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1697119

registered interest
date	19/03/2024
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to ensure benefit fraud investigations do not result in discrimination.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	19427
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2024 answer text <p>All fraud investigations are conducted in line with current legislation including Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984.</p><p> </p><p>All staff in the department undergo Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) training. The training is provided to ensure everyone has the right level of skill and understanding to ensure equality of treatment for all customers.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 26/03/2024 11:47:14 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1697120

registered interest
date	19/03/2024
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	Maternity Pay: Small Businesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to encourage small businesses to provide statutory maternity pay to employees; and whether he has discussions with industry on this.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	19428
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2024 answer text <p>All employers have a statutory obligation to pay Statutory Maternity Pay to eligible employees. Employers are reimbursed at least 92 percent of the Statutory Maternity Pay they pay. Small employers (those who pay £45,000 or less gross NICs in the previous tax year) receive 100 percent of the Statutory Maternity Pay paid plus an additional 3 percent, known as the Small Employers’ Compensation Rate. This is in recognition of the relatively greater impact maternity absence has on small businesses.</p><p> </p><p>Employers may apply for advance funding from HMRC if they are unable to meet their SMP liability at the required time.</p><p> </p><p>DWP officials regularly meet with industry representatives to discuss Statutory Maternity Pay.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 26/03/2024 11:28:58 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1642204

registered interest
date	06/06/2023
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: Innovation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials his Department employs to work directly on public service innovation.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	188095
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>The Department does not hold this information centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs<strong>.</strong></p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 14/06/2023 11:44:39 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1602038

registered interest
date	07/03/2023
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: Telephone Services
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 withdrawn the use of the (a) SignVideo Relay Service and (b) textphone number.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	160360
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2023 answer text <p>I can confirm that DWP continues to provide Video Relay Service (VRS) to customers who require remote inbound BSL interpretation. All VRS is provided by our current supplier, DA Languages, via SignSolution. We do not use Textphone within the Language Services contract. We no longer use the former supplier ‘SignVideo’, referenced in the question.</p><p /> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 14/03/2023 12:35:24 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1587828

registered interest
date	21/02/2023
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: Uprating
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 uplifting the benefits cap in line with inflation.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	149594
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2023 answer text <p>The Secretary of State reviewed the benefit cap levels and decided they should be increased in line with CPI in the year to September 2022 (10.1%) in April 2023.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 28/02/2023 13:22:53 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1567986

registered interest
date	18/01/2023
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, how many officials are employed to administer universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	126766
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2023 answer text <p>All DWP colleagues employed within our Universal Credit Directorate equate to 35,390 FTE (full time equivalent) resource as of 31<sup>st</sup> December 2022. This takes into account all grades working within the Universal Credit Directorate.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><ul><li>Data is correct as of 31<sup>st</sup> December 2022.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Figures for Universal Credit were derived from the Department’s Activity Based Model (ABM), which provides Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures of colleagues employed within this directorate based on point in time estimate by Line Managers.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures has been rounded off to the nearest 10.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The number of colleagues employed in these directorates is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. As the Department holds the information, we have released it.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures only included colleagues employed by DWP only and does not include any external outsourced employees.</li></ul><p> </p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p><p /><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 25/01/2023 17:01:58 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1567987

registered interest
date	18/01/2023
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials are employed to administer pensions.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	126767
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2023 answer text <p>All DWP colleagues employed within our Retirement Services Directorate equate to 6,460 FTE (full time equivalent) resource as of 31<sup>st</sup> December 2022. This takes into account all grades working within the Retirement Services Directorate.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><ul><li>Data is correct as of 31<sup>st</sup> December 2022.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Figures for Retirement Services were derived from the Department’s Activity Based Model (ABM), which provides Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures of colleagues employed within this directorate based on point in time estimate by Line Managers.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures has been rounded off to the nearest 10.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The number of colleagues employed in these directorates is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. As the Department holds the information, we have released it.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures only included colleagues employed by DWP only and does not include any external outsourced employees.</li></ul> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 25/01/2023 11:08:38 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1463059

registered interest
date	16/05/2022
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, for what reason there is a three month relevant period that claimants have to wait to receive their full entitlement when eligible for Universal Credit with limited capability for work and work-related activity.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	2620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2022 answer text <p>No assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>Where a claimant is determined to have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), an additional amount of Universal Credit may be awarded. However, before the additional amount is payable, the claimant must serve the ‘relevant’ period, a 3-month term used to establish that they have a long-term health condition. This replicates the 13-week assessment period applied to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims. This period starts on the day the Department first receives medical evidence or a self-certificate from the claimant.</p><p> </p><p>The reason that a 3 month period applies to most claimants is one of equity. It would not be fair to pay some claimants earlier than others because of circumstances beyond their control. There are exceptions for people who are terminally ill to ensure that they quickly receive the support they need as they have a short time to live or people who have previously claimed Universal Credit and have already served the relevant period and are returning to the benefit and whose circumstances meet certain specified criteria.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 2621 question first answered 19/05/2022 15:48:14 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1463064

registered interest
date	16/05/2022
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, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the three month relevant period on eligible universal credit claimants' financial wellbeing.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	2621
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2022 answer text <p>No assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>Where a claimant is determined to have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), an additional amount of Universal Credit may be awarded. However, before the additional amount is payable, the claimant must serve the ‘relevant’ period, a 3-month term used to establish that they have a long-term health condition. This replicates the 13-week assessment period applied to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims. This period starts on the day the Department first receives medical evidence or a self-certificate from the claimant.</p><p> </p><p>The reason that a 3 month period applies to most claimants is one of equity. It would not be fair to pay some claimants earlier than others because of circumstances beyond their control. There are exceptions for people who are terminally ill to ensure that they quickly receive the support they need as they have a short time to live or people who have previously claimed Universal Credit and have already served the relevant period and are returning to the benefit and whose circumstances meet certain specified criteria.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley grouped question UIN 2620 question first answered 19/05/2022 15:48:14 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1452508

registered interest
date	18/03/2022
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: Uprating
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's rationale is for the decision to uprate universal credit by September 2021's three per cent Consumer Price Index (CPI) benchmark when CPI is expected to exceed six per cent at the point that policy is implemented.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	142500
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2022 answer text <p>The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions. CPI in the year to September (published by the Office for National Statistics in October) is the latest figure the Secretary of State can use to allow sufficient time for the required legislative and operational changes to be made before new rates can be introduced at the start of the new financial year.</p><p>All benefit up-rating since April 1987 has been based on the increase in the relevant price inflation index in the 12 months to the previous September, as happens now. Using the same benchmark every year ensures consistency over time, allowing uprating to balance out over a number of years.</p><p>For up-rating 2022/23 the Secretary of State announced the outcome of her annual review to Parliament on 25 November 2021 and from April 2022 benefits and pensions will increase by 3.1%.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 23/03/2022 17:28:34 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones