| answer text |
<p>The Department reallocated resources to prioritise work to help the COVID-19 effort.
This caused delays to some work, including this literature review. The department
has subsequently decided not to restart the review, as it summarises publicly available
information and does not contain any new research carried out by the Department. However,
we continue to monitor new research and evidence produced by external organisations.</p><p>
</p><p>The Department has recently published new data from the Family Resources Survey
on household food security, giving us a better understanding of who is most at risk.
We have also included new questions in the family resources survey for 2021/2 which
will be published in March 2023 and further expand our evidence in this area. This
underlines how seriously we take the issue of food insecurity.</p><p> </p><p>The Government
recognises the importance of supporting claimants to manage their liabilities. Under
Universal Credit, there is a co-ordinated approach to deductions from benefit, which
supports claimants to manage their financial obligations. The primary aim of deductions
in Universal Credit is to protect vulnerable claimants by providing a last resort
repayment method for arrears of essential services. We continue to aim to strike the
right balance between ensuring those protections are in place and allowing claimants
to retain as much of their award as possible for day-to-day needs.</p><p> </p><p>There
has been no specific consideration around the merits of including food bank usage
when considering claimants for an exception from deductions. However, if a claimant
is struggling financially, they can ask for the amount of the following deductions
to be reconsidered:</p><ul><li>Repaying benefit overpayments,</li><li>Social Fund
loan; and</li><li>rent arrears.</li></ul><p> </p><p>For benefit overpayments and Social
Fund loans, deductions can be reduced or deferred for a period. DWP will always try
to ensure that Government debt is recovered effectively without causing undue hardship.</p><p>
</p><p>For rent arrears, claimants can ask Universal Credit staff to exercise their
discretion to fix rent arrears deductions at the lowest rate in legislation – 10%
of the Standard Allowance. This can be done using the Journal or by phone. However,
staff would not agree to remove a rent arrears deduction entirely in order to ensure
a claimant is protected from eviction.</p><p> </p><p>For those repaying a New Claim
Advance, a deferral of up to 3 months is available, in exceptional circumstances,
which allow those claimants to temporarily receive their Universal Credit awards without
advance repayments being deducted.</p><p> </p><p>We encourage anyone unable to afford
the proposed rate of repayment to contact DWP Debt Management at the earliest opportunity
- all DWP notifications advise how to get in touch. We seek to do as much as we are
able to support claimants through the recovery of their overpayments.</p>
|
|
