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1172506

registered interest
date	22/01/2020
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	Disability: Medical Examinations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps she is taking to (a) reduce the number of assessments undertaken by people with disabilities and (b) ensure adequate support for those people.
tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
tabling member printed	Holly Mumby-Croft
uin	900416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2020 answer text <p>We have made improvements to reduce assessments for Work Capability and Personal Independence Payment. This includes reducing review frequency for pensioners and people with severe or progressive conditions. We are also exploring our manifesto commitment to ensure a minimum award review duration for PIP awards. The planned Green Paper will continue to look at how we can further improve the experience for people with health conditions and disabilities.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 27/01/2020 15:44:53 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4867 label Biography information for Holly Mumby-Croft

1172507

registered interest
date	22/01/2020
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	Social Security Benefits: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Justice to reduce the waiting time for welfare benefit tribunal appeals.
tabling member constituency	Sittingbourne and Sheppey
tabling member printed	Gordon Henderson
uin	900404
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2020 answer text <p>DWP is working with the Ministry of Justice to develop a new digital system with a view to enabling swifter processing of appeals and a better service for all parties to the proceedings. Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit claimants can now submit their appeal online.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 27/01/2020 15:52:22 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4050 label Biography information for Gordon Henderson

1172196

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
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	Universal Credit: Linlithgow and East Falkirk
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many offline universal credit applications were made by constituents of Linlithgow and East Falkirk between January and December 2019.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	6144
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2020 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Universal Credit is designed to be a ‘digital-first’ service, ensuring we make best use of technology to deliver a modern and effective working-age welfare system, allowing our staff to concentrate on those people who require additional support.</p><p> </p><p>Although the Department offers comprehensive support for claimants to use our digital service, there will be occasions when people are unable to make their claim online, so telephone applications can be accepted. In these instances, information normally available through a claimant’s online account will be communicated in an alternative format, which is best suited to an individual’s circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 29/01/2020 17:55:11 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1172197

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
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: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children in Worsley and Eccles South constituency were categorised under section 4 (a) (1)(a), (b) (1)(b), (c) (1)(c) and (d) (1)(d) of the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 in each of the last four calendar years.
tabling member constituency	Worsley and Eccles South
tabling member printed	Barbara Keeley
uin	6048
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2020 answer text <p>National Statistics on the percentage of children in low income households (relating to Section 4(a) 1(a) and 1(c) of the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016) are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Statistics for the percentage of children in low income households is not available at constituency level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. Statistics for the North West region can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718</a>, “children-hbai-timeseries-1994-95-2017-18-tables” in tables 4.16ts (for relative low income, before and after housing costs) and 4.22ts (for absolute low income, before and after housing costs)</p><p> </p><p>Data for the percentage of children in low income and material deprivation (relating to Section 4(a) 1(b) of the Act) is not available at constituency level in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Statistics for the United Kingdom are available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-199495-to-201718</a>, “children-trends-hbai-1994-95-2017-18-tables” in table 4.5tr.</p><p> </p><p>Experimental Statistics on the percentage of children in persistent low income (relating to Section 4(a) 1(d) of the Act) are published annually in the “Income Dynamics” publication. Statistics for the percentage of children in persistent low income households is not available at constituency level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography. Statistics for the North West region can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-dynamics-2016-to-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-dynamics-2016-to-2017</a> in table 3.2p (on a before housing costs basis) and table 3.8p (on an after housing costs basis).</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 27/01/2020 17:57:11 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	1588 label Biography information for Barbara Keeley

1172215

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
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: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	6070
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to reducing the disability employment gap and seeing a million more disabled people in work by 2027.</p><p> </p><p>We help disabled people return to and stay in work through programmes including the Work and Health Programme, the new Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme, Access to Work and Disability Confident.</p><p> </p><p>There were 4.2 million working age disabled people in employment in the UK in Q3 2019. This was an increase of 354,000 since last year (Q3 2018), and an overall increase of 1.3 million since Q3 2013, the earliest comparable figure<em>.</em></p><p> </p><p>We will publish a National Strategy for Disabled People before the end of 2020. This will look at ways to improve the benefits system, opportunities and access for disabled people in terms of housing, education, transport and jobs</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 27/01/2020 16:57:09 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

1172235

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
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: Children
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 13 January 2020 to Question 317 on Poverty: Children, if she will take steps to lift the two-child limit for (a) child tax credits and (b) universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	6132
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s view is that providing support for a maximum of two children or qualifying young persons in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit ensures fairness between claimants on the one hand and, on the other, those taxpayers who support themselves solely through work. Universal Credit is designed to mirror the world of work where families do not automatically see their income rise on the birth of a new child.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to delivering a sustainable, long-term solution to poverty in all its forms. Tackling child poverty requires an approach that goes beyond one that focuses on income alone to one that addresses the root causes of poverty and disadvantage and improves long-term outcomes for families and children.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family, which is why exceptions have been put in place to protect certain groups.</p><p /> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 27/01/2020 17:59:34 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1172236

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
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	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 estimate she has made of the number of cases where claimants have been assessed as having no entitlement to the housing element of universal credit because they moved from rented accommodation to accommodation where no rent is payable during their assessment period in the latest period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	6133
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The Universal Credit award is calculated to reflect the claimant’s circumstances at the end of their assessment period. To do this, we treat all changes as applying from the beginning of the assessment period in which they take place (if reported in the assessment period within which they occurred). The award for that month is therefore wholly at the new rate. This reflects the claimant’s circumstances at the point of payment, and will better anticipate their needs over the forthcoming month.</p><p> </p><p>This principle applies to all elements of Universal Credit. For example, if a new child is born part way through an assessment period, we apply the change to the whole month, not from the date the child was born.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants can easily notify the Department of any changes that might incur within an assessment period using their online account, telephone and speak to their Work Coach face to face in a Jobcentre.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, existing Universal Credit claimants who have told the Department about a change in their circumstances, which means more Universal Credit is owed, may also apply for an advance payment. There are also discretionary housing payments in place to support those who require support meeting their rent costs.</p><p> </p><p>Statistics on the housing element of Universal Credit are published and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ </a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html </a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 6134 6135 question first answered 28/01/2020 11:32:38 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1172237

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
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	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 effect of calculating entitlement to the housing element of universal credit on the basis of a claimant’s circumstances at the end of their monthly assessment period on claimants whose circumstances have changed within that month.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	6134
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The Universal Credit award is calculated to reflect the claimant’s circumstances at the end of their assessment period. To do this, we treat all changes as applying from the beginning of the assessment period in which they take place (if reported in the assessment period within which they occurred). The award for that month is therefore wholly at the new rate. This reflects the claimant’s circumstances at the point of payment, and will better anticipate their needs over the forthcoming month.</p><p> </p><p>This principle applies to all elements of Universal Credit. For example, if a new child is born part way through an assessment period, we apply the change to the whole month, not from the date the child was born.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants can easily notify the Department of any changes that might incur within an assessment period using their online account, telephone and speak to their Work Coach face to face in a Jobcentre.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, existing Universal Credit claimants who have told the Department about a change in their circumstances, which means more Universal Credit is owed, may also apply for an advance payment. There are also discretionary housing payments in place to support those who require support meeting their rent costs.</p><p> </p><p>Statistics on the housing element of Universal Credit are published and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ </a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html </a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 6133 6135 question first answered 28/01/2020 11:32:38 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1172238

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
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	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 make it her policy to award the housing element of universal credit to claimants who have moved accommodation within their assessment period, to cover any cost of rent due before their move.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	6135
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The Universal Credit award is calculated to reflect the claimant’s circumstances at the end of their assessment period. To do this, we treat all changes as applying from the beginning of the assessment period in which they take place (if reported in the assessment period within which they occurred). The award for that month is therefore wholly at the new rate. This reflects the claimant’s circumstances at the point of payment, and will better anticipate their needs over the forthcoming month.</p><p> </p><p>This principle applies to all elements of Universal Credit. For example, if a new child is born part way through an assessment period, we apply the change to the whole month, not from the date the child was born.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants can easily notify the Department of any changes that might incur within an assessment period using their online account, telephone and speak to their Work Coach face to face in a Jobcentre.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, existing Universal Credit claimants who have told the Department about a change in their circumstances, which means more Universal Credit is owed, may also apply for an advance payment. There are also discretionary housing payments in place to support those who require support meeting their rent costs.</p><p> </p><p>Statistics on the housing element of Universal Credit are published and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ </a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html </a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 6133 6134 question first answered 28/01/2020 11:32:38 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray

1172288

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
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	Universal Credit: Severe Disability Premium
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of universal credit claimants previously in receipt of employment and support allowance that have (a) been identified as being eligible to receive severe disability premium transitional payments and (b) received those transitional payments in the latest period for which figures are available; and what her timescale is for payment of all severe disability premium payments to eligible claimants.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh East
tabling member printed	Tommy Sheppard
uin	6170
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2020 answer text <p>A gateway was introduced from 16 January 2019 to prevent those claimants entitled to the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) as part of their legacy benefit from claiming Universal Credit. Additionally, a commitment was made for monthly transitional payments to be made to eligible former SDP claimants who have already moved to Universal Credit due to a change in circumstances and to provide a lump sum arrears payment, where appropriate.</p><p> </p><p>As of 17 January 2020, 15,397 claims have been paid an SDP transitional payment. To date, over £51.5m has been disbursed to support former SDP claimants, including the recurring payments that have now commenced.</p><p> </p><p>Positive progress has been made and caseload growth has now slowed, however, in the event a new case is discovered payments will be in place quickly. It is not possible to estimate when we will have paid everyone who is entitled as some people become entitled to these payments retrospectively, and therefore the caseload is not a fixed number.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 27/01/2020 17:22:53 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4453 label Biography information for Tommy Sheppard