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1346835

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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, what steps she is taking to prevent (a) universal credit overpayments and (b) the subsequent debt caused by those overpayments.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	33312
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2021 answer text <p>DWP recognises that stopping fraud and error before is happens and preventing debt is the best approach, both for Government and claimants alike, and it should be noted that, during a period when we have faced the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19, fraud and error in the benefits system remains low, with 95% of benefits, worth more than £200 billion, paid correctly in 2020/21.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to invest in fraud and error prevention, with the Chancellor announcing £44m at the Spring Budget to support the expansion of both our Integrated Risk and Intelligence Service and our new Enhanced Checking Service and the development of Transaction Risking as a means of identifying high risk claims.</p><p> </p><p>Our Annual Report and Accounts published 15 July 2021 provides more information on what we are doing to prevent overpayments occurring – <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021</a></p><p> </p><p>Where an overpayment does occur, the Department has a responsibility to recover the money without creating undue financial hardship. In Universal Credit, all overpayments are recoverable. Where recovery is made by deduction from Universal Credit, there is a limit placed on the overall amount that can be deducted. Formerly 40% of the Universal Credit Standard Allowance, this was reduced from 30% to 25% in April 2021.</p><p>Where requested deductions exceed the 25% maximum, or there is insufficient Universal Credit in payment for all deductions to be made, a priority order is applied, which determines the order in which items should be deducted. ‘Last resort’ deductions, such as rent or fuel costs, are at the top of the priority order, ensuring that claimant welfare is prioritised, followed by social obligation deductions, such as fines and child maintenance, and finally benefit debt, such as Social Fund loans and benefit overpayments.</p><p>Anyone with overpayment deductions who does experience financial hardship is encouraged to contact the Department’s Debt Management unit. Where a person cannot afford the proposed rate of these deductions repayment a lower amount can be negotiated.</p><p>DWP is also committed to HM Treasury’s Breathing Space policy, which provides citizens with problem debt the right to legal protections from creditor action for a period of time in order to enable them to receive debt advice and enter into an appropriate debt solution.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 33313 question first answered 21/07/2021 16:15:02 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1346841

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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 assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of removing the uplift to the universal credit standard allowance on food bank usage.
tabling member constituency	Stalybridge and Hyde
tabling member printed	Jonathan Reynolds
uin	33221
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2021 answer text <p>No assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and we announced the temporary uplift as part of a £400 billion package of measures put in place that will last well beyond the end of the roadmap. Our focus now is on our multi-billion Plan for Jobs, which will support people in the long-term by helping them learn new skills and increase their hours or find new work.</p><p> </p><p>Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation. There is no consistent and accurate measure of food bank usage at a constituency or national level.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the data limitations in this area, so from April 2021 have introduced a set of questions into the Family Resources Survey (FRS) on food bank usage. The first results of these questions are expected to be published in March 2023 subject to usual quality assurance.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 20/07/2021 16:23:58 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince previous answer version 15292 answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4119 label Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds

1346890

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the support available to those required to repay overpayments of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	33313
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2021 answer text <p>DWP recognises that stopping fraud and error before is happens and preventing debt is the best approach, both for Government and claimants alike, and it should be noted that, during a period when we have faced the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19, fraud and error in the benefits system remains low, with 95% of benefits, worth more than £200 billion, paid correctly in 2020/21.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to invest in fraud and error prevention, with the Chancellor announcing £44m at the Spring Budget to support the expansion of both our Integrated Risk and Intelligence Service and our new Enhanced Checking Service and the development of Transaction Risking as a means of identifying high risk claims.</p><p> </p><p>Our Annual Report and Accounts published 15 July 2021 provides more information on what we are doing to prevent overpayments occurring – <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021</a></p><p> </p><p>Where an overpayment does occur, the Department has a responsibility to recover the money without creating undue financial hardship. In Universal Credit, all overpayments are recoverable. Where recovery is made by deduction from Universal Credit, there is a limit placed on the overall amount that can be deducted. Formerly 40% of the Universal Credit Standard Allowance, this was reduced from 30% to 25% in April 2021.</p><p>Where requested deductions exceed the 25% maximum, or there is insufficient Universal Credit in payment for all deductions to be made, a priority order is applied, which determines the order in which items should be deducted. ‘Last resort’ deductions, such as rent or fuel costs, are at the top of the priority order, ensuring that claimant welfare is prioritised, followed by social obligation deductions, such as fines and child maintenance, and finally benefit debt, such as Social Fund loans and benefit overpayments.</p><p>Anyone with overpayment deductions who does experience financial hardship is encouraged to contact the Department’s Debt Management unit. Where a person cannot afford the proposed rate of these deductions repayment a lower amount can be negotiated.</p><p>DWP is also committed to HM Treasury’s Breathing Space policy, which provides citizens with problem debt the right to legal protections from creditor action for a period of time in order to enable them to receive debt advice and enter into an appropriate debt solution.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 33312 question first answered 21/07/2021 16:15:02 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1346891

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Health and Safety: Coronavirus
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 employers (a) follow the latest covid-19 guidelines for workplaces and (b) ensure that workplaces are safe for extremely clinically vulnerable employees.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	33255
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2021 answer text <p>Throughout the pandemic, HSE has encouraged businesses to manage risks in order to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in workplaces; including through the provision of detailed guidance (https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/index.htm). This includes guidance on the importance of cleaning, hygiene and handwashing, providing adequate ventilation and social distancing (to note, measures on social distancing are subject to imminent change due to the easing of restrictions across the UK).</p><p>HSE and Local Authorities use a range of interventions to influence, encourage and advise business and, where necessary, hold to account those who fail to meet their responsibilities. Throughout the pandemic, HSE has engaged with businesses through the three stage Spot Check process which includes phone calls and, where face to face contact is necessary, site visits. Determining whether businesses have implemented the controls identified by this risk assessment is a central part of the process.</p><p>Employers’ health and safety responsibilities include taking reasonable steps to protect all workers and others from the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in connection with their work activities. As these control measures apply to all workers, regardless of their relative levels of vulnerability or the potential outcome, there are no expectations of additional control measures for Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) workers or the need for individual risk assessments.</p><p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises employers to have individual discussions with their CEV employees about any workplace concerns and understand what is in place to protect them. There is specific guidance on the HSE website to support employers to do this <a href="https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/protect-people.htm" target="_blank">https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/protect-people.htm</a></p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 33256 question first answered 21/07/2021 15:23:32 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1346892

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Health and Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department provides to employers to make them aware of their legal requirements to protect employees who are extremely clinically vulnerable.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	33256
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2021 answer text <p>Throughout the pandemic, HSE has encouraged businesses to manage risks in order to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in workplaces; including through the provision of detailed guidance (https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/index.htm). This includes guidance on the importance of cleaning, hygiene and handwashing, providing adequate ventilation and social distancing (to note, measures on social distancing are subject to imminent change due to the easing of restrictions across the UK).</p><p>HSE and Local Authorities use a range of interventions to influence, encourage and advise business and, where necessary, hold to account those who fail to meet their responsibilities. Throughout the pandemic, HSE has engaged with businesses through the three stage Spot Check process which includes phone calls and, where face to face contact is necessary, site visits. Determining whether businesses have implemented the controls identified by this risk assessment is a central part of the process.</p><p>Employers’ health and safety responsibilities include taking reasonable steps to protect all workers and others from the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in connection with their work activities. As these control measures apply to all workers, regardless of their relative levels of vulnerability or the potential outcome, there are no expectations of additional control measures for Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) workers or the need for individual risk assessments.</p><p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises employers to have individual discussions with their CEV employees about any workplace concerns and understand what is in place to protect them. There is specific guidance on the HSE website to support employers to do this <a href="https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/protect-people.htm" target="_blank">https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/working-safely/protect-people.htm</a></p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies grouped question UIN 33255 question first answered 21/07/2021 15:23:32 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1346893

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Health and Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the number of employers that have had action taken against them as a result of not providing a covid-19 secure workplace for clinically extremely vulnerable employees.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	33257
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2021 answer text <p>Since the start of the pandemic, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has carried out more than 300,000 interventions to check how businesses are implementing measures to reduce transmission of covid-19 at their sites. This includes carrying out 282,745 covid-19 spot checks, responding to 22,486 workplace covid-19 concerns and 712 covid-19 outbreaks.</p><p> </p><p>Specific data relating to which of these interventions relates to the provision of Covid-secure workplaces for clinically extremely vulnerable employees, is not collated centrally. However, I can confirm that where inspectors identify that dutyholders have not provided a covid-19 secure workplace, including for clinically extremely vulnerable workers, they will take action to ensure compliance, either by providing verbal advice, issuing written correspondence or serving an enforcement notice</p><p> </p><p>As at 16 July 2021, in relation to all covid-19 matters, inspectors have taken action against dutyholders in 13,483 cases, including 11,063 cases resulting in verbal advice, 2,113 in written correspondence and 307 in notices.</p><p> </p><p>Note: Figures were obtained from HSE’s live operational database and are subject to change, e.g., as there can be a delay of up to ten working days before information is uploaded onto the system<em>.</em></p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 21/07/2021 15:20:19 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1346950

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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 claimants had a managed payment to landlord arrangement in place in England in (a) January 2020 and (b) June 2021.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	33319
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2021 answer text <p>Monthly statistics on the number of Households on Universal Credit, including those that make use of a Managed Payment to Landlord Arrangement, are published, and a breakdown by country to February 2021 can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 21/07/2021 15:39:59 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1347054

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Job Security: Ethnic Groups
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals in insecure work.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL2043
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/07/2021 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting people from all backgrounds, including those from ethnic minorities, to move and stay in work. Our Plan for Jobs Programme protects, supports and creates jobs, targeting young people, the long term unemployed, and those in need of new training and skills.</p><p> </p><p>As the economy improves, we will increasingly focus on progression to improve opportunities for those in low-paid work and support them towards financial independence. The In-Work Progression Commission published an independent <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/998175/supporting-progression-out-of-low-pay.pdf" target="_blank">Call for Action</a> (see attached) to help people progress out of low pay on the 1 July. Government will consider the recommendations and respond later in the year.</p><p> </p><p>We also continue to develop the evidence base for helping people progress their careers and raise their earnings. Building on the findings of our In-Work Progression Randomised Controlled Trial, published in 2018 we are conducting research and working across Government to support progression. We are also testing a work coach led support offer to develop new approaches to progression for Universal Credit claimants.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 27/07/2021 14:34:27 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott attachment 1 file name HL2043 Attachment.pdf title Attachment 1
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1347055

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Unemployment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to make it easier for unemployed individuals to access clear labour market information on local green job opportunities.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL2044
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2021 answer text <p>The green recovery presents a significant opportunity for UK workers to benefit from increased employment opportunities in green sectors.</p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions stands ready to support people into green jobs as the sector grows through work coach interventions and targeted provision. We have recently recruited an additional 13,500 Work Coaches into our Jobcentres. The support they provide with skills and retraining advice for individuals is informed by knowledge of local employment opportunities and growing sectors, including green job opportunities. Our local leaders also engage directly with local employers, who are encouraged to deliver information sessions directly to work coaches and customers.</p><p>The Department’s Find A Job service also offers on line access to jobs advertised both nationally and locally, which again includes green/renewable jobs.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 23/07/2021 12:59:18 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1347056

registered interest
date	14/07/2021
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	Health and Safety
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide regulations and guidance for workplaces on health and safety compliance measures.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL2045
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2021 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the national regulator of health &amp; safety legislation in Great Britain. The principal legislation is the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, which is supported by a framework of Regulations covering specific topic areas e.g. the Work at Height Regulations 2005, Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 etc.</p><p> </p><p>HSE provides an advisory service which can be accessed online via a form or by telephone. In addition, it provides a comprehensive suite of guidance documents and publications on compliance with all aspects of health and safety law and which are available for free from its website <a href="https://www.hse.gov.uk/guidance/index.htm" target="_blank">https://www.hse.gov.uk/guidance/index.htm</a>.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>During the period 1 March 2020 – 28 February 2021, HSE’s analytics recorded:</p><p> </p><p>• 74.3 million page views of its guidance</p><p>• 17.5 million people visited the site</p><p>• 6.3 million downloads of our free publications (books) and guidance material</p><p>• 71 per cent of users surveyed said the guidance they used was useful</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 23/07/2021 12:59:45 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick