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1050433

registered interest
date	29/01/2019
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: Civil Proceedings
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 each local authority has been subject to legal action for the provision of inaccurate advice on universal credit to claimants in each of the last two years.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	213888
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will respond to any questions relating to Universal Credit policy if asked to do so by local authorities. However, DWP would have no wider role to play in, and would collect no data in relation to, legal challenges brought against individual local authorities as a result of their advice about Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 04/02/2019 18:07:48 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1045772

registered interest
date	21/01/2019
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	Mental Health: First Aid
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 the Backbench Business Committee debate on Mental Health First Aid on 17 January 2019 Official Report columns 1366-1395, what steps her Department is taking to ensure employers are aware of the the Health and Safety Executive's guidelines on existing requirements to consider mental health alongside physical health when undertaking a first aid needs assessment, published in November 2018.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Luciana Berger
uin	210679
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2019 answer text <p>On the 21 November 2018 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published revised guidance for employers on compliance with the existing Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 (<a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/needs-assessment.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/needs-assessment.htm</a>). HSE developed this revised guidance with Mental Health First Aid-England to clarify and increase employer understanding that mental health should already be considered alongside physical health when undertaking a first aid needs assessment. The findings from this assessment will help direct employers to decide what measures they need to put in place. There are a range of actions that employers can undertake, but their choice should be guided by the outcomes of their first aid needs assessment and will depend on factors such as employee needs, the type of work and size of company.</p><p> </p><p>HSE has communicated this clarified guidance directly to key stakeholders involved in the design and delivery of first aid at work training courses.</p><p> </p><p>HSE is also taking opportunities to raise awareness through existing activity under its Health and Work programme, where preventing work-related mental ill health is a key priority. There is also related wider government activity led by the Joint DWP/DHSC Work and Health Unit to promote mental health core standards from the Lord Stevenson and Paul Farmer ‘Thriving at Work’ review published in October 2017, to help employers implement a comprehensive approach to managing mental health in the workplace.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 24/01/2019 14:51:40 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4036 label Biography information for Luciana Berger

1010730

registered interest
date	20/11/2018
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	Johnston Press: Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions,what the Pension Protection Fund has determined the value of Johnston Press pension deficit to be.
tabling member constituency	Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
tabling member printed	Lesley Laird
uin	193593
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2018 answer text <p>The Johnston Press Pension Plan is currently in the Pension Protection Fund’s (PPF) assessment period, where it will be assessed whether the scheme’s funding level is sufficient to secure pensions to its members at least equal to the level of compensation the PPF would pay. If the scheme’s funding is not sufficient, then it will transfer into the PPF and compensation will be paid at 100 per cent for individuals over their scheme’s retirement age at the date of the insolvency, and 90 per cent of the member’s accrued benefits, subject to an overall cap for everyone else. Benefits accrued post 1997 will be linked to PPF indexation going forward.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>There are around 5,000 pension scheme members who will be affected.</p><p> </p><p>The Pensions Regulator and the PPF are working together with the administrators to understand the circumstances surrounding the sale and its implications for the Johnston Press Pension Plan.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 23/11/2018 14:41:05 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4660 label Biography information for Lesley Laird

1007689

registered interest
date	15/11/2018
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: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment the Government has made of the effect of the roll-out of universal credit on women.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	907643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2018 answer text <p>Universal Credit treats all individuals equally, irrespective of gender. It provides one-to-one support and incentives to help claimants to progress in work.</p><p> </p><p>The latest Office for National Statistics labour market statistics show a near record high rate for women in employment.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 15/11/2018 15:28:41 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1002186

registered interest
date	05/11/2018
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	Discretionary Housing Payments: North Lincolnshire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to Answer of 5 November to Question 907432, how much discretionary housing payment was (a) awarded to and (b) spent by North Lincolnshire Council in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
uin	188225
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>The table below shows the amount awarded to and spent by North Lincolnshire Council in Discretionary Housing Payments in the last 3 financial years:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Awarded</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Spent</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>£240,930</p></td><td><p>£39,626</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>£294,816</p></td><td><p>£50,735</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>£395,413</p></td><td><p>£84,105</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Figures on the amount of Discretionary Housing Payments awarded to and spent by Local Authorities are available:</p><p><br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/discretionary-housing-payments-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/discretionary-housing-payments-statistics</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 12/11/2018 14:41:35 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

999683

registered interest
date	01/11/2018
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	Veterans: Unemployment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many veterans that joined the armed forces aged (a) 18 or under and (b) 19 or older have registered at Jobcentres in each region in each of the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	187100
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2018 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>We have a network of Armed Forces Champions in each Jobcentre Plus district who support work coaches in understanding the range of support available to service leavers and ensure they are actively signposted to appropriate organisations.</p><p> </p><p>Our National Employer and Partnership Team also work with national employer and partner organisations to help ex-HM armed forces service leavers into employment. In addition, HM armed forces personnel are also one of the specified priority groups for the Work and Health Programme. This allows for early voluntary entry to the programme at the most appropriate time in their claim for those who would benefit from specialist employment support to find work.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 187103 question first answered 09/11/2018 09:25:47 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

999401

registered interest
date	31/10/2018
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 Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many large businesses have adopted the enhanced standards set out in the report, Thriving at Work: a review of mental health and employers, published by her Department in October 2017.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Luciana Berger
uin	186310
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government responded to <em>Thriving at Work: Stevenson/Farmer Review of mental health and employers</em> in the command paper <em>Improving Lives: The Future of Work, Health and Disability</em> which was published on 30<sup>th</sup> November 2017. The joint DWP and DHSC Work and Health Unit is now overseeing progress across 40 recommendations that range from short term deliverables to longer term reform.</p><p> </p><p>We have made significant progress on ensuring the public sector leads the way: the NHS is implementing the mental health standards through the new single NHS Workforce Health and Wellbeing Framework, which was published on 16<sup>th</sup> May 2018 and shared with NHS organisations, and the Civil Service has benchmarked all main government departments and their agencies/NDPBs against the core and enhanced mental health standards to identify best practice and areas requiring further action. We also held a Public Sector Summit on 18<sup>th</sup> July 2018 which brought together public sector leaders and experts to share best practice on mental health support and how the review’s recommendations are being implemented and championed.</p><p> </p><p>We have also been progressing a range of policy work on which we will report in due course.</p><p> </p><p>We have promoted the standards to private sector employers through a range of communication channels and supported Mind in the development of their mental health at work online gateway, but data on numbers of businesses who have adopted the core and enhanced standards is not held centrally. We will continue to work with key stakeholders across the public, private and voluntary sectors to ensure that employers of all sizes act to implement the core and enhanced standards and help them, and their employees, realise the benefits of healthy, inclusive workplaces.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton grouped question UIN 186308 186309 question first answered 05/11/2018 17:06:31 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4036 label Biography information for Luciana Berger

993700

registered interest
date	23/10/2018
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: Wolverhampton North East
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the reasons why the level of unemployment in Wolverhampton North East constituency is more than twice the national average; and what steps her Department is taking to lower the rate of unemployment in that constituency.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton North East
tabling member printed	Emma Reynolds
uin	182761
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2018 answer text <p>The Office for National Statistics estimate between July 2017 to June 2018, with 95% confidence, that the unemployment rate in Wolverhampton North East was between 5.7% and 13.1%, with a central estimate of 9.4%.</p><p> </p><p>Employment in the West Midlands is up by 78,000 on the year and 307,000 since 2010, to 2.78 million.</p><p> </p><p>This Government’s Industrial Strategy sets out how we will build a Britain fit for the future – and help businesses create better, higher-paying jobs with investment in the skills, industries and infrastructure of the future.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 26/10/2018 12:50:18 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds

988745

registered interest
date	16/10/2018
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	National Insurance Contributions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to encourage people to check their national insurance contribution records in advance of their retirement.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Jo Swinson
uin	180122
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2018 answer text <p>Checking your National Insurance record regularly is very important and the Government has designed services and supporting communications to make this as easy for people as possible. Our online service, Check your State Pension (CySP), is key in supporting the communication campaign. This service provides a State Pension forecast (based on the individual’s current National Insurance record and an assumption that future years count towards their State Pension), and the earliest date the individual can get their State Pension. Users can look at their National Insurance record, where they will also find out how many qualifying years they have and any gaps in their contributions.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has carried out a comprehensive communication campaign to bring the new State Pension and the role of people’s National Insurance records to people’s attention. This has been through advertisements in newspapers, on social media and on radio stations across the country as well as working through Stakeholders to raise public awareness of the changes. There is also a significant package of on-line information about the State Pension at <a href="http://www.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Between April 2000 and the end of April 2018, the Department provided more than 22 million personalised State Pension statements to people who requested them (either online or by telephone or post, and based on both old and new State Pension rules). We continue to encourage people to request a personalised State Pension Statement as part of our on-going communications.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 22/10/2018 16:02:35 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson

987891

registered interest
date	15/10/2018
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: Widowed People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support his Department provides to a (a) widow and (b) widower who nursed their deceased marital partner through a terminal illness.
tabling member constituency	Harlow
tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
uin	179185
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2018 answer text <p>Bereavement Support Payment provides short-term support to working age people whose deceased spouse or civil partner has paid sufficient National Insurance contributions. It is intended to help with the immediate costs of bereavement and can be paid to both widows and widowers.</p><p> </p><p>It consists of an initial payment and up to 18 monthly instalments with a higher amount for those with children. It is not taxable and can be paid on top of any income-related benefits the household receives thus benefiting those on lower incomes.</p><p> </p><p>Those in receipt of a means-tested benefit or tax credits may qualify for a Funeral Expenses Payment if they are responsible for arranging a funeral. Funeral Expenses Payments provide help towards funeral costs. They cover specified necessary costs, for example burial or cremation fees, plus a contribution of up to £700 towards other costs such as funeral directors fees</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 23/10/2018 14:45:56 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon