Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member printed
type
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1690587

	registered interest
	date	20/02/2024
	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	Biocidal Products: Regulation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their position on the regulation of Willaertia magna c2c maky as an active substance for use in biocidal products of product-type 11, following the European Commission's decision not to approve it.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL2606
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2024 answer text <p><em>Willaertia magna C2c maky</em> cannot currently be used in biocidal products within Product Type 11 (Preservatives for liquid-cooling and processing systems) within Great Britain. It is considered to be a new active substance, and there is no existing approval for it.</p><p> </p><p>Any new active substance under the Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation requires an application and a full assessment of its safety and effectiveness before a decision can be reached on whether the substance meets the requirements for approval.</p><p> </p><p>Currently there are no applications for approval of this substance within any Product Type in Great Britain.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 05/03/2024 12:32:07 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1547182

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2022
	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	Pension Credit
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stedman-Scott on 22 November (HL3269), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, what are the (1) average, and (2) longest, delays being experienced by pensioners applying for pension credit for applications made (a) in late April, and (b) subsequently.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL3880
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2022 answer text <p>DWP does not maintain data for the longest time taken to process Pension Credit applications. This information is only available at disproportionate cost to the Department for Work &amp; Pensions as the Department does not have a business requirement for this information to be retained.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We are processing claims as quickly as possible and streamlining our processes, as well as increasing our staffing resources, which has resulted in the outstanding claims reducing considerably. We expect the clearance of claims to reduce as outstanding claims are cleared.</p><p> </p><p>All successful claims and arrears are paid accordingly to ensure no one misses out.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 13/12/2022 15:23:02 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1195343

	registered interest
	date	12/05/2020
	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: Housing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applicants for the housing component of universal credit who have applied since 1 March will be subject to the spare room subsidy; and what percentage this is of the total applicants for the housing component since that date.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL4346
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2020 answer text <p>Data for claimants on Universal Credit with a Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy deduction is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 15/05/2020 13:55:23 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1193970

	registered interest
	date	06/05/2020
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many households currently have had their Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs element reduced by (1) 14 per cent of the ‘eligible rent’ for one spare bedroom, and (2) 25 per cent of the ‘eligible rent’ for two or more spare bedrooms.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL4162
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2020 answer text <p>Figures on the number of households receiving Housing Benefit affected by the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy are publically available through the DWP Stat Xplore website:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml</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><p>Figures on DWP Stat Xplore do not include claimants on Universal Credit with a Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy deduction, as this data is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 21/05/2020 16:04:33 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1600567

	registered interest
	date	01/03/2023
	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	Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many households in England are affected by the under-occupancy charge for (1) one extra bedroom, or (2) more than one extra bedroom; and what assessment they have made of the financial impact of these deductions on those households.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL6023
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2023 answer text <p>For the latest data available, related to September 2022, 286,149 households were subject to the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy (RSRS) for 1 extra bedroom, and 63,759 for 2 or more extra bedrooms. This data is available on Stat-Xplore.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>For 2021/22, a total of £434m worth of deductions were made for RSRS in Great Britain. This includes households on Universal Credit and Housing Benefit. No wider assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>The RSRS policy applies to claims for housing support - either Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit - where the claimant is living in the social rented sector in a property that is deemed too large for their needs.</p><p> </p><p>The policy helps encourage mobility within the social rented sector to make better use of the existing social housing stock and strengthens work-incentives. An additional bedroom is allowed in certain circumstances such as for disabled people and carers, foster carers, and parents of service personnel. Additionally, those in receipt of pension age housing benefit are exempt.</p><p> </p><p>Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP’s) are available for those who need additional support with housing costs. Since 2011 we have provided nearly £1.6 billion in DHP’s to local authorities.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/03/2023 12:33:58 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1657658

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2023
	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	State Retirement Pensions: Australia
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they had last year with the government of Australia, if any, on the issue of frozen state pensions.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL9747
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2023 answer text <p>His Majesty's Government did not have any discussions on this issue last year with the Government of Australia.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 14/09/2023 12:40:39 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1386795

	registered interest
	date	09/12/2021
	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: Self-employed
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the (1) number, and (2) percentage, of Universal Credit recipients whose payments are affected by the minimum income floor for self-employed people.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL4822
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2021 answer text <p>In September 2021, the latest month for which there is available data, there were around 4,000 gainfully self-employed Universal Credit (UC) recipients not in a start-up period and earning below the minimum income floor. This is 1% of all self-employed UC recipients, and 0.1% of all UC claimants.</p><p> </p><p>This number will likely change significantly over the coming year as we gradually reintroduce our pre-pandemic processes for the self-employed, many of whom claimed while the minimum income floor was suspend</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 22/12/2021 10:44:18 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453422

	registered interest
	date	22/03/2022
	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	Poverty: Coronavirus
	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 report Covid Realities: documenting life on a low income during the pandemic, published on 24 January; what assessment they have made of the finding in that report that support for people in poverty should, whenever possible, be provided in cash; and what plans they have to change the guidance to local authorities on assistance provided through the Household Support Fund.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL7190
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2022 answer text <p>No assessment has been made.</p><p> </p><p>We have no current plans to change our guidance for the Household Support Fund on this matter. Local Authorities have the flexibility to design local schemes under the Household Support Fund that best meet local needs within the parameters set out in the guidance. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/household-support-fund-guidance-for-local-councils/household-support-fund-final-guidance-for-county-councils-and-unitary-authorities-in-england" target="_blank">Household Support Fund: final guidance for County Councils and Unitary Authorities in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>(paragraph 90).</p><p>The guidance does not prevent Councils from issuing cash to households in need of emergency support.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 05/04/2022 16:34:06 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1487673

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2022
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of recipients of universal credit discouraged from taking employment by the low level of net financial benefit from being employed due to associated costs, such as transport and childcare, known as the "benefit trap".
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL1592
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2022 answer text <p>No such assessment has been undertaken.</p><p> </p><p>UC recipients in work now benefit from a reduction in the UC taper rate from 63% to 55%, and for those eligible customers an increase in the work allowance by £500 per year meaning that working households will be able to keep more of what they earn and strengthening incentives to move into and progress in work.</p><p> </p><p>The National Living Wage has risen from £8.91 to £9.50 an hour from 1 April. That means a pay rise for millions of the country’s lowest paid workers – worth an increase of over £1,000 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is aware that for some UC claimants’ childcare costs presents challenges to entering employment. To support parents to become financially resilient by moving into work and progressing in work, eligible UC claimants can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month regardless of the number of hours they work, compared to 70% in Tax Credits. This is up to the maximum amount of £646.35 per month for one child and £1,108.04 per month for two or more children. For families with two children, this could be worth over £13,000 a year.</p><p> </p><p>This support is available to all lone parents and couples, regardless of the number of hours they work. For couples, both parents need to be in paid work to be eligible unless one of the allowable exceptions is met.</p><p> </p><p>The UC childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer in England and there are similar funded early learning offers in devolved nations. The Free Childcare offer provides 15 hours a week of free childcare in England for all 3- and 4-year old’s and disadvantaged 2 year old’s, doubling for working parents of 3 and 4 year old’s to 30 hours a week.</p><p> </p><p>The UC childcare element can be used to top up a claimant’s eligible free childcare hours if more hours are worked and childcare required. This offer means that for some claimants’ childcare costs should not present any barriers to entering work.</p><p> </p><p>UC claimants who need help with upfront childcare costs to enter employment or significantly increase their working hours can apply for help from the Flexible Support Fund (FSF). This is a non-repayable payment that will pay their initial childcare costs directly to the provider up to the first salary received.</p><p> </p><p>In order to achieve our long-term goals of driving up productivity and levelling up, we are supporting people in work to ensure they have the right skills and opportunities to progress out of low pay. Through providing right infrastructure we will support an ambitious and productive workforce suited to meet the UK’s future demand.</p><p> </p><p>Through a staged rollout from April 2022 onwards, 2.1m low paid Universal Credit claimants will be eligible for support to progress into higher paid work. This will be provided by work coaches and focus on career progression advice, such as considering skills gaps, identifying training opportunities, or looking for opportunities for the claimant to progress in their current role or in a new role. Jobcentres will be supported in this new role by a network of 37 Progression Champions across Great Britain who will spearhead the scheme. They will work with partners to address local barriers that limit progression, such as transport and childcare.</p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 22/07/2022 10:09:39 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1547518

	registered interest
	date	01/12/2022
	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	Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment: Cost of Living Payments
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of people in receipt of (1) Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or (2) Personal Independence Payment (PIP), who are not eligible for the Cost of Living Payment; and what plans they have to provide assistance to those affected.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	type	WrittenParliamentaryQuestion
	uin	HL3931
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2022 answer text <p>Of those claimants in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in England and Wales in May 2022 (the most recent data available), 220 were not eligible for a Disability Cost of Living Payment (DCoLP), as they had claimed the benefit after the 25<sup>th</sup> May 2022 deadline. A further 3,020 may not have been eligible as they had their DLA suspended in May. Some of these claimants may have been partially suspended and so would be eligible for a payment.</p><p> </p><p>Of those claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales in July 2022 (the most recent data available), 2,260 were not eligible for a DCoLP, as they had claimed the benefit after the 25<sup>th</sup> May 2022 deadline. A further 43,290 claimants may not have been eligible as they had their PIP suspended on the 25<sup>th</sup> May 2022. This figure includes claimants who were only partially suspended and so would be eligible for a payment.</p><p> </p><p>There is a range of support available to claimants.</p><p> </p><p>DLA and PIP claimants are paid at up to £159.60 per week and we are forecast to spend £24bn on PIP and DLA this year.</p><p> </p><p>The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living, which is why, in addition to the £37 billion of support we have provided for cost of living pressures in 2022-23, we are acting now to ensure support continues throughout 2023/24.</p><p> </p><p>To ensure stability and certainty for households, in the Autumn Statement, the Government has announced £26bn in cost of living support for 2023/24. From April 2023 we are uprating benefits for working age households and disabled people, including DLA and PIP, as well as the basic and new State Pensions, by 10.1%. In order to increase the number of households who can benefit from these uprating decisions, the benefit cap will also be increased by 10.1%. Alongside further Cost of Living Payments for the most vulnerable, the amended Energy Price Guarantee which will also save the average UK household £500 in 2023-24.</p><p> </p><p>For those who require extra support, the Government is providing an additional £1 billion of funding, including Barnett impact, to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England in the next financial year. This is on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing total funding to £2.5 billion. In England, this will be delivered through an extension to the Household Support Fund backed by £842 million, running from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, which local authorities will use to help households with the cost of essentials. It will be for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their additional Barnett funding.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p><p><strong>Source:</strong> PIP Atomic Data Store (ADS), National Statistics Frozen Dataset</p><ul><li>This is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision.</li><li>The PIP data provided reflects the position on suspensions as recorded on the PIP analytical data system as at 5<sup>th</sup> December 2022. This is subject to revision as the Department receives more information about a claimant’s situation.</li><li>The DLA data provided reflects the position on suspensions as recorded on the DLA analytical data system as at 31<sup>st</sup> May 2022. This is subject to revision as the Department receives more information about a claimant’s situation.</li><li>Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.</li><li>Figures include England and Wales only.</li></ul><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Stedman-Scott question first answered 14/12/2022 12:29:31 answering member 4174 label Biography information for Baroness Stedman-Scott
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle