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228688

registered interest
date	19/03/2015
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
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 Supreme Court judgment of 1 March regarding the benefits cap.
tabling member printed	Baroness King of Bow
uin	HL5870
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>We welcome the Supreme Court ruling that the benefit cap is lawful. The Court decided that the benefit cap does not breach the European Convention on Human rights and does not unlawfully discriminate against lone parents.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 24/03/2015 13:42:44 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	143 label Biography information for Baroness King of Bow

223925

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure benefits claimants facing hardship difficulties are provided with appropriate welfare advice by front-line Jobcentre Plus staff, and to publicise the availability of such advice.
tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
uin	HL5275
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2015 answer text <p>As part of helping claimants with employment-related support, Jobcentre Plus work coaches provide those facing ''hardship difficulties'' with appropriate information, advice and guidance. Depending upon individual circumstances, this could include information about and help to claim Hardship Payments (where a sanction has been applied), raising awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances for those awaiting initial payment of benefit; and signposting claimants to other sources of help available locally.</p><p> </p><p>As the support on offer is tailored to local need, Jobcentre Plus offices have the flexibility to promote these services through the means that best suits their local needs. This may include displaying leaflets or posters of the types of services on offer or holding a list of the different organisations providing support which will be issued to claimants in ‘’hardship’’.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 10/03/2015 15:07:58 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

176260

registered interest
date	28/01/2015
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made to implement the changes announced in December 2014 to provide more information about Short Term Benefit Advances online and in Jobcentres and to update the guidance on Short Term Benefit Advances for Jobcentre advisers.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL4518
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith, set out on 8 December 2014 (Official Report, column 633) how the Department for Work and Pensions will be doing much to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances (STBAs). This will include providing more information to claimants about STBAs online and in Jobcentres. Staff guidance on STBAs will also be updated and staff reminded of the process for considering an STBA.</p><p> </p><p>The department has already undertaken testing of the posters and messaging with a small number of staff and claimants. We have also asked the Social Security Advisory Committee to review these customer communication products before they are introduced.</p><p> </p><p>Once the products have been introduced we will, of course, closely monitor their effectiveness and impact, including on the number of requests for STBAs.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL4519 HL4520 HL4521 question first answered 04/02/2015 15:06:07 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

176261

registered interest
date	28/01/2015
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what procedures they have put in place to monitor the effectiveness of changes to the information and guidance provided on Short Term Benefit Advances in helping to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances among potential claimants.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL4519
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith, set out on 8 December 2014 (Official Report, column 633) how the Department for Work and Pensions will be doing much to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances (STBAs). This will include providing more information to claimants about STBAs online and in Jobcentres. Staff guidance on STBAs will also be updated and staff reminded of the process for considering an STBA.</p><p> </p><p>The department has already undertaken testing of the posters and messaging with a small number of staff and claimants. We have also asked the Social Security Advisory Committee to review these customer communication products before they are introduced.</p><p> </p><p>Once the products have been introduced we will, of course, closely monitor their effectiveness and impact, including on the number of requests for STBAs.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL4518 HL4520 HL4521 question first answered 04/02/2015 15:06:07 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

176262

registered interest
date	28/01/2015
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will evaluate the effectiveness of changes to the information and guidance provided on Short Term Benefit Advances in helping to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances among potential claimants.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL4520
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith, set out on 8 December 2014 (Official Report, column 633) how the Department for Work and Pensions will be doing much to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances (STBAs). This will include providing more information to claimants about STBAs online and in Jobcentres. Staff guidance on STBAs will also be updated and staff reminded of the process for considering an STBA.</p><p> </p><p>The department has already undertaken testing of the posters and messaging with a small number of staff and claimants. We have also asked the Social Security Advisory Committee to review these customer communication products before they are introduced.</p><p> </p><p>Once the products have been introduced we will, of course, closely monitor their effectiveness and impact, including on the number of requests for STBAs.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL4518 HL4519 HL4521 question first answered 04/02/2015 15:06:08 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

176263

registered interest
date	28/01/2015
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether changes to the information and guidance provided on Short Term Benefit Advances have led to an increase in the number of applications for Short Term Benefit Advances.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL4521
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith, set out on 8 December 2014 (Official Report, column 633) how the Department for Work and Pensions will be doing much to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances (STBAs). This will include providing more information to claimants about STBAs online and in Jobcentres. Staff guidance on STBAs will also be updated and staff reminded of the process for considering an STBA.</p><p> </p><p>The department has already undertaken testing of the posters and messaging with a small number of staff and claimants. We have also asked the Social Security Advisory Committee to review these customer communication products before they are introduced.</p><p> </p><p>Once the products have been introduced we will, of course, closely monitor their effectiveness and impact, including on the number of requests for STBAs.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL4518 HL4519 HL4520 question first answered 04/02/2015 15:06:08 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

170969

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many and what proportion of those affected by the benefit cap since its introduction are in receipt of (1) Employment Support Allowance, (2) Income Support, and (3) Carer’s Allowance.
tabling member printed	Baroness King of Bow
uin	HL3876
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2014 answer text <p>The latest official statistics on the benefit cap can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-august-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-august-2014</a></p><p> </p><p>These statistics do not contain benefit type information. A suite of evaluation was published on 15 December 2014. This evaluation made estimates of the proportion of capped households in scope for the cap who were in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support (IS), Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or other benefit types over time. The evaluation uses a different methodology to the Official Statistics and does not provide a cumulative count of numbers which is in line with Official Statistics. In July 2014 (the most recent data used in the evaluation), estimates found 23 per cent of capped claimants were in receipt of ESA; 45 per cent of capped claimants were in receipt of IS; and 9 per cent were in receipt of another benefit type, of which modelling suggests around 1,400 households had at least one Carer’s Allowance claimant.</p><p>Further information can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-evaluation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-evaluation</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-review-of-the-first-year" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-review-of-the-first-year</a></p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 22/12/2014 14:50:46 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	143 label Biography information for Baroness King of Bow

170247

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 8 December (HC Deb, col 633), what specific new steps they are taking to raise awareness of short-term benefit advances.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL3743
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p /> <p>I refer the Noble Baroness to the oral answer given by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt.Hon. Iain Duncan Smith, Official Report, 8 December 2014, column 633. He set out how the Department for Work and Pensions will be doing much more to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances (STBAs) as recommended by the All-Party Parliamentary inquiry and others, including the Social Security Advisory Committee. This will include providing more information to claimants about STBAs online and in Jobcentres. Staff guidance on STBAs will also be updated and staff reminded of the process for considering an STBA.</p><p> </p><p>A key part of the STBA process is a discussion between the claimant and the Decision Maker to consider the circumstances of the request and make an informed discretionary decision about the claimant’s needs. Such a discussion needs to be had with the claimant and cannot be done online or with a third party.</p><p> </p><p>Benefits are normally paid in arrears and where the Department can pay any benefit due to the claimant it does. Where an STBA can be paid it is usually paid the day after it is first requested by the claimant.</p><p> </p><p>The Government believes the current system for claiming STBAs is simple. All claimants need to do is mention to staff that they will not be able to manage until their payment is due and the STBA process will start. However, the Government has accepted the need to raise awareness of STBAs as set out above.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has made improvements to the hardship process. In July 2014 it strengthened guidance for work coaches so that all claimants are informed about how and when they can make an application for hardship payment and processing times have also been improved.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL3744 HL3745 HL3746 question first answered 17/12/2014 17:21:20 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

170248

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will examine "the possibility of allowing advice workers to request automatically short-term benefit advances electronically for their clients" as recommended by the report of the All-Party Parliamentary inquiry into Hunger and Food Poverty in Britain.
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL3744
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>I refer the Noble Baroness to the oral answer given by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt.Hon. Iain Duncan Smith, Official Report, 8 December 2014, column 633. He set out how the Department for Work and Pensions will be doing much more to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances (STBAs) as recommended by the All-Party Parliamentary inquiry and others, including the Social Security Advisory Committee. This will include providing more information to claimants about STBAs online and in Jobcentres. Staff guidance on STBAs will also be updated and staff reminded of the process for considering an STBA.</p><p> </p><p>A key part of the STBA process is a discussion between the claimant and the Decision Maker to consider the circumstances of the request and make an informed discretionary decision about the claimant’s needs. Such a discussion needs to be had with the claimant and cannot be done online or with a third party.</p><p> </p><p>Benefits are normally paid in arrears and where the Department can pay any benefit due to the claimant it does. Where an STBA can be paid it is usually paid the day after it is first requested by the claimant.</p><p> </p><p>The Government believes the current system for claiming STBAs is simple. All claimants need to do is mention to staff that they will not be able to manage until their payment is due and the STBA process will start. However, the Government has accepted the need to raise awareness of STBAs as set out above.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has made improvements to the hardship process. In July 2014 it strengthened guidance for work coaches so that all claimants are informed about how and when they can make an application for hardship payment and processing times have also been improved.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL3743 HL3745 HL3746 question first answered 17/12/2014 17:21:20 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett

170249

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
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
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 recommendation of the All-Party Parliamentary inquiry into Hunger and Food Poverty that the Department for Work and Pensions should "automatically consider paying short-term benefit advances if a benefit claim has not been paid within five working days".
tabling member printed	Baroness Lister of Burtersett
uin	HL3745
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>I refer the Noble Baroness to the oral answer given by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt.Hon. Iain Duncan Smith, Official Report, 8 December 2014, column 633. He set out how the Department for Work and Pensions will be doing much more to raise awareness of Short Term Benefit Advances (STBAs) as recommended by the All-Party Parliamentary inquiry and others, including the Social Security Advisory Committee. This will include providing more information to claimants about STBAs online and in Jobcentres. Staff guidance on STBAs will also be updated and staff reminded of the process for considering an STBA.</p><p> </p><p>A key part of the STBA process is a discussion between the claimant and the Decision Maker to consider the circumstances of the request and make an informed discretionary decision about the claimant’s needs. Such a discussion needs to be had with the claimant and cannot be done online or with a third party.</p><p> </p><p>Benefits are normally paid in arrears and where the Department can pay any benefit due to the claimant it does. Where an STBA can be paid it is usually paid the day after it is first requested by the claimant.</p><p> </p><p>The Government believes the current system for claiming STBAs is simple. All claimants need to do is mention to staff that they will not be able to manage until their payment is due and the STBA process will start. However, the Government has accepted the need to raise awareness of STBAs as set out above.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has made improvements to the hardship process. In July 2014 it strengthened guidance for work coaches so that all claimants are informed about how and when they can make an application for hardship payment and processing times have also been improved.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud grouped question UIN HL3743 HL3744 HL3746 question first answered 17/12/2014 17:21:20 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	4234 label Biography information for Baroness Lister of Burtersett