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1541771

registered interest
date	14/11/2022
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 he has made of the potential merits of (a) increasing the level of carers allowance and (b) aligning that increase with unemployment benefit.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	86528
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government believes in providing the most support to those in the greatest need. Carer’s Allowance is payable to those whose ability to undertake paid employment is reduced by their caring responsibilities. It is not means-tested and is not based on a previous record of contributions. Jobseeker’s Allowance is a contributory benefit paid to those who are seeking work. It is also not means-tested but is based on previous National Insurance record which is reflected in the rate payable. In both cases, however, payments can be supplemented for those on low incomes by Universal Credit. Those with caring responsibilities can receive a Carer Element in Universal Credit of around £2,000 a year. This is in addition to the standard allowance and other amounts of Universal Credit that are payable to people without caring responsibilities, targeting additional support on those carers in the greatest need.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 17/11/2022 14:03:29 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1541800

registered interest
date	14/11/2022
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	Support for Mortgage Interest
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to reform Support for Mortgage Interest by (a) removing the zero earnings rule, (b) reducing the qualifying period from nine months to three months and (c) offering the support as a grant.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	86554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government announced a package of Housing Reforms on 9th June 2022, including changes to extend the Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) scheme. The reforms include reducing the qualifying period from nine to three months and removing the zero earnings rule to extend SMI eligibility to all eligible Universal Credit claimants. Further details of the changes are being worked on by officials and will be announced in due course.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to revert SMI to a benefit. The purchase of a home involves the acquisition of a valuable capital asset and so a fair balance has to be struck between the needs of homeowners and the cost to taxpayers. The loan system offers the same degree of protection from repossession at the point of need but strikes a better balance between the needs of claimants and the cost to taxpayers.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 17/11/2022 13:44:11 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1541847

registered interest
date	14/11/2022
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	Personal Independence Payment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress his Department has made on moving adult claimants on Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payment.
tabling member constituency	North Norfolk
tabling member printed	Duncan Baker
uin	86619
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2022 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner.</p><p> </p><p>We originally introduced a pause for most Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) reassessment activity as part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic on 23 March 2020; the exception being for DLA claimants who reported a change in needs.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently experiencing unprecedented levels of new claims to PIP. Reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the department and we are working constantly to make improvements to our service.</p><p> </p><p>To ensure we have the capacity in place to prioritise new claims and changes in circumstances, we are continuing to pause activity to randomly invite eligible adult DLA claimants to claim PIP. However, we are still continuing to invite DLA claimants to make a claim if they fall into one of the following categories:</p><ul><li>on reaching age 16;</li><li>are nearing the end of their DLA award; or</li><li>report a change of circumstances.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Additionally, current DLA claimants who wish to move to claim PIP can do so. DLA claimants who claim PIP in these circumstances continue to receive their DLA while their PIP claim is being assessed.</p><p> </p><p>This action, combined with improvements we have made to the claimant journey, has meant we are seeing a gradual improvement in new claim clearance times and the latest statistics show that the average end-to-end journey has steadily reduced from 26 weeks in August 2021 to 18 weeks at the end of July 2022.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 16/11/2022 12:06:11 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4784 label Biography information for Duncan Baker

1541893

registered interest
date	14/11/2022
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: Redundancy Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse has been of Ministerial severance pay in his Department in each year since 1 January 2016.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh West
tabling member printed	Christine Jardine
uin	86567
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2022 answer text <ul><li>Under the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, eligible Ministers who leave office are entitled to a one-off payment equivalent to one quarter of their annual salary at the point at which they leave Government.</li><li>This applies only where a Minister is under 65 and is not appointed to a ministerial office within three weeks of leaving government.</li><li>Individuals may waive the payment to which they are entitled. That is a matter for their personal discretion, but this approach has been taken in the past.</li><li>Details of such payments are published in departmental annual reports and accounts, and ministerial salaries are published on GOV.UK <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1027301/Salaries_of_Members_of_Her_Majestys_Government_-_Financial_Year_2021-22_-_Publication.pdf" target="_blank">here.</a></li></ul> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 17/11/2022 13:27:19 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4634 label Biography information for Christine Jardine

1541929

registered interest
date	14/11/2022
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	Access to Work Programme
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 7 November to Question 75894 on Access to Work Programme, which stakeholders have attended Access to Work stakeholder forums and the Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum which his Department's staff have attended in the last 12 months; and which stakeholders his Department's staff have met individually in that period.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham South
tabling member printed	Lilian Greenwood
uin	86459
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2022 answer text <p>DWP Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum has met on 10 occasions since November 2021 with 48 representatives:</p><p><a href="http://www.ageuk.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Age UK</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.aspire.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Aspire</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.bigissue.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Big Issue Foundation</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://blesma.org/" target="_blank"><strong>British Limbless Ex Services Men's Association</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.carersuk.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Carers UK</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://centrepoint.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Centrepoint</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.cpag.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Child Poverty Action Group</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://capuk.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Christians Against Poverty</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Citizens Advice</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.cas.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Citizens Advice Scotland</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.crisis.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Crisis</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://dls.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Disability Law Service</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Disability Rights UK</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Help for Heroes</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.homeless.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Homeless Link</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.independentage.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Independent Age</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.irrv.net/homenew/index.php" target="_blank"><strong>Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.local.gov.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Local Government Association</strong></a> (Social Security Advisors Group)</p><p><a href="http://www.litrg.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Low Incomes Tax Reform Group</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.macmillan.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Macmillan Cancer Support</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Marie Curie</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.mencap.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>MENCAP</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.mind.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>MIND</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://moneyandpensionsservice.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Money &amp; Pensions Service</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.mndassociation.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA)</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.mssociety.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>MS Society</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.nacro.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO)</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.nasma.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>National Association of Student Money Advisers (NASMA)</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.nawra.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://nationalbereavementalliance.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>National Bereavement Alliance</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.housing.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>National Housing Federation</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Parkinson's UK</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.refuge.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Refuge</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Rightsnet</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.rafbf.org/" target="_blank"><strong>RAF Benevolent Fund</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.rbli.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Royal British Legion Industries</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.rnib.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Royal National Institute of Blind People</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://rnid.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>RNID</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Salvation Army</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.scope.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Scope</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.sense.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Sense</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.shelter.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Shelter</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/social-security-advisory-committee" target="_blank"><strong>Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC)</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://spectraconnect.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Spectra Connect</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.stroke.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Stroke Association</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.trusselltrust.org/" target="_blank"><strong>The Trussell Trust</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.pocklington-trust.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Thomas Pocklington Trust</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://www.turn2us.org.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Turn to Us</strong></a></p><p> </p><p>The Regional Access to Work Stakeholder Forums are organised and led by stakeholders, and as DWP does not convene these forums we are unable to provide the information requested.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 17/11/2022 13:40:20 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4029 label Biography information for Lilian Greenwood

1541949

registered interest
date	14/11/2022
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	Poverty: North of England
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the increase in absolute child poverty in (a) the North East and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	86500
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2022 answer text <p>No assessment has been made of child poverty in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber for 2020/21. Given the impact of the pandemic on the size and quality of sample data, DWP statisticians concluded that for several of the breakdowns it would be difficult to make meaningful assessments of trends and changes in 2020/21 compared with the pre-Covid position. The Chief Statistician has therefore taken the decision not to publish additional breakdowns for regional child poverty in 2020/21.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families. In 2022/23 we will spend over £242 billion through the welfare system in Great Britain including £108 billion on people of working age.</p><p> </p><p>With 1.25 million job vacancies across the UK, our focus is firmly on supporting parents to move into, and progress in work, an approach which is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment - particularly where it is full-time - in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty. The latest available data on in-work poverty shows that in 2019/20, children in households where all adults were in work were around six times less likely to be in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than children in a household where nobody works.</p><p> </p><p>In 2021, compared to 2010, there were nearly 1 million fewer workless households and almost 590,000 fewer children in workless households in the UK. In 2020/21, there were 200,000 fewer children in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than in 2009/10.</p><p> </p><p>To help people into work, including parents, our Plan for Jobs is providing broad ranging support for all Jobseekers with our Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP), Job Entry Targeted Support and Restart scheme. We are also extending the support Jobcentres provide to people in work and on low incomes. Through a staged roll-out, which started in April 2022, around 2.1 million low-paid benefit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher-paid work.</p><p> </p><p>Around 1.9 million of the most disadvantaged pupils are eligible for and claiming a free school meal, saving families around £400 per year. In addition, around 1.25 million more infants enjoy a free, healthy and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of universal infant free school meals. The National School Breakfast Provision programme (NSBP) is providing funding of up to £24 million in a two-year contract to continue our support for school breakfast provision until July 2023 supporting pupils in up to 2,500 schools that meet our criteria for levels of disadvantage.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is also investing £200 million a year to continue the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which benefitted over 600,000 children last summer, and we have increased the value of the Healthy Start Scheme by a third to £4.25 a week.</p><p> </p><p>The government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills. The government’s Energy Price Guarantee will save a typical British household around £700 this winter, based on what energy price would’ve been under the current price cap – reducing bills by roughly a third. This support will be in place from 1 October 2022 until 31 March 2023. A review will be launched to consider more targeted measures to support households with their energy bills after this period. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost of living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>The £37bn also includes up to £650 in cost of living Payments (paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324) which have targeted support at around 8 million low-income households on means-tested benefits. In addition, 6 million eligible disabled people have received a one-off disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 and pensioner households will receive a one-off payment of £300 alongside the Winter Fuel Payment from this month.</p><p> </p><p>In collaboration with Local Authorities we have a well-established system of hardship payments, including the Discretionary Housing Payments, available as a safeguard for if claimants demonstrate they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs due to the rise in the cost of living. For those who require additional support, we extended the Household Support Fund in England, which will be providing up to £421m of support for those most in need for the period October 2022 - March 2023 and is being delivered by Upper Tier and Unitary Councils. In the case of South Tyneside, the local authority has been allocated £1,484,854.01 for this period. The devolved administrations have been allocated £79 million through the Barnett formula as usual.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 17/11/2022 13:58:07 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1541499

registered interest
date	11/11/2022
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	State Retirement Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to maintain the pensions triple lock.
tabling member constituency	Somerton and Frome
tabling member printed	David Warburton
uin	84936
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2022 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is currently conducting his statutory annual review of State Pension and benefit rates. We cannot pre-empt the outcome of that review, which will be announced shortly. ​</p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 16/11/2022 11:56:40 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4526 label Biography information for David Warburton

1541508

registered interest
date	11/11/2022
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 recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the carers allowance.
tabling member constituency	Batley and Spen
tabling member printed	Kim Leadbeater
uin	85067
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2022 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the answer to question UIN 69650 given by my Hon. Friend on 27 October 2022. See:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-10-24/69650" target="_blank">https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-10-24/69650</a></p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 15/11/2022 15:05:05 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4923 label Biography information for Kim Leadbeater

1541520

registered interest
date	11/11/2022
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	Discretionary Housing Payments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what amount of Discretionary Housing Payments funding his Department had spent on (a) 10 November 2021 and (b) 10 November 2022.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	85047
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government allocated £140m in Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) funding in 2021-22 and £100m in 2022-23 to Local Authorities in England and Wales. Local Authorities administer the DHP scheme as they are best placed to make informed judgements about relative priorities and needs in their area to ensure that the most vulnerable are supported and the funds are targeted effectively.</p><p> </p><p>Local Authorities mandatorily submit DHP expenditure information at mid-year, which covers expenditure over the first 6 months of the financial year (1<sup>st</sup> April to 30<sup>th</sup> September), and end-of-year which covers spend for the whole of the financial year (1<sup>st</sup> April to 31<sup>st</sup> March). These returns are used to produce statistics on Discretionary Housing Payments which are published twice a year and can be accessed <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/discretionary-housing-payments-statistics" target="_blank">here.</a></p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 16/11/2022 11:51:19 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1541590

registered interest
date	11/11/2022
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: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has received a request from the Welsh Government for details of people living in Wales who receive Carers Allowance.
tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
uin	84871
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2022 answer text <p>As far as I am aware, no such request has been made.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 16/11/2022 11:58:42 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards