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1011420

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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: Medical Examinations
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what proportion of (a) employment support allowance mandatory reconsiderations and (b) personal independence payment mandatory reconsiderations her Department has contacted a claimant's GP or specialist to request medical evidence in the last 12 months; and what guidance his Department provides on when it is appropriate to contact a claimant's GP or specialist.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194024
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>The information requested is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The guidance for both benefits tells claimants that when making their claim they should provide the evidence that they already hold and that they should not request additional evidence for which they may need to pay, for example from their GP. If further medical evidence is required this will be requested by the Assessment Provider at no cost to the claimant. At Mandatory Reconsideration the guidance encourages claimants to share any <em>new</em> medical evidence they may have received since their original claim. The instructions in relation to claims and Mandatory Reconsideration are clearly signposted for both benefits.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 26/11/2018 17:42:49 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

1011431

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many senior citizens who were entitled to the winter fuel payment in 2017 were estimated to be higher rate tax payers.
	tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
	tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194060
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>For winter 2017/18 everyone who had reached women’s state pension age was entitled to claim a Winter Fuel Payment. Official Statistics on tax-payers are published by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 26/11/2018 15:10:54 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1011443

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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	Women against State Pension Inequality
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to accept recommendations made by the Ombudsman's investigation into complaints regarding WASPI.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194026
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>The process of any Ombudsman investigation is effectively unchanged since their creation by the Labour Government in 1967.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Ombudsman is currently considering whether to investigate, and if so, the scope of that investigation. Should he decide to investigate, the DWP will co-operate in full with that process.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 26/11/2018 15:03:11 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

1011471

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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 recent estimate she has made of the number of claimants that have received less money as a result of moving from working tax credits to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
	tabling member printed	John Mann
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194064
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Currently, claimants moving from existing benefits to Universal Credit will only do so because they will have had a change in their circumstances that would previously, under the legacy system, have triggered a new claim to benefits or tax credits. In such circumstances they would always have had their entitlement calculated based on the rules of their new benefit. This principle has been maintained for those moving to Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 26/11/2018 16:18:58 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

1011496

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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 and what proportion of universal credit payments had a deduction in the latest month for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
	tabling member printed	Catherine West
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194147
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>For eligible claims to Universal Credit Full Service due a payment in September 2018, 55% (490,000 claims) had a deduction (which may include for advances, sanctions, fraud penalties, and other deductions).</p><p>The information for claims with deductions above 20 per cent of their standard allowance is as follows:</p><p>a. 12% (61,000 claims) had deductions at 40% of the Standard Allowance (7% of all eligible claims)</p><p>b. 28% (138,000 claims) had deductions above 30% of the Standard Allowance (15% of all eligible claims)</p><p>c. 47% (232,000 claims) had deductions above 20% of their Standard Allowance (26% of all eligible claims).</p><p><strong>Notes: </strong><strong><br></strong>Claim numbers are rounded to the nearest 1,000</p><p>Claim numbers may not match official statistics caseloads due to methodological differences.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 194148 question first answered 26/11/2018 17:30:08 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1011497

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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 and what proportion of universal credit claimants who have a level of deduction from the standard allowance have a reduction of (a) the 40 per cent cap and (b) above the 30 per cent level (c) above the 20 per cent level in the most recent month for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
	tabling member printed	Catherine West
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194148
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>For eligible claims to Universal Credit Full Service due a payment in September 2018, 55% (490,000 claims) had a deduction (which may include for advances, sanctions, fraud penalties, and other deductions).</p><p>The information for claims with deductions above 20 per cent of their standard allowance is as follows:</p><p>a. 12% (61,000 claims) had deductions at 40% of the Standard Allowance (7% of all eligible claims)</p><p>b. 28% (138,000 claims) had deductions above 30% of the Standard Allowance (15% of all eligible claims)</p><p>c. 47% (232,000 claims) had deductions above 20% of their Standard Allowance (26% of all eligible claims).</p><p><strong>Notes: </strong><strong><br></strong>Claim numbers are rounded to the nearest 1,000</p><p>Claim numbers may not match official statistics caseloads due to methodological differences.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma grouped question UIN 194147 question first answered 26/11/2018 17:30:08 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1011501

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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 universal credit claimants in employment have had a disputed earnings referral in respect of their claim in each month since April 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194074
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>I refer the Hon Member to the reply to Question 146120, which contains the information from May 2017 to April 2018. Information from May 2018 onwards can be seen in the table below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Month</p></td><td><p>May 2018</p></td><td><p>June 2018</p></td><td><p>July 2018</p></td><td><p>August 2018</p></td><td><p>Sept 2018</p></td><td><p>Oct 2018</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Number of claimants with disputes</p></td><td><p>3302</p></td><td><p>3348</p></td><td><p>4349</p></td><td><p>4946</p></td><td><p>3805</p></td><td><p>5737</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Caseload on Universal Credit</p></td><td><p>921,009</p></td><td><p>982,354</p></td><td><p>1,041,240</p></td><td><p>1,117,206</p></td><td><p>1,217,964</p></td><td><p>1,317,985</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Disputes as a proportion of total caseload</p></td><td><p>0.36%</p></td><td><p>0.34%</p></td><td><p>0.42%</p></td><td><p>0.44%</p></td><td><p>0.31%</p></td><td><p>0.44%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p /><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 26/11/2018 16:00:53 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1011514

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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, whether the maximum proportion of universal credit which can be deducted for claimant rent arrears will change as a result of Budget 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194161
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>Although Autumn Budget 2018 announced a reduction (applying from October 2019) in the overall maximum rate of deductions from Universal Credit from 40% to 30%, the maximum proportion of Universal Credit which can be deducted for claimant rent arrears has not changed and remains between 10 and 20 per cent.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 26/11/2018 18:28:55 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1011515

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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, in what circumstances the repayment of an advance can be deducted from a claimant's universal credit in addition to the maximum proportion that can be deducted for other debts.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194162
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2018 answer text <p>There are no circumstances in which the repayment of an advance can be taken in excess of 40% of a claimant’s Universal Credit standard allowance.*</p><p> </p><p>From October 2019, we will reduce the maximum rate at which deductions can be made from a Universal Credit award from 40% to 30% of the standard allowance. This will ensure that those on Universal Credit are supported to repay debts in a more sustainable and manageable way. From October 2021, we will also increase the period over which advances will be recovered, from 12 to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>* The addition of a subsequent deduction such as for rent, gas or electricity arrears may take the overall level of deductions to over 40% in a small number of cases. In these circumstances the advance repayments do not themselves take the claimant over the threshold, rather the additional deductions are made to protect claimant welfare by preventing disconnection or eviction.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 26/11/2018 17:30:26 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1011516

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2018
	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: Telephone Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is for a person calling the universal credit helpline to be connected to an agent.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	194163
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2018 answer text <p>Universal Credit is a 24 hour, seven day a week digital service that allows claimants to check their Universal Credit benefit payments, notify us of changes and record notes via an online journal facility. We also see claimants regularly face-to-face in jobcentres and they can contact us via the telephone outside of these appointments. In addition, this summer we introduced a new approach where established claimants who call the Universal Credit helpline are connected directly to the person or team who are dealing with the case.</p><p> </p><p>The average waiting time for a person calling the Universal Credit Full Service helpline in the month of October 2018 was 3 minutes and 58 seconds.</p><p> </p><p>Our Average Speed of Answer (ASA) measure is the average customer wait time from the point of entering a queue to connection to an agent. This excludes any time spent in pre-queue messaging and any wait time for calls ultimately abandoned by callers prior to answer.</p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p> </p><p>Data Source: BT - OPMIS and Historical Management Information (GI2 – HMI)</p><p>Outsourced partner data is included.</p><p>The data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The data should therefore be treated with caution.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 28/11/2018 10:31:50 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma previous answer version 87211 answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood