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1244742

registered interest
date	19/10/2020
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	Employment: Young People
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to remove barriers to employment for 16 to 24-year-olds.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL9327
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2020 answer text <p>The Government continues to work to raise the bar in the opportunities available to the next generation and to help improve their outcomes by removing barriers to work.</p><p> </p><p>From September 2020 we started the implementation of the new DWP Youth Offer for all 18 to 24 year olds. This includes the introduction of our Youth Employment Programme, during which young people will be referred to the most appropriate support. We have also implemented DWP Youth Hubs and DWP Youth Employability Coaches.</p><p> </p><p>Youth Hubs are co-located and co-delivered with our network of external partners. Young people can access further tailored support to meet any skills gaps and requirements to bring them closer to labour market opportunities. 16 and 17 year-olds will be able to access Youth Hub support via a drop-in service where they will be signposted to the most appropriate support. DWP is also engaging directly with the National Employers Partnership Team to support 16 and 17 year-olds (as well as the wider youth customer group), working with partners such as Movement to Work, the Prince’s Trust, Accenture and Youth Employment UK.</p><p> </p><p>Youth Employability Coaches will provide flexible support for young people with significant complex needs and barriers to help them move into employment.</p><p> </p><p>We have also launched the Kickstart Scheme, dedicated to helping those young people at risk of long term unemployment develop their skills and experience through thousands of 6-month job placements. Funding for each job placement covers 25 hours a week, plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions. We are encouraging organisations that support disadvantaged young people to work with us and employers as gateway organisiations, helping smaller employers through the application process and helping to deliver tailored employability support for the young people they help on the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, we continue to deliver our Mentoring Circles programme for 16-24 year olds giving young people an opportunity to build on their employability skills by facilitating interaction with employers.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 02/11/2020 17:56:40 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1243619

registered interest
date	14/10/2020
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	Pensions: Ethnic Groups
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ethnicity pension gap; and what steps, if any, they are taking to reduce it.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL9198
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2020 answer text <p>Automatic enrolment has reversed the decline in workplace pension saving. Latest figures show that over 10 million workers have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension by more than 1.7 million employers to date. By 2019/20 an estimated extra £18.8 billion a year was estimated to go into workplace pensions as a result of this policy.</p><p> </p><p>The level of earnings at which workers are automatically enrolled (the earnings trigger) is subject to an annual statutory review. An analysis of the equalities impact always forms part of the review, as does an assessment of reducing the trigger to the National Insurance threshold. Analysis for the 2020/21 thresholds showed that 14 per cent of those made eligible by freezing the trigger were from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups.</p><p> </p><p>Eligible employee participation continues to increase across all ethnic groups but gaps persist.</p><p>The White ethnic group has had the highest participation rate since the introduction of automatic enrolment in 2012 and had an average participation rate of 81 per cent over the period 2016/17-2018/19. This compares to the lowest, Pakistani and Bangladeshi group at 61 per cent. However, between the 2011/12-2013/14 period and 2016/17-2018/19 there were large increases among all ethnic groups. The Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnic group shows the largest increase from 36 per cent to 61 per cent.</p><p> </p><p>Our aim remains to help BAME workers and others achieve greater financial resilience for the long term. Our ambition, set out in the 2017 Automatic Enrolment Review: Maintaining the Momentum, is to remove the lower earnings limit and lower the age threshold for workplace pensions, in the mid-2020s, to increase the amount of savings people can build up for their retirement.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 22/10/2020 13:05:44 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1234964

registered interest
date	16/09/2020
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	Pensions: Gender
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the gender pension gap.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL8213
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/09/2020 answer text <p>Automatic enrolment has reversed the decline in workplace pension saving. Latest figures show that over 10 million workers have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension by more than 1.7 million employers. By 2019/20 an estimated extra £18.6 billion a year is estimated to go into workplace pensions as a result of this policy.</p><p> </p><p>Automatic enrolment was designed to help groups who historically were poorly served or excluded from workplace pension saving, such as women and lower earners. These reforms have helped millions more women save into a workplace pension, many for the first time. Workplace pension participation among eligible women working in the private sector has risen from 40 per cent in 2012 to 86 per cent in 2019 – which is equal to men.</p><p> </p><p>Reforms to the State Pension have improved State Pension outcomes. Over three million women stand to receive an average of £550 more per year by 2030 as a result of the recent reforms. There are currently still inequalities, based on historic factors, but in time, these will reduce, helped by the reforms of the new State Pension.</p><p><br>In private pensions, the most important factors driving the gap are related to the labour market with inequalities in pay and working patterns. Women are more likely to take career breaks than men and to work part-time in lower-paid jobs because of caring responsibilities. We have put in place practical support to help people with caring responsibilities return to work, and to support families to share caring responsibilities more evenly. This includes doubling the free childcare available in England for eligible working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds to 30 hours per week, and consulting on increasing the transparency of employers' flexible working and parental leave policies, and on high-level options for reforming parental leave and pay, to allow both parents to play a greater role in childcare.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 23/09/2020 13:27:26 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1232217

registered interest
date	08/09/2020
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	Employment: Young People
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support small businesses which cannot apply for funds from the Kickstart Scheme to create job placements for young people.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL7948
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2020 answer text <p>Companies looking to offer roles to fewer than 30 Kickstart applicants are still able to benefit from Kickstart by joining a bid made by an intermediary organisation. Intermediaries can gather employers keen to offer Kickstart jobs to make a collective bid of 30 or more vacancies. Smaller employers will have support from the intermediary to create high quality roles and additional support so that young people get the most out of their placement, this also reduces the administrative burden falling on the small employer. The Department has received significant interest from a wide range of bodies including local authorities, charities and trade/industry bodies looking to become intermediaries.</p><p> </p><p>If a small employer is unable to qualify for Kickstart funding, for example because the job is not additional, they can take advantage of a number of other schemes, such as apprenticeships, available to young people. Your local Job Centre Plus is able to recommend the best schemes available in the area.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/09/2020 14:05:06 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1232033

