Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1128306

registered interest
date	22/05/2019
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 proportion of universal credit claimants who have received an advance payment have had to delay their repayment for three months.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	257557
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/06/2019 15:11:08 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1128322

registered interest
date	22/05/2019
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 she has taken to ensure that universal credit claimants (a) are fully aware of how the repayment of advance payments work and (b) understand that the deferment of repayments is for a maximum of three months.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	257562
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2019 answer text <p>Applications for a Universal Credit advance payment can be made in person, by telephone or online depending on the claimant’s circumstances. Depending on the type of advance payment application, we will consider whether the claimant satisfies the eligibility conditions for receiving the advance. If the claimant is eligible we will agree the amount of the advance and the period over which the advance will be recovered from their future Universal Credit payments. If the claimant has made the application in person or by telephone, the outcome of the application is explained to the claimant face to face or over the phone and then their online journal is updated. If they have made the application online the outcome will be displayed on screen.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that advances meet the needs of claimants and that the recovery arrangements are personalised and reasonable. Affordability is managed by ensuring the recovery rate will not be more than the equivalent of 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance. The claimant is given the choice over the repayment period and it is explained to them exactly how much will be deducted each month depending on the option they choose. If the claimant is making the advance application online, these options are clearly displayed on screen for them to choose from.</p><p> </p><p>Help is available for those struggling to meet the recovery rate. In exceptional circumstances, recovery can be deferred for up to three months from the start of the recovery period. If the claimant tells us that due to unforeseen circumstances they are experiencing hardship and are having difficulty repaying the advance over the agreed recovery time, we would explain that repayment can be deferred by a maximum of three months.</p><p> </p><p>From October 2019 the maximum rate of deductions from a claimant’s standard allowance will be reduced from 40% to 30%. From October 2021 we are increasing the recovery period for advances from 12 to 16 months, further supporting those in financial need.</p><p> </p><p>Information about advances is available on the Gov.uk site at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-advances" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-advances</a></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/06/2019 14:31:16 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1128337

registered interest
date	22/05/2019
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: Metro Newspaper
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 an advertising campaign for universal credit to be published over the next nine weeks in the Metro newspapers.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	257573
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department provides services to around 22 million people, and has a responsibility to communicate policy and essential information to claimants and other key audiences, in a similar way to other government departments. Newspaper advertising contributes to our routine communications activity that has been running alongside the rollout of Universal Credit since 2013.</p><p> </p><p>The Universal Credit Uncovered media partnership with the Metro is currently underway and running for a further six weeks so we are unable to provide accurate spend to date figures for the partnership. However, we can commit to publish final full spend on the partnership at the end of July once all activity has concluded.</p><p> </p><p>The information used for the partnership was sourced by DWP officials. The content features actual claimant case studies and interviews from Jobcentre work coaches, and the advertorials have been developed in partnership with the Metro.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 257404 257471 257542 257563 question first answered 11/06/2019 16:36:52 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1077630

registered interest
date	26/02/2019
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: Disqualification
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what evidence her Department bases its claim that universal credit sanctions support claimants into work.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	226164
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2019 answer text <p>Evidence from international studies is clear that benefit systems supported by conditionality are effective at moving people into work, and that sanctions are a key part of conditionality. Transitions into work typically increase following a sanction.</p><p>The Department has committed to doing an evaluation of the effectiveness of Universal Credit sanctions at supporting claimants to search for work in response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s report on benefit sanctions. This Department will look to publish this in 2019.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 06/03/2019 15:30:04 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1060716

registered interest
date	13/02/2019
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 flexible support fund payment in the last 12 month period to assist with upfront childcare costs.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	220962
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held in a format that can be easily disaggregated and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 220963 question first answered 21/02/2019 16:57:03 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1060732

registered interest
date	13/02/2019
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 Jobcentre Plus work coaches have allocated a flexible support fund payment to a universal credit claimant in the last 12 months to assist with upfront childcare costs.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	220963
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held in a format that can be easily disaggregated and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 220962 question first answered 21/02/2019 16:57:03 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

947311

registered interest
date	24/07/2018
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
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 simplify the universal credit application process.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	168090
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2018 answer text <p>Universal Credit is transforming the welfare system by replacing six key in-work and out-of-work benefits and making work pay. It removes the cliff edges and complicated hours rules of the existing legacy benefits system which is characterised by overlaps and duplication involving different national and local agencies. Claimants have to contact each agency separately and the complex combination of six different benefits often results in claimants not being aware of what they are entitled to.</p><p> </p><p>Simplification of welfare through Universal Credit will lead to increased take-up of entitlement as only one application is required where previously there may have been several. This will be worth £2.4billion per year for claimants when Universal Credit is fully rolled out, as set out in the Universal Credit Full Business Case Summary.</p><p> </p><p>Data shows that 98% of claims are made online, and claimants can contact their work coach at any point during their claim via email and their online journal if they require further help, or can call the Freephone (since November 2017) Universal Credit helpline.</p><p> </p><p>The Department continues to review and improve the service for all people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. We have introduced online systems changes to allow claimants to upload self-employed earnings, verify their childcare costs and apply for advances, all of which make it even easier for claimants to apply for Universal Credit. Our roll-out of a ‘landlord portal’ improves communication with landlords and makes it easier and quicker to verify housing costs.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 10/09/2018 11:40:07 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

934989

registered interest
date	05/07/2018
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: South Lanarkshire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many registered social landlords in south Lanarkshire have access to the universal credit landlord portal.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	161200
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2018 answer text <p>South Lanarkshire Council is the only Registered Social Landlord (RSL) based in South Lanarkshire with access to the Universal Credit landlord portal. The list of landlords with access to the portal is updated regularly in the Members’ Library. However there may be other national or regional RSLs who have access to the portal and who administer properties in this area without being based there.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 13/07/2018 13:43:38 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

934990

registered interest
date	05/07/2018
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
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 the Government is providing to local authorities with increased rent arrears as a result of the introduction of universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	161201
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2018 answer text <p>Research shows that many people come onto Universal Credit with pre-existing rent arrears. We also know that arrears are usually temporary and the majority of claimants do succeed in paying their rent, managing their monthly payments and clearing their arrears over time.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to work closely with landlords, local authorities, housing associations and other organisations. Additionally, we also support local authorities through the delivery of Universal Credit, and this includes providing additional funding to cover any costs where they can be identified and verified.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 13/07/2018 13:34:46 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

934991

registered interest
date	05/07/2018
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
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 (a) applied for alternative payment arrangements and (b) had their application for those arrangements accepted.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	161202
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2018 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 13/07/2018 13:17:19 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley