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1166758

registered interest
date	28/10/2019
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, whether she plans to change the calculation of universal credit payments to take account of when earnings are scheduled to be paid to claimants rather than when they are received by claimants.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	6389
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/10/2019 answer text <p>Employers should already record on HMRC’s Real Time Information (RTI) system the date a salary is scheduled to be paid, rather than the date it is paid, where it is earlier due to a weekend, bank holiday or at Christmas.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit takes earnings into account in a way that is fair and transparent. The amount of Universal Credit paid reflects, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period, including any earnings reported by the employer during the assessment period, regardless of when they were paid, or which month they relate to.</p><p> </p><p>Assessment periods allow for Universal Credit awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if claimants’ incomes fall, they do not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit award.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants can discuss queries about how fluctuating income effects Universal Credit with their case managers and work coaches, who can also signpost to services appropriate to individual circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 31/10/2019 17:40:46 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1166759

registered interest
date	28/10/2019
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 plans she has to change universal credit assessment periods.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	6390
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/11/2019 answer text <p>There are no plans to change Universal Credit assessment periods.</p><p> </p><p>Monthly assessment periods align payments with the way in which a majority of employees are paid, and how utility companies and service providers usually collect payments. They ensure that the amount of Universal Credit paid to claimants reflects the actual circumstances of a household as closely as possible.</p><p> </p><p>Assessing income monthly ensures that if a claimant’s earnings decrease, their Universal Credit award increases to reflect their change in income. This prevents claimants having to wait months for the corresponding change in their award.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 01/11/2019 10:46:51 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1148774

registered interest
date	14/10/2019
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, whether she plans to permit Universal Credit claimants to backdate a claim due to ill health in circumstances where medical evidence is provided by a GP.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	168
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2019 answer text <p>Universal Credit claims may be backdated, by up to one calendar month, in some circumstances for vulnerable claimants who may be delayed in claiming Universal Credit through no fault of their own. More specifically, in cases where medical evidence satisfies the Department that a claimant had an illness that prevented them from making a claim sooner, Universal Credit can be awarded from an earlier date.</p><p> </p><p>In order to provide the best possible support to our claimants it is important that the Department are able to engage with claimants at the earliest possible opportunity, whether to support them back into work or to provide other support and guidance. It is therefore important that backdating provisions are used in specific circumstances, and that all claimants are encouraged to contact us at the earliest opportunity.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 18/10/2019 11:06:26 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1148808

registered interest
date	14/10/2019
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	Workplace Pensions: Barnsley Central
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 people in Barnsley Central constituency have (a) opted out after being auto-enrolled into a workplace pension and (b) saved more than the auto-enrollment minimum contribution.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	185
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2019 answer text <p>Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Since automatic enrolment started in 2012 participation rates have been transformed with 87% of eligible employees saving into a workplace pension in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017, approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019 minimum contribution rates<sup>1</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>I am providing the following information about the impact of automatic enrolment in your constituency, as at end of September 2019<sup>2</sup>:</p><p> </p><p>In the Barnsley Central constituency since 2012, approximately 10,000 eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 1410 employers have met their duties.</p><p> </p><p><sup>1</sup>Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p><sup>2</sup>The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by constituency, available via the following weblink:</p><p><a href="https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests" target="_blank">https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 18/10/2019 11:15:50 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1148809

registered interest
date	14/10/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment
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 ensure that Personal Independence Payment claimants are not required to travel for longer than is set out in the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment Service – Service Requirement document of May 2012.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	186
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2019 answer text <p>The department has set clear requirements in terms of geography and travel time to a PIP assessment and continues to ensure assessment providers adhere to this requirement. There are no current plans to reduce the existing travel time of 90 minutes by public transport though best endeavours are taken to schedule assessment appointments in centres near to a claimant. This limit of 90 minutes is an absolute maximum and the department expects that only a small minority of claimants will have to make a journey of this duration. New assessment centres have opened, and continue to open, to ensure the needs of claimants are met.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 187 question first answered 18/10/2019 11:31:39 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1148810

registered interest
date	14/10/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to reduce the maximum travel times for claimants of Personal Independence Payment which are set out in the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment Service – Service Requirement document of May 2012; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	187
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2019 answer text <p>The department has set clear requirements in terms of geography and travel time to a PIP assessment and continues to ensure assessment providers adhere to this requirement. There are no current plans to reduce the existing travel time of 90 minutes by public transport though best endeavours are taken to schedule assessment appointments in centres near to a claimant. This limit of 90 minutes is an absolute maximum and the department expects that only a small minority of claimants will have to make a journey of this duration. New assessment centres have opened, and continue to open, to ensure the needs of claimants are met.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 186 question first answered 18/10/2019 11:31:39 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1148811