registered interest
date	07/09/2020
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	Unemployment: Older People
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent long term unemployment among older workers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL7893
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2020 answer text <p>We are providing £1.2 billion to enhance work search support service in Great Britain which includes doubling the number of frontline Work Coaches in Jobcentre Plus before the end of the financial year. We are also increasing the flexible support fund which includes extending the Rapid Response Service, tripling the number of Sector Based Work Academy placements in England, and expanding the work and health programme to deliver Job Entry: Targeted Support. Further, the Job finding support service will provide tailored one-to-one job finding support to the recently unemployed. Older claimants will have access to all these programmes to help them with their job search.</p><p> </p><p>Jobcentre Plus Older Claimants Champions work with Work Coaches to deliver Jobcentre Plus’ commitment to support older people to find work and stay in work. Champions liaise with employers and providers to promote and raise the profile and benefits of employing older workers.</p><p> </p><p>A new programme of support for the long-term unemployed is currently under development by the department. This will be launched in 2021.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The department has also been working with employer organisations – including the Chartered Institute of Personal Development, British Chambers of Commerce, The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, Local Enterprise Partnerships and the Government Business Champion for Older Workers – to reach small and medium enterprises by hosting webinars to spread important messages about the need to support their older workers in order to retain them in the workforce and maintain their well-being and productivity.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/09/2020 16:53:43 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1231009

registered interest
date	02/09/2020
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	Basic Income
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent research from Finland that suggests that Universal Basic Income improves employee mental health and boosts employment.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL7724
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2020 answer text <p>No assessment has been made. Universal Basic Income does not take any account of people’s needs and circumstances, is not targeted at the poorest in society and would be hugely expensive.</p><p> </p><p>This Government believes Universal Credit is the right strategy for the UK because it simplifies the benefits system, promotes and incentivises work and provides targeted support to those in most need, in a way that is affordable.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 16/09/2020 16:45:24 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1224743

registered interest
date	14/07/2020
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	Poverty: Ethnic Groups
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Social Metrics Commission Measuring Poverty 2020, published on 1 July, which suggests that BAME households are more likely to live in poverty.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL6869
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s current focus is on supporting people financially during these unprecedented times. Our long-term ambition remains to build an economy that supports employment, ensuring opportunities for all to enter and progress in work where possible, whilst providing a strong welfare safety net for those that need it.</p><p> </p><p>This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of work in tackling poverty now and in the future. Working age adults in households where all adults are in work are six times less likely to be in absolute poverty (after housing costs) than adults in a household where nobody works.</p><p> </p><p>We are also committed to levelling up skills and opportunities across the country. Using latest data from the Race Disparity Audit, and the Department for Work and Pensions’ own analysis, we continue to help those underrepresented in the labour market and are also investing £90 million towards activities that address disparities in youth unemployment.</p><p> </p><p>On 8 July, the Chancellor announced a series of employment support measures, with a particular focus on young people, who we know are two and a half times as likely to work in a sector that has been closed. This includes a new Kickstart Scheme in Great Britain, a £2 billion fund to create hundreds of thousands of high quality six-month work placements aimed at those aged 16-24 who are on Universal Credit and are deemed to be at risk of long term unemployment from Autumn this year.</p><p> </p><p>As the economic outlook becomes clearer, we will adapt our offer to ensure we are targeting our support at the right people. We have a flexible and agile package we will continue to tailor our response as we continue to learn more about the impact on different sectors of the economy and different parts of the country.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 23/07/2020 15:21:01 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1197829

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	Employment: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what continuous financial support they plan to provide to vulnerable people who are unable to return to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4807
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>Employers are able to access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which will help them to continue paying part of their employees’ wages if they would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis. The Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) scheme has also been extended to strengthen the safety net for vulnerable people where employers have chosen not to make use of CJRS. SSP is now payable from the first day of sickness absence, rather than the fourth, to those required to self-isolate because they, or someone in their household, has symptoms of COVID-19. SSP is now also payable to individuals identified as clinically extremely vulnerable who have been advised to stay at home (known as shielding) and to anyone who has had close contact with someone who has tested positive and are being asked to self-isolate.</p><p>Any worker not eligible for SSP may be able to claim Universal Credit or New Style Employment and Support Allowance.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 04/06/2020 14:47:34 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1144202

registered interest
date	03/09/2019
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: Schools
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that there has been an increase in the number of food banks set up in UK schools.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL17690
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">There is no official data or record of the number of foodbanks in the UK. However, the Government wants to develop a better understanding of household food needs to help ensure that support is targeted at those who need it most. This is why the Government has worked with food insecurity experts, the Office for National Statistics and the Scottish Government to introduce a new set of food security questions in the Family Resources Survey starting from April 2019. This means that we will in future be able to able to monitor the prevalence and severity of household food insecurity across the UK and for specific groups, to better understand the drivers of food insecurity and identify which groups are most at risk.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">To help families on low incomes we are supporting 1.3 million children with free school meals, investing up to £26 million in school breakfast clubs, providing approximately 2.3 million children aged 4-6 with a portion of fresh fruit or vegetables each day at school, and, through the Healthy Start Programme, hundreds of thousands of low income families benefit from vouchers which can be redeemed against fruit, vegetables, milk and infant formula.</ins></p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 09/09/2019 15:53:12 question first ministerially corrected 30/09/2019 14:57:52 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott previous answer version 135004 answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick