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1013077

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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: Slough
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 universal credit claims in Slough, if she will make an assessment of how many (a) claims were made by EEA nationals, (b) of those claims by EEA nationals how many were refused due to residency requirements, (c) requests for mandatory reconsiderations were made by those EEA nationals and (d) of those mandatory reconsiderations were granted in favour of the claimant.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	195084
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>The Department does not centrally collect statistical information on claims made by nationality group and this could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 04/12/2018 10:51:04 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1013092

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of claimants of Universal Credit that have had deductions of more than 40 per cent from their Standard Allowance as a result of overpayments made by (a) computer and (b) other administrative error.
tabling member constituency	Bristol South
tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
uin	195087
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2018 answer text <p>It is not possible for a deduction of more than 40 per cent of the Standard Allowance to be made as a result of overpayments whether made by a computer or other administrative error.</p><p> </p><p>When an overpayment deduction is being applied, then it has to be within the overall 40 per cent limit for deductions (reducing to 30 per cent from October 2019). The maximum deduction that can be taken for overpayments that have occurred due to computer or administrative error is either 15 per cent (standard rate) or 25 per cent (in receipt of UC with earnings) of the standard allowance. The 40 per cent maximum is only applied to overpayments caused as a consequence of fraud. As last resort deductions are higher up the deduction priority order, they will already have been taken as third party deductions, and as such the total deduction cannot exceed the 40 per cent maximum.</p><p> </p><p>For example:</p><ol><li>Last resort deduction for arrears of rent at 10%;</li><li>Last resort deduction for arrears of gas at 5%;</li><li>Last resort deduction for arrears of electricity at 5%;</li><li>Arrears of overpayment caused by error for a claimant with earnings. The maximum deduction rate for this is 25% but as 20% is already being taken for the third party deductions above, only 20% will be taken for the overpayment, so as not to exceed the 40% limit.</li></ol><p /><p>More generally, it is possible for the 40% ceiling to be breached but only when there is a Fraud Penalty or Sanction or an Advance repayment which means that some or all of the Last Resort Deductions cannot be applied while remaining within the 40% ceiling. If it is nevertheless in the claimant’s best interests to apply the Last Resort Deductions, then the ceiling can be breached. At this point, anything lower down the priority order (such as overpayments) would not be deducted.</p><p> </p><p>The Deduction Priority Order can be found here (p. 72) - <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/683470/benefit-overpayment-recovery-guide.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/683470/benefit-overpayment-recovery-guide.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 03/12/2018 17:57:37 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1013093

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of claimants of tax credits that will not be eligible for universal credit as a result of the savings limit qualification.
tabling member constituency	Bristol South
tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
uin	195088
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2018 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>We have, however, made an estimate for the number of tax credit claimants with capital in excess of £16,000 likely to be managed migrated, across Great Britain, which is around 35,000.</p><p> </p><p>As announced on 7 June 2018, for claimants with capital exceeding £16,000 who are managed migrated onto Universal Credit by the Department, any capital which exceeds the limit will be disregarded for 12 months, which means they are entitled to Universal Credit. This protection period for claimants is contingent on parliamentary approval of the required legislation.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 04/12/2018 16:21:04 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1013094

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the Government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to implement the transitional protections for claimants of universal credit that were in receipt of severe disability premium.
tabling member constituency	Bristol South
tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
uin	195089
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2018 answer text <p>Our proposals to implement transitional protections for claimants of Universal Credit who had previously been in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium were laid before Parliament on 5 November 2018 as part of the Universal Credit (Managed Migration) Regulations 2018.</p><p> </p><p>These regulations make provision for an on-going payment to claimants who have already lost their Severe Disability Premium as a result of moving on to Universal Credit and who would still meet the eligibility criteria. The regulations also include an additional payment to cover the period since they moved onto Universal Credit. These payments are subject to the regulations receiving Parliamentary approval.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 195090 question first answered 30/11/2018 14:48:15 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1013095

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the proposed transitional protections for claimants of universal credit that were in receipt of severe disability premium will be backdated for claimants that have been migrated to universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Bristol South
tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
uin	195090
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2018 answer text <p>Our proposals to implement transitional protections for claimants of Universal Credit who had previously been in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium were laid before Parliament on 5 November 2018 as part of the Universal Credit (Managed Migration) Regulations 2018.</p><p> </p><p>These regulations make provision for an on-going payment to claimants who have already lost their Severe Disability Premium as a result of moving on to Universal Credit and who would still meet the eligibility criteria. The regulations also include an additional payment to cover the period since they moved onto Universal Credit. These payments are subject to the regulations receiving Parliamentary approval.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 195089 question first answered 30/11/2018 14:48:15 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1013096

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on claimants of universal credit of the 53 week rent year for many social housing tenants in 2019.
tabling member constituency	Bristol South
tabling member printed	Karin Smyth
uin	195091
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2018 answer text <p>Universal Credit is paid on a monthly cycle to reflect the fact that the vast majority of people receive their wages monthly. Many social landlords still expect their tenants to pay rent on a weekly basis, a practice based upon a time when both wages and benefits were paid weekly. The effect of this is that, roughly every six years, there will be 53 payment days in a twelve-month period with the result that, over the cycle, the average social sector tenant will receive approximately 35p a week less towards their rent. A key principle of Universal Credit is that it simplifies the benefit system for working age claimants and re-assessing housing costs to reflect the number of rent payments in any particular year would be complicated and lead to confusion.</p><p /> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/11/2018 12:39:04 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4444 label Biography information for Karin Smyth

1013135

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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	Social Security Benefits: Blaenau Gwent
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2018 to Question 188789 on Social Security Benefits: Blaenau Gwent, what the total number of appeals made for both those benefits were in that same (a) constituency and (b) timeframe; and what proportion of those appeals were successful.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	195064
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/12/2018 answer text <p>Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeals</p><p> </p><p>In the Blaenau Gwent constituency, 170 appeals were completed in relation to PIP in 2017-18. Of these, 79% (130 appeals) were successful.</p><p> </p><p>40 appeals were completed between April and June 2018, the latest date for which statistics have been published. Of these, 79% (30 appeals) were successful.</p><p> </p><p>These figures include all PIP appeals; so they will contain appeals where claimants appealed for a higher PIP award as well as those appeals against a disallowance decision.</p><p>Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.</p><p> </p><p>Appeals data taken from the DWP PIP computer system’s management information. Therefore this appeal data may differ from that held by Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service for various reasons such as delays in data recording and other methodological differences in collating and preparing statistics.</p><p> </p><p>The Parliamentary Constituency geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode) rather than the location of where the tribunal was.</p><p> </p><p>Decisions overturned at appeal may include a number of appeals that have been lapsed (which is where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal).</p><p> </p><p>Since PIP was introduced 3.5m decisions have been made nationally up to June 2018, of these 9% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned.</p><p> </p><p>Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) appeals</p><p> </p><p>Information on appeal outcome by claim start date and Parliamentary Constituency is available on Stat-Xplore under “ESA Work Capability Assessments”.</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here:</p><p> </p><p>https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Between April 2014 and March 2018, 3.5m ESA (post WCA) decisions have been made nationally, of these 8% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 03/12/2018 17:27:32 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1013161

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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	Cooperatives and Social Enterprises
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what resources are available through Jobcentre Plus for people planning to set up social enterprises and co-operatives.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	195033
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2018 answer text <p>The New Enterprise Allowance supports people to start their own business or develop their business if they are already self-employed. Businesses may include social enterprises or cooperatives.</p><p> </p><p>Since its launch in April 2011 up to the end of June 2018, there have been over 120,520 businesses set up through the New Enterprise Allowance scheme.</p><p> </p><p>Work Coaches are also aware of local provision to which they can signpost people as appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 30/11/2018 15:12:48 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1013174

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the number and proportion is of Universal Credit claimants who repaid an advance payment in the most recent month for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	195128
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2018 answer text <p>Our latest internal data on the proportion of eligible UC Full Service claims that repaid an advance payment in Sep 2018 showed 41% (370,000 claims, rounded to the nearest 10,000).</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/11/2018 18:34:54 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1013175

registered interest
date	23/11/2018
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the number and proportion is of universal credit claimants who had a deduction to repay a benefit overpayment in the most recent month for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	195129
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has a duty to protect public funds and an obligation to ensure that, in accordance with social security legislation, any overpayment of benefit resulting from claimant error or fraud is recovered.</p><p> </p><p>I can confirm that there were 92,760 Universal Credit claimants who had a deduction from their Universal Credit as a recovery against a benefit overpayment within October 2018.</p><p> </p><p>Housing costs are defined in two ways:</p><ol><li>Owner-occupier service charges and</li><li>Rent, including service charges</li></ol><p> </p><p>The information on (a) is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>The latest available data is for eligible claims to UC Full Service that are due a payment in September 2018. Of these claims, 5% have a deduction from their standard allowance to repay rent arrears. This equates to 45,000 claims (rounded to the nearest 1,000).</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 195130 195131 question first answered 28/11/2018 16:05:44 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West