registered interest
date	14/10/2019
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	Children: Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to change the hierarchy of the distributions for payments made through the Child Maintenance Service so that unpaid child maintenance is better favoured for repayment; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	188
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2019 answer text <p>The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) aims to ensure liabilities are paid in full and on time. Where this does not happen the Service prioritises the collection of on-going maintenance before any arrears to avoid the build-up of maintenance arrears and ensure that today’s children will benefit. The CMS will pursue arrears alongside the collection of on-going liabilities wherever possible and will continue to pursue until all the debt has been paid. There are no plans to change the hierarchy of the distribution of the maintenance payments.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Eastleigh answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 18/10/2019 11:41:58 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

723221

registered interest
date	21/04/2017
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	Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what current measurements his Department uses to determine (a) absolute and (b) relative poverty.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	71592
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>DWP’s Households Below Average Income (HBAI) publication provides annual estimates on the number and percentage of people living in low-income households. HBAI is the foremost source for data and information about household income in the UK. The statistics are based on data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS) whose focus is capturing information on incomes.</p><p>The latest release of the HBAI publication is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201516" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201516</a></p><p> </p><p>Absolute low income measures the number and proportion of individuals who have an equivalised household income below 60% of the median in 2010/11, adjusted for inflation.</p><p> </p><p>Relative low income measures the number and proportion of individuals who have an equivalised household income below 60% of the median.</p><p>Household income is measured as the total weekly household income from all sources, after tax, national insurance and other deductions. An adjustment called equivalisation is made to income to make it comparable across households of different size and composition.</p><p>The median equivalised household income divides the population of individuals, when ranked by equivalised household income, into two equal-sized groups, and unlike the mean is not affected by extreme values.</p><p> </p><p>Relative and absolute low income statistics are often utilised as measures of income poverty. We recognise the need to understand the complex issues that some families face and to develop a new approach to tackling poverty and engrained disadvantage. Because the root causes are not financial, our approach goes beyond the safety net our welfare system provides</p><p> </p><p>New analysis carried out by my Department shows that children living in families where no one works are significantly more disadvantaged, and achieve poorer outcomes than other children including those living in lower-income working families. This is why <em>Improving Lives: Helping Workless Families</em>, published on 4 April, focuses on tackling the complex barriers faced by many disadvantaged families and provides a framework for a continuing focus on improving their children’s outcomes, now and in the future.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 26/04/2017 09:14:31 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

723058

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
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	Low Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve the life chances of families in low-paid work.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	71491
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2017 answer text <p>The best route out of poverty is through work and this government has made substantial progress: both the employment rate at 74.6% and the percentage of children living in working households at 58.3% are at a record high. The Prime Minister has been clear that she is committed to building a country that works for everyone – not just the privileged few.</p><p>That is why this Government has made great efforts to help people into work, reforming the welfare system to make work pay and introducing Universal Credit to strengthen incentives for parents to move into and progress in work. Evidence shows that under Universal Credit claimants move into work significantly faster and stay in work longer than under the old system.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Universal Credit now provides for 85% of childcare costs giving parents the opportunity to work and earn more, so they can support their families and improve outcomes for their children. We have also announced a 2% reduction in the Universal Credit single taper meaning more support for hardworking families. Around 3 million families across the country will benefit from this change and a couple with two children earning £30,000 a year could benefit by £425 a year.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 25/04/2017 15:32:07 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

722577

registered interest
date	19/04/2017
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's impact assessment of 25 August 2016 on the lower benefit cap, if he will publish the refined estimates of the operational costs of implementing that cap and of providing support to capped claimants.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	71255
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2017 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions does not plan to publish estimates of the operational costs of implementing the benefit cap policy, nor the costs of providing support to capped claimants.</p><p> </p><p>The benefit cap was lowered on the 7th November from £26,000 to £20,000, except in London where it was lowered to £23,000 (a lower cap applies to single adult households).</p><p> </p><p>To help ensure Local Authorities are able to protect the most vulnerable Housing Benefit claimants and to support households adjusting to our welfare reforms, the Government will provide over £800m funding for Discretionary Housing Payments over the next 5 years from 2016/17. Information about this and other measures to ease the transition for families affected by this policy change is included in the latest impact assessment at the link below.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-reform-and-work-act-impact-assessment-for-the-benefit-cap" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-reform-and-work-act-impact-assessment-for-the-benefit-cap</a></p> answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes question first answered 24/04/2017 13:15:35 answering member 4048 label Biography information for Caroline Nokes
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis