Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1504767

registered interest
date	05/09/2022
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	Payment Exception Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the maximum payment amount that can be collected in a single transaction using the Payment Exception Service at a Post Office or pay point outlet is set at £100 requiring some claimants to make multiple transactions to access the full amount of their benefits or pension.
tabling member constituency	Newport East
tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
uin	47482
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2022 answer text <p>The most secure way to receive payment is through a bank account. For those customers who are unable to open or manage a bank, building society or credit union account, the DWP’s new Payment Exception Service has been designed as a simple service to ensure customers have access to cash. Vouchers are uploaded to a card or sent electronically via SMS text or email. A customer can print their emailed vouchers and present them to the retailer. The maximum amount of a voucher is £100 so a customer may receive more than one voucher on their payment due date. Customers must cash the full amount of the voucher but do not have to cash all of their vouchers at the same time. This is a similar process to when customers used to be issued with Order Books and Girocheques.</p><p> </p><p>Payment Exception Service vouchers can be encashed at over 26,000 PayPoint outlets nationally as well as Post Offices nationwide. The service provided by this contract meets DWP’s statutory requirement to ensure all customers can access payments, including where standard banking is not available to them.</p><p> </p><p>The £100 voucher amount represents a value that protects vulnerable customers from being required to withdraw and carry large sums and is one that the PayPoint Retailer network can support.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 17/09/2022 15:42:04 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden

1504798

registered interest
date	05/09/2022
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
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 11 July 2022 to Question 31232 on Pension Credit and the Answer of 11 July 2022 to Question 31233 on Pension Credit, what estimate she has made of the number of people eligible for Pension Credit who have not yet applied; and what assessment she has made of the potential reasons for people not applying for Pension Credit.
tabling member constituency	North East Fife
tabling member printed	Wendy Chamberlain
uin	47660
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2022 answer text <p>The latest published estimates for the number of people eligible for Pension Credit relate to the financial year 2019 to 2020 and show that up to 850,000 pensioner households were eligible for but not claiming Pension Credit. These are available in the <em>Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up</em> publication which can be found on the statistics section of gov.uk. Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2019 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</p><p> </p><p>Previous DWP research found that the main reason pensioners don’t claim Pension Credit is because they believe that they are not eligible – they may think they have too much income, have savings or own their own home. There does also appear to be a secondary barrier around perceived stigma. Further details are available in the 2012 Research report <em>Pension Credit eligible non-recipients: Barriers to claiming</em>. <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214374/rrep819.pdf" target="_blank">Pension Credit eligible non-recipients: Barriers to claiming (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>That is why one of the main objectives of our Pension Credit awareness campaign has been to dispel the myths around perceived ineligibility. Our messaging has also emphasised that even a small award of Pension Credit can open the door to a range of other financial support, including help with rent, Council Tax and heating costs, a free TV licence for those 75 or over and help with NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for hospital appointments.</p><p> </p><p>It is also now more important than ever before to ensure that eligible pensioners claim Pension Credit, because a successful claim also qualifies them for the Cost of Living payments. That’s why the work to raise awareness of Pension Credit and increase take-up is ongoing.</p> answering member constituency Hertford and Stortford answering member printed Julie Marson question first answered 08/09/2022 16:50:09 answering member 4768 label Biography information for Julie Marson
tabling member	4765 label Biography information for Wendy Chamberlain

1504799

registered interest
date	05/09/2022
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	Second State Pension Age Independent Review
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to publish the outcome to the public consultation on the Second State Pension age review which closed on 25 April 2022; and if she will provide an interim update.
tabling member constituency	North East Fife
tabling member printed	Wendy Chamberlain
uin	47661
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2022 answer text <p>The call for evidence was undertaken by the Independent Reviewer. The Independent Review has not yet concluded and will be published in due course.</p> answering member constituency Hertford and Stortford answering member printed Julie Marson question first answered 08/09/2022 16:48:48 answering member 4768 label Biography information for Julie Marson
tabling member	4765 label Biography information for Wendy Chamberlain

1504917

registered interest
date	05/09/2022
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	Long Covid
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 27 June 2022 to Question 21271 on Long Covid, what progress her Department has made on investigating whether COVID can be classified as an occupational disease.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	47620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2022 answer text <p>The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (“IIAC”) advises Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on matters related to occupational diseases which may qualify for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. IIAC has reviewed the evidence relating to the long-term consequences of COVID-19 infections and hopes to publish a report in the next few months focusing on those post-COVID complications arising from both COVID directly and/or treatment and for which there is sufficient evidence of loss of faculty and potential long-term disability.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 16/09/2022 14:20:18 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1504927

registered interest
date	05/09/2022
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	Cost of Living Payments: Housing Benefit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to answer of 8 July 2022 to Question 26876 on Cost of Living Payments: Housing Benefit, what assessment he has been made of (a) how many people receiving housing benefit only are not receiving the £650 cost of living payment and (b) the sufficiency of the Household Support Fund to reach all those requiring additional support.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	47623
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2022 answer text <p>(A) How many people receiving HB only are not receiving the £650 Cost Of Living payment</p><p> </p><p>Approximately 100 thousand working-age HB claimants were not in receipt of a qualifying benefit or Tax Credit and so would not receive a cost of living payment of £650 paid in two lump sums of £326 and £324.</p><p> </p><p>There are a further 370 thousand pensioner HB claimants who were also not in receipt of any qualifying benefit but will receive the £300 Cost of Living payment paid through an increase to the Winter Fuel Payment.</p><p> </p><p>(B) What assessment has been made of the sufficiency of the Household Support Fund to reach all those requiring additional support.</p><p> </p><p>£842m has already been allocated to Local Authorities in England through the Household Support Fund to support those in need for the period October 2021- September 2022. Almost 9 million awards were given to those in need between October 2021 and March 2022 alone. A further £421m is being provided to extend the Household Support Fund from October 2022 to March 2023, taking the total funding for this support to over £1.2bn.</p><p> </p><p>Local Authorities have the ties and local knowledge to best determine how this support should be provided to their local communities, and they have the discretion to design their own local schemes to best meet local need, within the parameters of the grant determination and guidance for the fund.</p><p> </p><p>The Household Support Fund is just one part of a wider package of government support for the cost of living now totalling over £37bn this year.</p><p> </p><p /> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 27/09/2022 10:04:00 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1504934

registered interest
date	05/09/2022
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	Cost of Living Payments: 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 impact of the decision taken that Universal Credit claimants will not be eligible for the cost of living payment if they had their Universal Credit award reduced to zero by the minimum income floor and did not receive a Universal Credit payment during the qualifying month; and if her Department will publish statistics to show how many claimants will be affected by that policy.
tabling member constituency	Belfast South
tabling member printed	Claire Hanna
uin	47699
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2022 answer text <p>No assessment has been made,</p><p>We have deliberately kept the rules for these payments as simple as possible. This is the only way we can ensure that we can develop the systems and processes required to make these payments. The cost-of-living payment is being made in two payments which have different qualifying periods, this will mean that some people may not receive the first payment but may receive the second payment.</p><p> </p><p>Information showing the number of claimants that may be affected by this Policy is not readily available, and this would only be possible at a disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Should people find that they need further support, they may wish to approach their Local Authority to ask about support under the Household Support Fund. For further information please see <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment" target="_blank">Cost of Living Payment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>The following PQ regarding the MIF and Universal Credit may be of interest <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-07-13/36138/" target="_blank">Written questions and answers- Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament</a></p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 16/09/2022 13:57:18 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4827 label Biography information for Claire Hanna

1504935

registered interest
date	05/09/2022
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	Cost of Living Payments: 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 made before introducing the Social Security (Additional Payments) Bill of the potential impact on Universal Credit claimants, including those working in the performing arts and entertainment industries who have fluctuating earnings, of the policy that Universal Credit claimants would not be eligible for the cost of living payment if they had their Universal Credit award reduced to zero by the minimum income floor and did not receive a Universal Credit payment during the qualifying month.
tabling member constituency	Belfast South
tabling member printed	Claire Hanna
uin	47700
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2022 answer text <p>No assessment has been made.</p><p>We have deliberately kept the rules for these payments as simple as possible. This is the only way we can ensure that we can develop the systems and processes required to make these payments. The cost-of-living payment is being made in two payments which have different qualifying periods, this will mean that some people may not receive the first payment but may receive the second payment.</p><p> </p><p>Should people find that they need further support, they may wish to approach their Local Authority to ask about support under the Household Support Fund. For further information please see <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment" target="_blank">Cost of Living Payment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>The following PQ regarding the MIF and Universal Credit may be of interest <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-07-13/36138/" target="_blank">Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament</a></p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 16/09/2022 13:51:54 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4827 label Biography information for Claire Hanna

1504936

registered interest
date	05/09/2022
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	Cost of Living Payments: Universal Credit
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 19 July 2022 to Question 36138 on Cost of Living Payments, how many Universal Credit claimants who had the minimum income floor applied to them during the qualifying period for the first round of cost of living payments; and how many claimants (a) had a zero payment, (b) earned below the minimum income floor and (c) earned above the minimum income floor.
tabling member constituency	Belfast South
tabling member printed	Claire Hanna
uin	47701
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2022 answer text <p>During the qualifying period for the first Cost of Living Payment there were 67,350 gainfully self-employed Universal Credit claimants subject to the minimum income floor. Of these:</p><p>a) 8,820 had a zero payment.</p><p>b) 33,520 earned below the minimum income floor.</p><p>c) 33,830 earned above the minimum income floor.</p><p> </p><p>Numbers with a zero payment (a) are not excluded from numbers above (b) or below (c) the minimum income floor.</p><p /><p>Note: the figures in (a), (b) and (c) do not sum to the total number of gainfully self-employed as some individuals will have a zero payment and earn above or below the minimum income floor.</p><p> </p><p>These figures are from internal Management Information subject to retrospective changes and are rounded to the nearest 10.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 15/09/2022 16:22:22 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4827 label Biography information for Claire Hanna

1504937

registered interest
date	05/09/2022
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	Cost of Living Payments: Self-employed
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 19 July 2022 to Question 36137 on Cost of Living Payments: Self-employed, how many gainfully self-employed claimants who (a) were in a start-up period and (b) were otherwise exempt from the minimum income floor.
tabling member constituency	Belfast South
tabling member printed	Claire Hanna
uin	47702
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2022 answer text <p>During the qualifying period for the first Cost of Living Payment there were 219,340 gainfully self-employed Universal Credit claimants in a start-up period.</p><p>It is not possible to provide the number of claimants who were otherwise exempt from the minimum income floor, as to do so would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>This figure is from internal Management Information subject to retrospective changes and is rounded to the nearest 10.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 15/09/2022 16:26:24 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4827 label Biography information for Claire Hanna

1504941

registered interest
date	05/09/2022
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	Department for Work and Pensions: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on staffing costs for (a) mandatory reconsideration and (b) appeals against Work Capability Assessment decisions for Employment Support Allowance in each year since 2012-13.
tabling member constituency	Battersea
tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
uin	47641
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2022 answer text <p>The information for the financial years covered by the request are detailed in the tables below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>ESA (WCA)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012-13 <br> (£m)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013-14 <br> (£m)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014-15 <br> (£m)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015-16 <br> (£m)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016-17 <br> (£m)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18 <br> (£m)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018-19 <br> (£m)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2019-20 <br> (£m)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2020-21</strong> (£m)</p></td><td><p><strong>2021-22</strong> (£m)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mandatory Reconsiderations</p></td><td><p>£0.0</p></td><td><p>£5.2</p></td><td><p>£18.4</p></td><td><p>£11.5</p></td><td><p>£11.1</p></td><td><p>£15.0</p></td><td><p>£7.7</p></td><td><p>£4.8</p></td><td><p>£0.6</p></td><td><p>£0.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Appeals</p></td><td><p>£24.4</p></td><td><p>£37.1</p></td><td><p>£9.4</p></td><td><p>£6.5</p></td><td><p>£7.9</p></td><td><p>£14.6</p></td><td><p>£8.4</p></td><td><p>£6.0</p></td><td><p>£0.8</p></td><td><p>£0.8</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Cost figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1m</p><p>Data Source: ABM</p><p> </p><p>The cost figures quoted are estimated DWP level 1 operating costs, including both direct delivery staff and non-staff costs. Non-staff costs are only those costs incurred in local cost centres, relating to direct delivery staff.</p><p>Please note that the data supplied is from the Departmental Activity Based Models. This data is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standards. It should therefore be treated with caution. The Departmental Activity Based staffing models are a snapshot of how many people were identified as undertaking specified activities as assigned by line managers.</p><p> </p><p>Figures quoted exclude ESA Non-WCA costs.</p><p>Appeals costs relate to the costs of processing the Appeals and include expenditure related to DWP Presenting Officer who attend some Tribunals.</p><p>2013/14 costs for ESA Reconsiderations are only part-year due to the introduction of the Reconsideration process (hence the reduction in Appeals costs from 2014/15).</p> answering member constituency Hertford and Stortford answering member printed Julie Marson question first answered 15/09/2022 11:00:26 answering member 4768 label Biography information for Julie Marson
tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova