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1565321

registered interest
date	09/01/2023
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	Low Incomes: Government Assistance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what further steps they are taking to provide cash support for low-income households.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2023 answer text <p>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.</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.</p><p> </p><p>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 global inflationary challenges and the significantly rising cost of living. The Devolved Administrations will receive consequential funding as usual to spend at their discretion.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>All benefit rates and State Pensions will increase in line with the Consumer Prices Index for the year to September 2022. This will mean that, subject to parliamentary approval, they will increase by 10.1% in April. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap will also be increased by 10.1% subject to parliamentary approval.</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 over eight million 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 20/01/2023 14:32:44 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1563839

registered interest
date	21/12/2022
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: Older People
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many older people they estimate are currently living in (1) relative, and (2) absolute, poverty.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4509
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2023 answer text <p>National Statistics on the number of pensioners with low income are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication and the latest available estimates are for 2020/21.</p><p> </p><p>The overall trend in the number of pensioners living in low income shows a fall over recent decades.</p><p>(1) In 2020/21, there were 1.9 million pensioners in relative low income, before housing costs. This is a fall of 200 thousand since 2009/10. In 2020/21, there were 1.7 million pensioners in relative low income, after housing costs. This is a fall of 100 thousand since 2009/10.</p><p>(2) In 2020/21, there were 1.5 million pensioners in absolute low income, before housing costs. This is a fall of 400 thousand since 2009/10. In 2020/21, there were 1.2 million pensioners in absolute low income, after housing costs. This is a fall of 400 thousand since 2009/10.</p><p>The Government is committed to action that helps to alleviate levels of pensioner poverty.</p><p> </p><p>In 2022/23, we will spend £134 billion on benefits for pensioners in GB, 5.4% of GDP. This includes £110 billion spending on the State Pension in 2022/23. Subject to Parliamentary approval in April 2023 the State Pension and the Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee will increase by 10.1%.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, to reduce the risk of poverty for future pensioners, automatic enrolment into workplace pensions has transformed pension participation for millions of workers. To date, over 10.8 million people have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension, with over 2.1 million employers complying with their duties.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 10/01/2023 11:46:54 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1551900

registered interest
date	14/12/2022
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
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 adequacy of the current levels of benefits given the increased cost of living.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL4282
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2022 answer text <p>The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The government’s Energy Price Guarantee, running from October 2022- March 2023, will save a typical British household around £900 this winter, based on what energy price would have been under the current price cap – reducing bills by roughly a third. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost-of-living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>From 10 April 2023 we are uprating State Pension and benefit rates by 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions the benefit cap will also be increased by 10.1%. These increases are subject to Parliamentary approval.</p><p /><p>To ensure stability and certainty for households, the government is providing £26bn in cost-of-living support for 2023/24. This includes Cost of Living Payments for the most vulnerable. In 2023/24, households on eligible means-tested benefits will get up to a further £900 in Cost-of-Living Payments. A £300 payment will be made to pensioner households and individuals in receipt of eligible disability benefits will receive a £150 payment. Also included is the amended Energy Price Guarantee which will save the average UK household £500 in 2023-24.</p><p> </p><p>For those who require extra support, the Government is providing an additional £1 billion of funding, including Barnett impact, to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England in the next financial year. This is on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing total funding to £2.5 billion. In England this will be delivered through an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £842 million, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, which local authorities use to help households with the cost of essentials. It will be for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their additional Barnett funding.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/12/2022 11:22:13 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

1551407

registered interest
date	13/12/2022
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 whether they intend to publish the report on the discovery phase of the managed migration of Universal Credit; and if so, when they intend to do so.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL4258
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2022 answer text <p>We intend to publish our learnings and observations from the initial Discovery tests in due course.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/12/2022 11:20:23 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

1550448

registered interest
date	12/12/2022
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	Sick Pay
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how the number of people earning less than the lower earnings threshold for statutory sick pay has changed over the last five years.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of London
uin	HL4227
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2022 answer text <p>Information on the number of people earning less than the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL), over the last five years, is not readily available and would incur a disproportionate cost. This would require significant analysis to ensure the underlying data would be robust.</p><p> </p><p>As set out in the 2019 consultation, “Health is Everyone’s Business”, it was estimated that there were around 2 million employees who earned below the LEL and were therefore ineligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/12/2022 11:45:16 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4696 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of London

1550449

registered interest
date	12/12/2022
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	Sick Pay: Reform
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessments they have carried out of proposed reforms to Statutory Sick Pay in the last 10 years.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of London
uin	HL4228
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2022 answer text <p>Statutory Sick Pay provides a minimum level of income for employees who are unable to work and is both administered and paid for entirely by employers.</p><p> </p><p>The Government continues to keep the system under review.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/12/2022 11:41:57 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4696 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of London

1550111

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
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	Employment Schemes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist people of working age who are economically inactive due to illness back into employment.
tabling member printed	Lord Allen of Kensington
uin	HL4134
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2022 answer text <p>The government has a longstanding programme supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work. This programme includes employment support programmes for disabled people and people with health conditions facing additional barriers into employment and interventions designed to minimise the risk of ill-health related job-loss. These programmes are accessible to the economically inactive and those at risk of falling into economic inactivity, including due to illness.</p><p>Long-term sickness is now the most common reason for being economically inactive, rising 3.5 percentage points in the last 3 years to a total of 2.5 million people. It is the biggest factor in the rise in economic inactivity since the start of the pandemic.</p><p>The 50-64 age group make up the largest proportion of those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness. The government provides additional support to individuals aged 50 and over, in recognition of the additional challenges they may face re-joining the labour market.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/12/2022 11:20:10 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4304 label Biography information for Lord Allen of Kensington

1550121

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
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	Budgeting Loans
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce (1) the waiting time for, and (2) the size of the loans available through, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ budgeting loans scheme.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Durham
uin	HL4148
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2022 answer text <p>98 per cent of claims for Social Fund Budgeting Loans are currently made online and the current target for notifying a decision is 8 working days. During 2020/21 the achieved target was 4.68 working days. We expect the performance figures for 21/22 to be published in the New Year. We continually review the delivery of different benefits.</p><p> </p><p>The maximum amount for a Budgeting Loan application is £348 if you’re single, £464 if you have a partner and £812 if you or your partner claim Child Benefit. This ensures that help is available for intermittent expenses that are considered difficult to budget for, whilst ensuring that repayments are affordable as far as possible. <br> <br></p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/12/2022 11:46:28 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4312 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Durham

1550128

registered interest
date	08/12/2022
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	Statutory Sick Pay
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are currently receiving statutory sick pay; how many people are eligible to receive only statutory sick pay when unwell; and how many people earn less than the lower earnings threshold, making them ineligible for statutory sick pay.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of London
uin	HL4157
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2022 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>Statutory Sick Pay is administered and paid by employers, so this information is not held by the Government. Therefore, we are not able to make a robust assessment on the number of people who are currently receiving SSP.</p><p> </p><p>There is information on the type of sick pay usually paid from surveys of employers and employees. The most recent of these are a survey of employers conducted in 2018 (most recent publication in 2021) and a survey of employees conducted in 2014 (published in 2015). Links to both surveys can be found below:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sickness-absence-and-health-in-the-workplace-understanding-employer-behaviour-and-practice" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sickness-absence-and-health-in-the-workplace-understanding-employer-behaviour-and-practice</a></li></ul><p> </p><ul><li><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447127/rr901-health-and-wellbeing-at-work.pdf" target="_blank">Health and wellbeing at work: a survey of employees, 2014 (publishing.service.gov.uk) </a></li></ul><p><strong> </strong></p><p>As set out in the 2019 “Health is Everyone’s Business” consultation, it was estimated that there were around 2 million employees who earned below the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) and were therefore ineligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 14/12/2022 12:30:03 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4696 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of London

1549686

registered interest
date	07/12/2022
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	Pension Credit: Applications
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many claims for Pension Credit have been waiting for more than (1) two, (2) three, (3) four, (4) five, and (5) six, months for approval; and what percentage of applications this comprises.
tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
uin	HL4083
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2022 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>This information is only available at disproportionate cost to The Department for Work &amp; Pensions as the Department does not have a business requirement for this information to be retained.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/12/2022 12:13:03 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann