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1487555

registered interest
date	08/07/2022
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	Household Support Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund for supporting low income families.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Sir Stephen Timms
uin	32927
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2022 answer text <p>The Household Support Fund has provided additional support for households who have needed extra help to meet cost of living pressures. The Department for Work and Pensions requires that Local Authorities provide management information returns detailing their expenditure.</p><p> </p><p>For the Household Support Fund, the returns record the Local Authority’s grant allocation, spend and volume of awards made in relation to food, energy and water bills, wider essentials and housing costs.</p><p> </p><p>This information, for the scheme running 6 October 2021- 31 March 2022, will be published shortly, and will be considered during future policy making.</p><p> </p><p>Management Information for previous discretionary welfare funds is published online and can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-local-support-grant-management-information-17-april-to-30-september-2021/covid-local-support-grant-management-information-17-april-to-30-september-2021" target="_blank">COVID Local Support Grant management information</a>; <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/covid-winter-grant-management-information-1-december-2020-to-16-april-2021/covid-winter-grant-management-information-1-december-2020-to-16-april-2021" target="_blank">COVID Winter Grant management information</a>.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 13/07/2022 15:04:55 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1487578

registered interest
date	08/07/2022
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: Living Wage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has plans to ensure that those who work (a) directly or (b) indirectly in her Department, and relevant agencies and public bodies, are paid at least the (i) UK Real Living Wage outside of Greater London or (ii) London Living Wage inside of Greater London, as determined by the Living Wage Foundation.
tabling member constituency	Ealing North
tabling member printed	James Murray
uin	33022
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2022 answer text <p>DWP and its associated Arm’s Length Bodies, adhere to the mandatory National Living Wage. This government is committed to paying people a decent living wage, which is being addressed through the statutory National Living Wage. In April 2022, the National Living Wage increased to £9.50 per hour. By 2024, the Government have committed that the National Living Wage will reach 66% of median UK earnings.</p><p> </p><p>As of 12/07/2022 The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has 23 individuals earning below the Real Living Wage. TPR will keep this position under review. TPR, as above, adhere to the mandatory National Living Wage.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 13/07/2022 13:25:41 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4797 label Biography information for James Murray

1487661

registered interest
date	08/07/2022
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish a breakdown of the reasons for Universal Credit deductions to awards for claimants.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	33038
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2022 answer text <p>Below are the liabilities or debts for which a Universal Credit deduction can be made:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Deduction Type</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Benefit Transfer Advance</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Budgeting Advance</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Change of Circumstances Advance</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>New Claim Advance</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>DWP Benefit Fraud Overpayments</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>DWP Benefit Overpayments</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>DWP Recoverable Hardship Payments</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Housing Benefit and DWP Administrative Penalties</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Housing Benefit and DWP Civil Penalties</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Housing Benefit Fraud Overpayment</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Housing Benefit Overpayment</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Social Fund Loans</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tax Credit Overpayments</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Child Maintenance</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Council Tax Arrears</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Electricity Arrears</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Electricity Ongoing Consumption</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Eligible Loan Arrears</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Fines</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gas Arrears</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gas Ongoing Consumption</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Home Office Integration Loan Arrears</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rent or Service Charge Arrears</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Water Arrears</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Water Ongoing Consumption</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p /> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 14/07/2022 13:39:50 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1487665

registered interest
date	08/07/2022
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	Sodium Hypochlorite: Health and Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of shortages of sodium hypochlorite on the Health and Safety Executive’s ability to maintain health and safety standards.
tabling member constituency	Wallasey
tabling member printed	Dame Angela Eagle
uin	33036
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2022 answer text <p>I refer my Honourable Friend to the answer I gave on 12/07/22 to her previous question, <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-07-07/32479" target="_blank">UIN 32479</a>.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 14/07/2022 14:30:19 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	491 label Biography information for Dame Angela Eagle

1487673

registered interest
date	08/07/2022
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 Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of recipients of universal credit discouraged from taking employment by the low level of net financial benefit from being employed due to associated costs, such as transport and childcare, known as the "benefit trap".
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1592
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2022 answer text <p>No such assessment has been undertaken.</p><p> </p><p>UC recipients in work now benefit from a reduction in the UC taper rate from 63% to 55%, and for those eligible customers an increase in the work allowance by £500 per year meaning that working households will be able to keep more of what they earn and strengthening incentives to move into and progress in work.</p><p> </p><p>The National Living Wage has risen from £8.91 to £9.50 an hour from 1 April. That means a pay rise for millions of the country’s lowest paid workers – worth an increase of over £1,000 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is aware that for some UC claimants’ childcare costs presents challenges to entering employment. To support parents to become financially resilient by moving into work and progressing in work, eligible UC claimants can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month regardless of the number of hours they work, compared to 70% in Tax Credits. This is up to the maximum amount of £646.35 per month for one child and £1,108.04 per month for two or more children. For families with two children, this could be worth over £13,000 a year.</p><p> </p><p>This support is available to all lone parents and couples, regardless of the number of hours they work. For couples, both parents need to be in paid work to be eligible unless one of the allowable exceptions is met.</p><p> </p><p>The UC childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer in England and there are similar funded early learning offers in devolved nations. The Free Childcare offer provides 15 hours a week of free childcare in England for all 3- and 4-year old’s and disadvantaged 2 year old’s, doubling for working parents of 3 and 4 year old’s to 30 hours a week.</p><p> </p><p>The UC childcare element can be used to top up a claimant’s eligible free childcare hours if more hours are worked and childcare required. This offer means that for some claimants’ childcare costs should not present any barriers to entering work.</p><p> </p><p>UC claimants who need help with upfront childcare costs to enter employment or significantly increase their working hours can apply for help from the Flexible Support Fund (FSF). This is a non-repayable payment that will pay their initial childcare costs directly to the provider up to the first salary received.</p><p> </p><p>In order to achieve our long-term goals of driving up productivity and levelling up, we are supporting people in work to ensure they have the right skills and opportunities to progress out of low pay. Through providing right infrastructure we will support an ambitious and productive workforce suited to meet the UK’s future demand.</p><p> </p><p>Through a staged rollout from April 2022 onwards, 2.1m low paid Universal Credit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher paid work. This will be provided by work coaches and focus on career progression advice, such as considering skills gaps, identifying training opportunities, or looking for opportunities for the claimant to progress in their current role or in a new role. Jobcentres will be supported in this new role by a network of 37 Progression Champions across Great Britain who will spearhead the scheme. They will work with partners to address local barriers that limit progression, such as transport and childcare.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 22/07/2022 10:09:39 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1487284

registered interest
date	07/07/2022
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	Sodium Hypochlorite: Health and Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Health and Safety Executive’s plans to ensure that there is sufficient access to sodium hypochlorite to maintain health and safety standards.
tabling member constituency	Wallasey
tabling member printed	Dame Angela Eagle
uin	32479
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2022 answer text <p>Disinfectants based on sodium hypochlorite are widely used to maintain hygiene levels, however health and safety legislation is not prescriptive about how effective levels of disinfection should be achieved. Instead, it gives duty holders the freedom to select the best method of cleaning and disinfection based on their individual circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not regulate supply chain issues and it is for end users to source adequate supplies of effective disinfectants, whether sodium hypochlorite or alternative products, to achieve appropriate levels of hygiene.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 12/07/2022 16:42:38 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	491 label Biography information for Dame Angela Eagle

1487347

registered interest
date	07/07/2022
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	Carer's Allowance
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 potential impact of (a) the carer's allowance earnings cap on people looking to accept a wider range of employment and (b) her Department's policy of immediately terminating that benefit in the event that someone breaches the income cap through (i) receipt of a tax rebate and (ii) other genuine means.
tabling member constituency	Falkirk
tabling member printed	John McNally
uin	32568
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2022 answer text <p>The Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit is designed to allow carers to combine their caring responsibilities with some paid employment where they can. It is set at a level that aims to encourage those who give up full time work in order to undertake caring responsibilities, to maintain a link with the labour market through part time work.</p><p> </p><p>The £132 limit, which has increased by around a third since 2010, is a net figure which is the figure left once any Income Tax, National Insurance contributions and other allowable payments and expenses are deducted from met earnings. So some people can earn more than £132 a week gross and still retain Carer’s Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>When calculating earnings for Carer’s Allowance purposes, any amount by way of a refund of income tax is disregarded.</p><p> </p><p>Once earnings exceed £132 a week (or on a weekly average where possible for those with fluctuating earnings) then there is no longer an entitlement to Carer’s Allowance and it will cease.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 12/07/2022 15:22:00 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1487373

registered interest
date	07/07/2022
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: Veterans
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate on the number of Universal Credit claimants who previously served in the armed forces as of May 2022.
tabling member constituency	Wentworth and Dearne
tabling member printed	John Healey
uin	32472
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2022 answer text <p>We are not able to make an estimate of the total number of Universal Credit claimants who previously served in the armed forces.</p><p> </p><p>The previous answers to PQs <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-05-27/11554" target="_blank">11554</a> and <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-06-13/16851" target="_blank">16851</a> explained that for assessment periods ending in April 2022, DWP held a response for approximately 45% of UC claimants. Possible responses are “previously served”, “currently serving”, “never served”, or “prefer not to say”. From this data we have identified 33,800 UC claimants who have previously served in the Armed Forces. We will not make an estimate of the total number because the claimants for whom we have data may not be representative of all claimants. Nor can we provide further breakdowns by geography or any characteristics relating to the UC claim because of potential bias in the data.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 12/07/2022 15:11:02 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	400 label Biography information for John Healey

1487399

registered interest
date	07/07/2022
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	Asbestos: Industrial Diseases
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the context of potential closure of her Department's Phoenix House office in Barrow-in-Furness, whether her Department has taken steps to maintain knowledge and experience of staff dealing with claims arising from asbestos exposure.
tabling member constituency	Rochdale
tabling member printed	Tony Lloyd
uin	32476
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2022 answer text <p>Following the plans to close Phoenix House being announced in 2017, resources have been increased other locations, and capability is being built in these locations which includes those cases arising from asbestos exposure.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) is delivered by experienced teams in three sites, the planned closure of Barrow-in-Furness means that work currently undertaken in this site will be delivered from our other IIDB teams based in Barnsley and Bradford.</p><p> </p><p>Transfer of work will be done in a seamless way, with no degradation of service to our customers, including those customers who claim with asbestos related diseases, or under schemes such as the “<em>Workers’ Compensation Scheme, Pneumoconiosis (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 and the 2008 Mesothelioma Scheme.”</em></p> answering member constituency Hertford and Stortford answering member printed Julie Marson question first answered 14/07/2022 13:08:51 answering member 4768 label Biography information for Julie Marson
tabling member	450 label Biography information for Tony Lloyd

1487416

registered interest
date	07/07/2022
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: Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the rise in the cost of living on levels of in-work poverty; and what steps the Government is taking to mitigate that impact.
tabling member constituency	Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney
tabling member printed	Gerald Jones
uin	32577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2022 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The latest available statistics for in-work poverty are for 2019/20.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Treasury published distributional analysis which shows that the full package of measures announced on May 26th is well targeted at households on low incomes.</p><p> </p><ul><li>Households (in England) who are in the bottom 10% of the income distribution will receive support worth the equivalent of around 7 percentage of their net income (£800 in cash terms) in 2022/23 as a result of these measures.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Those on average incomes will receive support worth between 1 and 2 percent of net income increases (around £500 in cash terms).</li></ul> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 12/07/2022 14:57:05 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4501 label Biography information for Gerald Jones