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1587278

registered interest
date	20/02/2023
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	Universal Credit
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many universal credit claims were subject to deductions in the most recent month for which data are available, broken down by parliamentary constituency; how much was the (1) total, and (2) average, sum of deductions in each constituency; and what proportion of those sums was deducted to repay advance payments.
tabling member printed	Lord Field of Birkenhead
uin	HL5652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2023 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of supporting the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. We seek to balance recovery of debt against not causing hardship for claimants and their families. Processes are in place to ensure deductions are manageable, and customers can contact the DWP Debt Management Team if they are experiencing financial hardship, to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment, or a temporary suspension, depending on their financial circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Since April 2021, we have reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 40% to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance. These positive measures were put in place to support claimants to manage financial difficulties.</p><p> </p><p>Advances are a claimant’s benefit entitlement paid early, allowing claimants to access 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. They ensure nobody has to wait for a payment in Universal Credit, and those who need it are able to receive financial support as soon as possible. Claimants can receive up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit award if required, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period. This is not a debt.</p><p> </p><p>The requested analysis of Universal Credit claims with a deduction in November 2022 by parliamentary constituency in Great Britain (GB) is provided in the separate spreadsheet.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 03/03/2023 13:26:17 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie attachment 1 file name Spreadsheet.xls title Spreadsheet HL5652
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1587279

registered interest
date	20/02/2023
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	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many benefit claims were subject to sanctions in the most recent three months for which data are available, broken down by parliamentary constituency; and how much was the (1) total, and (2) average, sum of benefit income lost by claimants due to sanctions in each constituency.
tabling member printed	Lord Field of Birkenhead
uin	HL5653
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/03/2023 answer text <p>The latest monthly statistics, taken from Stat-Xplore, on the number of Universal Credit full service claimants with a payment that has been reduced due to a sanction, by Westminster parliamentary constituency, for September to November 2022, are provided in the attached spreadsheet.</p><p> </p><p>The additional information requested for (1) and (2) is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Sanctions are only ever applied when a claimant fails to meet their agreed conditionality requirements without good reason.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 06/03/2023 16:09:15 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie attachment 1 file name Attachment.xlsx title Attachment
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1585188

registered interest
date	07/02/2023
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	Workplace Pensions
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to automatically enrol workers who are (1) low paid, or (2) aged under 22, into a workplace pension scheme, given the increased cost of living.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL5528
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2023 answer text <p>The 2017 Review of Automatic Enrolment (AE) sets out our ambition to remove the Lower Earnings Limit so that pension contributions are payable from the first pound of earnings and reduce the qualifying age for AE to 18. This will help young people and lower earners, including many women, to build financial resilience through generating more meaningful retirement savings.</p><p>We remain committed to the implementation of the 2017 Review ambitions in the mid-2020s.</p><p>We have always been clear that changes to the AE framework would be made in a way and at a time that is affordable, balancing the needs of savers, employers and taxpayers.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 21/02/2023 11:51:06 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

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
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

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
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

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
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

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
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
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
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

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
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