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1246439

registered interest
date	22/10/2020
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: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the £20 per week increase in the standard rate of Universal Credit to people remaining on legacy benefits such as Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9476
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2020 answer text <p>The Government introduced a package of temporary welfare measures worth around £9.3 billion this year to help with the financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included the £20 weekly increase to the Universal Credit Standard Allowance rates as a temporary measure for the 20/21 tax year.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to work with the Treasury on the best ways to support those receiving benefits.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 02/11/2020 14:27:56 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1246440

registered interest
date	22/10/2020
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 Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to replace Universal Credit Advance Payment loans with grants or 'starter payments' to reduce applicants' accrual of debt during the five-week waiting period.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9477
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2020 answer text <p>We have no plans to do this. Our focus remains firmly on ensuring that millions of new and existing claimants continue to receive their payments on time, and that we do everything possible to support people back into work where it is right to do so.</p><p> </p><p>Nobody has to wait for five weeks for a Universal Credit (UC) payment. New Claims Advances are available which allow claimants to receive up to 100 per cent of their estimated UC payment upfront so that new claimants will receive their annual award over 13 payments during their first year, instead of 12. These advances are not loans.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has announced that from October 2021, the maximum recovery period is increasing from 12 to 24 months for new claim and benefit transfer advances and that we are reducing the normal maximum level of deductions from a claimant’s UC Standard Allowance to 25 per cent, down from 30 per cent.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 02/11/2020 14:37:12 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1246441

registered interest
date	22/10/2020
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 Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publicise and promote the Alternative Payment Arrangements for Universal Credit.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL9478
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2020 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions recognises that vulnerable claimants may need additional support managing their money. Alternative Payment Arrangements (APAs) are available to help Universal Credit (UC) claimants have their award paid differently. This can involve housing costs being paid directly to a claimant’s landlord, receiving twice monthly instead of monthly payments and/or having the UC award split between two members of a couple.</p><p> </p><p>APAs can be considered at any point during the UC claim. Crucially, these arrangements are intended only for vulnerable claimants who need targeted, additional support in managing their money – for example, claimants with dependency issues, learning difficulties, significant debts and/or victims of domestic abuse.</p><p> </p><p>The Department already publicises APAs. UC work coaches have clear guidance to help them identify when an APA may be appropriate and will always consider any APA that would best support the claimant. Identifying vulnerabilities is a key element of the work coach role and allows the Department to tailor the support it offers to each claimant. In addition, landlords and support organisations are aware of this provision and can request an APA be considered at any time for claimants they are supporting. GOV.UK also includes APAs as part of the additional financial support available to UC claimants</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 04/11/2020 17:33:57 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton