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174281

registered interest
date	16/01/2015
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	Personal Independence Payment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 15 January (HL Deb, col 893), in which he stated that the current backlog of claims for personal independence payment assessments stands at 107,000, what was the source of that data and where it is published.
tabling member printed	Baroness Sherlock
uin	HL4225
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p>I refer the Noble Lady to the letter my Noble Friend Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth wrote on 21<sup>st</sup> January 2015 to Lord Dubs, a copy of which has been placed in the House Library, and is attached.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 26/01/2015 14:14:21 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud attachment 1 file name 4225LETTER.pdf title Letter to Lord Dubs
tabling member	4147 label Biography information for Baroness Sherlock

174283

registered interest
date	16/01/2015
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	Mesothelioma: Compensation
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 position of mesothelioma claimants whose claims have been lodged with the T&N Asbestos Trusts; whether T&N claimants are receiving their legal entitlement; why T&N claimants are excluded from the benefits of the Mesothelioma Act 2014; and why those claimants are treated differently from any other claimant affected by mesothelioma.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL4227
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2015 answer text <p /> <p>A person with diffuse mesothelioma, or their dependents, may be eligible to apply for the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS) if no one has received damages or a specified payment in respect of the disease or is eligible to receive a specified payment from another source.</p><p> </p><p>Eligibility for, or receipt of, such payments disqualifies an applicant from receiving a DMPS payment. This prevents a person receiving more than one payment for the same condition and ensures that all claimants are treated fairly and with equity.</p><p> </p><p>These specified payments include payments under the Turner and Newall Trusts.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 22/01/2015 14:02:12 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

173571

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
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	Winter Fuel Payment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many recipients of the Winter Fuel Payment are higher rate taxpayers.
tabling member printed	Lord Tyler
uin	HL4131
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments is based on female State Pension age. The latest estimates we have show that there are currently around 600,000 higher and additional rate taxpayers in Great Britain in 2014/15 who are above the female State Pension age and therefore qualify for Winter Fuel Payments<sup>1</sup>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We ask people who want to return their payment to do so by post so that it can be dealt with securely under existing Departmental financial processes and recorded against their Winter Fuel Payment account. We also ask for a covering letter indicating whether or not they wish us to continue to issue payments in future years.</p><p> </p><p>Returned payments should be sent to the address on the issuing letter or to the office that pays the claimant’s benefit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The latest estimates we have show that treating Winter Fuel Payments as taxable income would bring in around £250 million a year of additional revenue<sup>2</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. This estimate is based on the 2011/12 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.</p><p>The estimate uses ONS population projections at mid year 2012 adjusted for financial years.</p><p>The estimate is rounded to the nearest 100,000.</p><p> </p><p>2. This estimate is based on DWP modelling using HMRC taxpayer data from November 2012 and Winter Fuel Payment caseload data from Winter 2013.</p><p>This takes into account revenue from Basic, Higher and Additional rate taxpayers.</p><p>Winter Fuel Payment rates are assumed to be £200 per year for recipients under 80 and £300 a year for recipients aged 80 and over.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL4132 HL4133 question first answered 26/01/2015 12:13:04 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	225 label Biography information for Lord Tyler

173572

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
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	Winter Fuel Payment: Repayments
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, and if so how, recipients of the Winter Fuel Payment may return their payment to the Treasury.
tabling member printed	Lord Tyler
uin	HL4132
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p>Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments is based on female State Pension age. The latest estimates we have show that there are currently around 600,000 higher and additional rate taxpayers in Great Britain in 2014/15 who are above the female State Pension age and therefore qualify for Winter Fuel Payments<sup>1</sup>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We ask people who want to return their payment to do so by post so that it can be dealt with securely under existing Departmental financial processes and recorded against their Winter Fuel Payment account. We also ask for a covering letter indicating whether or not they wish us to continue to issue payments in future years.</p><p> </p><p>Returned payments should be sent to the address on the issuing letter or to the office that pays the claimant’s benefit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The latest estimates we have show that treating Winter Fuel Payments as taxable income would bring in around £250 million a year of additional revenue<sup>2</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. This estimate is based on the 2011/12 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.</p><p>The estimate uses ONS population projections at mid year 2012 adjusted for financial years.</p><p>The estimate is rounded to the nearest 100,000.</p><p> </p><p>2. This estimate is based on DWP modelling using HMRC taxpayer data from November 2012 and Winter Fuel Payment caseload data from Winter 2013.</p><p>This takes into account revenue from Basic, Higher and Additional rate taxpayers.</p><p>Winter Fuel Payment rates are assumed to be £200 per year for recipients under 80 and £300 a year for recipients aged 80 and over.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL4131 HL4133 question first answered 26/01/2015 12:13:04 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	225 label Biography information for Lord Tyler

173573

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
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	Winter Fuel Payment
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 revenues which would be realised by applying income tax to Winter Fuel Payments.
tabling member printed	Lord Tyler
uin	HL4133
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p>Eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments is based on female State Pension age. The latest estimates we have show that there are currently around 600,000 higher and additional rate taxpayers in Great Britain in 2014/15 who are above the female State Pension age and therefore qualify for Winter Fuel Payments<sup>1</sup>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We ask people who want to return their payment to do so by post so that it can be dealt with securely under existing Departmental financial processes and recorded against their Winter Fuel Payment account. We also ask for a covering letter indicating whether or not they wish us to continue to issue payments in future years.</p><p> </p><p>Returned payments should be sent to the address on the issuing letter or to the office that pays the claimant’s benefit.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The latest estimates we have show that treating Winter Fuel Payments as taxable income would bring in around £250 million a year of additional revenue<sup>2</sup>.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. This estimate is based on the 2011/12 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s November 2014 economic and fiscal outlook.</p><p>The estimate uses ONS population projections at mid year 2012 adjusted for financial years.</p><p>The estimate is rounded to the nearest 100,000.</p><p> </p><p>2. This estimate is based on DWP modelling using HMRC taxpayer data from November 2012 and Winter Fuel Payment caseload data from Winter 2013.</p><p>This takes into account revenue from Basic, Higher and Additional rate taxpayers.</p><p>Winter Fuel Payment rates are assumed to be £200 per year for recipients under 80 and £300 a year for recipients aged 80 and over.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL4131 HL4132 question first answered 26/01/2015 12:13:05 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	225 label Biography information for Lord Tyler

173598

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
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: Fees and Charges
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the charges, fees and commissions paid by consumers in relation to private pensions are transparent.
tabling member printed	Lord McFall of Alcluith
uin	HL4158
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The Government is committed to improving the transparency of costs and charges in workplace pension schemes. The Government’s Command Papers ‘Better Workplace Pensions: Further measures for savers’ and ‘Better Workplace Pensions: Putting savers interests first’ published in March and October 2014 set out a range of measures including a cap on charges in default fund arrangements, a ban on inappropriate charges and proposals to introduce minimum governance standards and improve transparency across workplace defined contribution schemes.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has recently consulted on draft legislation which, subject to parliamentary approval, will introduce new requirements on trustees to improve the transparency of costs and charges in occupational schemes from April 2015. Under these new requirements, trustees will be required to annually report on costs and charges for the first time. Similar rules are to be introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority to require the newly formed Independent Governance Committees to report on costs and charges in workplace personal pension schemes.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Later this year we will consult on ways to build on this first phase of enhanced transparency, to meet our duties under the Pensions Act 2014 requiring information about transaction costs to be disclosed to members of workplace pension schemes, and the publication of costs and charges information. The FCA also intends to consult on amending its rules to with a view to introducing equivalent enhanced transparency provisions for workplace personal pension schemes during 2015.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 20/01/2015 15:03:14 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4148 label Biography information for Lord McFall of Alcluith

173599

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to promote (1) increased competition, and (2) the levying of fair fees and commissions, in the private pensions industry.
tabling member printed	Lord McFall of Alcluith
uin	HL4159
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The Government and regulators have introduced a package of measures, including establishing Independent Governance Committees to improve governance in contract based pension schemes, improved governance standards for trust based schemes and the introduction of a 0.75 per cent cap on charges in the default funds of schemes used for automatic enrolment. Subject to Parliamentary approval, these changes will come into effect from April.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is also banning a number of charges which are no longer appropriate in the context of automatic enrolment into workplace pensions. From April 2015, we will extend the existing ban on consultancy charging to all contract-based schemes used for automatic enrolment. Likewise, adviser commission and Active Member Discounts, which penalise those who stop contributing or leave their employer and move jobs, will be banned in all schemes used for automatic enrolment from April 2016. We are also introducing measures to improve transparency throughout the value chain in the workplace pensions market and expect that this will lead to increased competition on costs and charges to the benefit of the consumer.</p><p> </p><p>The recent pensions flexibility reforms are also an opportunity for the retirement income industry to develop new products that meet the evolving needs of consumers. The new flexibility will help consumers choosing to select an annuity or another option to access their pension savings to get a better deal in a more competitive market place. The shape of the market will now be driven by the choices consumers make, placing power back into the hands of savers.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, as of the end of December, over 5.1 million workers have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension. This is having a significant impact on the private pensions market and by 2020, we estimate that automatic enrolment will have generated an additional £8 to £12 billion a year in workplace pension saving. The growth in this market is supporting strong competition between providers and schemes.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 20/01/2015 15:58:49 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4148 label Biography information for Lord McFall of Alcluith

173534

registered interest
date	13/01/2015
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 and Social Security Benefits
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place administratively and legislatively to reduce public sector pensions and social security benefits in the event of the consumer and retail price indices September 2015 recording negative growth and deflation; and what preparations they are making for that eventuality.
tabling member printed	Lord Laird
uin	HL4116
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/01/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Decisions about the up-rating of social security benefits, and subsequent changes to public sector pensions, are taken annually following the publication of September’s price inflation, so such decisions would be for a future Government.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 19/01/2015 15:09:24 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	2479 label Biography information for Lord Laird

172311

registered interest
date	06/01/2015
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: Fraud
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 quality of service and value-for-money provided by Capita in operating the National Benefit Fraud Hotline.
tabling member printed	Lord Ashcroft
uin	HL3894
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2015 answer text <p>The National Benefit Fraud Hotline is one of 10 service lines delivered by Capita on behalf of DWP as part of the Network Services Directorate Call Off. There are multiple performance requirements within the contract to assure DWP that Capita are delivering a quality value for money service, the key ones being that Capita answer 90% of customer calls offered to them, and that they maintain a quality score of 89% for these calls against key quality criteria. These requirements are consistent with those in in-house DWP contact centres.</p><p> </p><p>Capita are consistently achieving both of the above metrics with calls answered scores as high as 98% and quality scores as high as 97% in recent weeks.</p><p> </p><p>DWP regularly audit the Capita quality team and undertake activities to ensure that scoring is in alignment with that of DWP.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 12/01/2015 15:15:05 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	2568 label Biography information for Lord Ashcroft

172330

registered interest
date	06/01/2015
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	Access to Work Programme
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish (1) their current guidance on the Access to Work scheme, and (2) the forthcoming revision of that guidance.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL3913
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The staff guidance on the Access to Work scheme is published on gov.uk</p><p> </p><p>It can be found at the following link<strong> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/387398/access-to-work-guide.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/387398/access-to-work-guide.pdf</a> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Minister for Disabled People set out in a written statement on the 18<sup>th</sup> December 2014 that we will work with stakeholders to develop further, user-friendly guidance, with the aim of beginning to publish this by the end of March 2015<strong>.</strong></p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 12/01/2015 15:15:38 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester