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1580979

	registered interest
	date	25/01/2023
	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: EU Law
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government which retained EU laws the Department for Work and Pensions is planning to reform or revoke in the event of a passage into law of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.
	tabling member printed	Lord Weir of Ballyholme
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5123
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2023 answer text <p>DWP retained EU law that has already been identified is listed on the publicly accessible <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/governmentreporting/viz/UKGovernment-RetainedEULawDashboard/Guidance" target="_blank">dashboard</a>. The department will continue to work to identify where DWP owned</p><p>EU-derived legislation remains on the statute book and the dashboard will be updated throughout 2023.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/02/2023 12:26:51 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4970 label Biography information for Lord Weir of Ballyholme

1580991

	registered interest
	date	25/01/2023
	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: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 24 January (HL Deb cols 93–94), what plans they have, if any, (1) to publish regular data on the numbers of families and children affected simultaneously by the benefit cap and the two-child limit, and (2) to monitor the impact on these families and children.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5087
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2023 answer text <p>The Department does not currently have plans to publish this data on a regular basis. However, the estimate, provided on 24 January, is based on published statistics for April 2022 which show the percentage of UC Households with three or more children who were not receiving a child element amount for at least one child. This percentage was applied to UC households that were benefit capped in April 2022 and have 3 or more children. Consequently we are able to estimate the number affected on an ongoing basis from the analysis that is already published.</p><p> </p><p>The Department takes the impact of its policies very seriously and is why we introduce certain exceptions to these policies. We acknowledge that some households are affected simultaneously by both policies as such there is other support available. For example families can apply to their Local Authority for a Discretionary Housing Payment if they need help to meet rental costs. There is also help with the cost of essentials through the Household Support Fund. Our focus, however, remains firmly on supporting people to move into and progress in work; an approach which is based on clear evidence that it is in the best interest of children to be in working households.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 08/02/2023 17:20:59 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1580996

	registered interest
	date	25/01/2023
	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: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group Child of the North Child Poverty and the Cost of Living Crisis, published on 23 January, what steps they are taking to help mitigate the effects of the increased cost of living for families in areas with the highest levels of child poverty.
	tabling member printed	Lord Pendry
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5095
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2023 answer text <p>The Government is committed to reducing child poverty and supporting low-income families. We will spend over £245bn through the welfare system in 2022/23 including £111bn on people of working age.</p><p> </p><p>In 2023/24, subject to parliamentary approval, we are uprating all benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap levels are also increasing by the same amount.</p><p /><p>The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living this winter and is taking action to help. The Government's Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical British household around £900 this winter, based on what energy prices would have been under the current price cap - reducing bills by roughly a third. This is in addition to the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>For those who require additional support the current Household Support Fund, running in England from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, is providing £421 million of funding. The devolved administrations have been allocated £79 million through the Barnett formula.  The Household Support Fund will continue until March 2024. This year long extension allows Local Authorities in England to continue to provide discretionary support to those most in need to help with the significantly rising cost of living. The Devolved Administrations will receive consequential funding as usual to spend at their discretion.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the 2023/24 financial year. A separate £300 payment will be made to pensioner households on top of their Winter Fuel Payments and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Further to this, the amended Energy Price Guarantee will save the average UK household £500 in 2023/24.</p><p> </p><p>With 1.16 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus remains firmly on supporting parents to move into, and progress in work, an approach which is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children. To further support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023 subject to parliamentary approval, the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 02/02/2023 17:36:10 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	457 label Biography information for Lord Pendry

1581427

	registered interest
	date	26/01/2023
	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	Cost of Living Payments
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide financial support to those most in need to assist with the increased cost of living.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5159
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2023 answer text <p>The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living this winter and is taking action to help. The Government's Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical British household around £900 this winter, based on what energy prices would have been under the current price cap - reducing bills by roughly a third. This is in addition to the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, paid over six months starting in October 2022.</p><p> </p><p>For those who require additional support the current Household Support Fund, running in England from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, is providing £421 million of funding. The devolved administrations have been allocated £79 million through the Barnett formula.  The Household Support Fund will continue until March 2024. This year long extension allows Local Authorities in England to continue to provide discretionary support to those most in need with the significantly rising cost of living. The Devolved Administrations will receive consequential funding as usual to spend at their discretion.</p><p> </p><p>In 2023/24, subject to parliamentary approval, we are uprating all benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%, in order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap levels are also increasing by the same amount.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the 2023/24 financial year. A separate £300 payment will be made to pensioner households on top of their Winter Fuel Payments and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Further to this, the amended Energy Price Guarantee will save the average UK household £500 in 2023/24.</p><p> </p><p>To further support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023 subject to parliamentary approval, the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 08/02/2023 16:36:58 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1581656

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2023
	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	Access to Work Programme
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what the average length of time taken to process claims under the Access to Work Scheme was from 1 January to 31 December 2022.
	tabling member printed	Lord Blunkett
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5193
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2023 answer text <p>The average length of time taken to process claims under the Access to Work Scheme for the period 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022 was 52.1 days</p><p>The time taken to process different application types can vary, some can be cleared very quickly, and decisions made in a day, whereas others, if complex, may take longer and require a Workplace Assessment to recommend a tailored package of support for individual customers.</p><p>Access to Work has received a significant increase in applications over the last year. In response, we have recruited new staff to meet the increased demand and reduce the time it takes to make decisions, and we are continuing with this over the year. We are also transforming the Access to Work service through increased digitalisation, that will make the service more efficient, make the application process easier, and improve the time taken from application through to decision.</p><p><em>Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution. </em></p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 14/02/2023 12:37:43 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	395 label Biography information for Lord Blunkett

1581673

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2023
	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	Pesticides: Safety
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when they will report on the outcome of the Government Oversight Group review of the stewardship regime for professional use of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides in the UK after five years of operation; and what steps they are taking to end the use of previously banned substances still being deployed in the countryside to poison wildlife.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5214
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2023 answer text <p>The detailed work of the review of the stewardship scheme for anticoagulant rodenticides is ongoing.</p><p> </p><p>The Government Oversight Group for Rodenticides, chaired by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the industry’s representative body, the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use met in December 2022 to discuss the existing stewardship regime and agree areas of focus for its review. Discussions also included establishing a timetable for the work required to take the review forward during 2023.</p><p> </p><p>With respect to the issue of wildlife poisoning, there are robust, multi-agency arrangements in place for enforcing the illegal supply and use of chemicals; with the illegal poisoning of protected species investigated by a dedicated Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/02/2023 14:51:15 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1581682

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2023
	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	Cost of Living
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support households facing hardship and debt as a result of the increased cost of living.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5230
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2023 answer text <p>The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living this winter and is taking action to help. The Government's Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical British household around £900 this winter, based on what energy prices would have been under the current price cap - reducing bills by roughly a third. This is in addition to the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, paid over six months starting in October 2022.</p><p> </p><p>For those who require additional support the current Household Support Fund, running in England from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, is providing £421 million of funding. The devolved administrations have been allocated £79 million through the Barnett formula.  The Household Support Fund will continue until March 2024. This year long extension allows Local Authorities in England to continue to provide discretionary support to those most in need with the significantly rising cost of living. The Devolved Administrations will receive consequential funding as usual to spend at their discretion.</p><p> </p><p>In 2023/24, subject to parliamentary approval, we are uprating all benefit rates and State Pensions by 10.1%, in order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap levels are also increasing by the same amount.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, for 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments. This will be split into three payments of around £300 each across the 2023/24 financial year. A separate £300 payment will be made to pensioner households on top of their Winter Fuel Payments and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Further to this, the amended Energy Price Guarantee will save the average UK household £500 in 2023/24.</p><p> </p><p>To further support those who are in work, from 1 April 2023 subject to parliamentary approval, the National Living Wage (NLW) will increase by 9.7% to £10.42 an hour for workers aged 23 and over - the largest ever cash increase for the NLW.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to ensuring staff who engage with customers identify and signpost customers to the financial support they require. We continue to work closely with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), which is an Arm’s Length Body of DWP, to identify and maximise all the touchpoints where it may be appropriate to signpost our customers to the expert financial help they need.</p><p> </p><p>We have also been working with MaPS to upskill some of our frontline staff to give them the confidence and skills to have those difficult and sensitive conversations with customers regarding their finances before signposting them to the most suitable organisation. This may be for help with budgeting and money management, or with debt. Customers contacting the Department’s Debt Management Team are routinely referred to this service.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has a well-established process for working with individuals to support them to manage repayment of Government debt to DWP. Our priority is to negotiate affordable and sustainable repayment plans that do not cause undue financial hardship. For overpayment deductions specifically, where a person feels they cannot afford the proposed rate of deduction for an overpayment recovery they are encouraged to contact the Department’s Debt Management Team to discuss a temporary reduction in their rate of repayment or, if necessary, a temporary cessation of the deduction may be considered. When a customer is notified of an overpayment, they are advised to contact us if they would struggle to make their repayment. Customers are also notified of deductions, giving them a further opportunity to contact us to negotiate a more affordable rate.</p><p> </p><p>There is no minimum amount that a customer has to pay, and we have recently extended the time period for any reduced payment to remain in place.</p><p> </p><p>We also remain committed to His Majesty’s Treasury’s Breathing Space policy, which provides those with problem debt the right to legal protections from creditor action for a period of 60 days to enable them to receive debt advice and enter into an appropriate debt solution.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/02/2023 14:50:31 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1583146

	registered interest
	date	01/02/2023
	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	Food Banks: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for a funding programme for food banks to develop into alternative forms of initiative, such as food clubs or social supermarkets.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Gloucester
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5308
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2023 answer text <p>Food Banks are independent, charitable organisations where local communities come together to support one another. This is a great example of the generosity of spirit across the country. The Government has no role in their operation.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 14/02/2023 16:10:17 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4540 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Gloucester

1584008

	registered interest
	date	03/02/2023
	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	Broadband: Social Tariffs
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) individuals, and (2) households, are eligible for the social broadband tariffs; and how many are receiving them.
	tabling member printed	Lord Sikka
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5413
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2023 answer text <p>The specific benefit types which provide eligibility to social broadband tariffs vary between internet service providers (ISPs).</p><p> </p><p>Receipt of Universal Credit is the most common eligibility criterion across providers, therefore, at least 4.2 million households are eligible to apply for a social broadband tariff.</p><p> </p><p>Since the DWP is only responsible for confirming benefit status with an ISP signed up to the automatic entitlement checker, we do not collect data on how many arrangements are now in place.</p><p> </p><p>However, Ofcom reported that 136 000 households were in receipt of a social tariff as of August 2022. DWP is working with Ofcom to ensure staff across the Jobcentre Plus and DWP Service Centre network are aware of the broadband social tariffs and signpost eligible claimants to them.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 14/02/2023 16:20:44 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4885 label Biography information for Lord Sikka

1584727

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2023
	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	Labour Market and Welfare State: Older People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when they will report on reform of the welfare and labour market for the over 50s.
	tabling member printed	Lord Field of Birkenhead
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL5453
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2023 answer text <p>The Government recognises the challenges faced by some aged 50 and over, which is why we are providing over £20m over the next three years for an enhanced offer for people aged 50 and over to remain in and return to work. This offer includes the introduction of 37 50PLUS Champions, more tailored support for claimants, and an expansion of the Midlife MOT<em>. </em></p><p> </p><p>Building on the Government’s existing package of support to help people start, stay and succeed in work, the Prime Minister has also tasked the Secretary of State to look in detail at the issue of workforce participation, and identify the barriers preventing people from joining the workforce or resulting in people leaving the workforce early.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 20/02/2023 16:34:34 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead