits which qualify families for free school meals. This enables local authorities and schools to quickly verify eligibility for free school meals, including where parent(s) have been awarded Universal Credit and have earnings below the prescribed threshold for free school meal eligibility.</p><p> </p><p>DWP therefore has no plans to ask claimants to give permission for their Universal Credit data to be used to provide an automatic entitlement to other benefits.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/06/2019 16:13:35 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123357 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1131750

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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, how many people who reached state pension age before 6 April 2016 continue to defer claiming their state pension; and what proportion of people who have claimed deferred pre-6 April 2016 state pensions have taken a lump sum rather than an increased state pension.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	263665
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>As at 30 September 2018, 40% of those persons in receipt of State Pension who reached their State Pension date prior to 6<sup>th</sup> April 2016, who had previously deferred their claims, had received Lump Sum payments.</p><p> </p><p><em>Source: DWP Administrative data – Quarterly Statistical Enquiry September 2018</em></p><p> </p><p>The specific information on <strong>how many people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 continue to defer claiming their State Pension,</strong> is not available.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/06/2019 14:30:32 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1131763

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Statistics
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions her Department has received representations from the UK Statistics Authority on her Department's presentation and use of statistics in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	263734
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>Details on the UK Statistics Authority’s interventions are published in the correspondence, publications, and issues log sections of their website since 2010. <a href="https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>The Authority’s Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) also carry out regular assessments and systemic reviews, details of which can also be found on the Authority’s website. <a href="https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/osr/" target="_blank">https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/osr/</a></p><p> </p><p>In September 2018, the Authority published the first annual summary of its interventions for the financial year 2017/18. The report for 2018/19 will be published in the autumn. <a href="https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/annual-casework-review-20172018/" target="_blank">https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/publication/annual-casework-review-20172018/</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 21/06/2019 12:30:39 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1131770

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	Pension Credit
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 11 June to Question 257471 on Department for Work and Pensions: Metro Newspaper, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of an advertorial campaign to (a) promote awareness of pension credit eligibility and (b) encourage the take-up of pension credit.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	263738
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>We already use a variety of different channels to communicate information about Pension Credit to potential customers including GOV.UK, the online Pension Credit calculator and the Pension Credit toolkit, which is an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 17/06/2019 14:22:08 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1131838

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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	Funerals: Costs
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 7 May 2019 to Question 249851, what steps her Department takes to (a) make funerals accessible to everyone and (b) co-ordinate actions between the various bodies listed to ensure they are making funerals accessible to everyone.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263674
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>The Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments provides a significant contribution towards funeral costs for claimants on qualifying benefits. It continues to meet the necessary costs of a cremation or burial and up to £700 towards other costs. In 2017-18 around 25,500 Funeral Expenses Payment awards were made. This amounted to £37.1 million of support for funeral costs. Interest-free Social Fund Budgeting Loans and Universal Credit Budgeting Advances are now also available to assist with funeral costs.</p><p> </p><p>The Department holds regular discussions with funeral providers and related organisations, including a Ministerial Roundtable on 18th June 2019 to discuss the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments scheme and listen to views for suggested future improvements.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 21/06/2019 12:07:19 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131839

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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 have been offered a deferral period for advance repayments in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263675
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>This information is not centrally collated and could only be supplied at a disproportionate cost to the Department.</p><p> </p><p>The Department recognises that exceptional circumstances may occur to claimants that were not foreseen when a Universal Credit advance was taken out. Should claimants face unexpected financial hardship as a result of such changes, they can ask the Department for a deferral of the repayment of any advance they have taken out. The deferral periods are up to 3 months for a new claim, benefit transfer or change of circumstances advance and up to 6 months for a Budgeting advance.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/06/2019 15:35:06 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123350 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131840

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
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 who have an existing advance have been offered an additional budgeting advance in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263676
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit new claim and benefit transfer advances provide access to a payment for those in financial need, which can be accessed on the same day, until their first UC payment is due, ensuring no one has to be left without means of financial support. Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments. In the Autumn Budget 2018, we announced that from October 2021, the repayment period for these advances will be extended to 16 monthly instalments.</p><p> </p><p>A budgeting advance is available for one off unexpected financial events that the claimant is unable to meet and is repayable over a period of up to 12 monthly instalments.</p><p> </p><p>The latest available data shows in the 12 months between March 2018 and February 2019 around 840,000 claims received a new claim or benefit transfer advance. In the same period 134,000 claims received budgeting advances, where for the previous assessment period prior to receiving a budgeting advance there was a repayment of a previous advance for that claim.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ol><li>Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.</li><li>Figures relate only to Universal Credit full service.</li><li>Figures do not relate to those who may have been repaying an advance from a previous claim.</li></ol> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 18/06/2019 15:04:24 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 123351 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe