As part of the Government\u2019s strategy to support people affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency, DWP is making a number of changes to its benefit processes to ensure people who need financial help have access to the benefit system.<\/p>
<\/p>
Universal Credit New Claims Advances are available to support those in immediate financial need until their first Universal Credit payment is made and the Department is committed to delivering advances as soon as possible to claimants who have requested them. Face-to-face checks for Universal Credit advances have been suspended and claimants can apply for an advance by phone or online without attending their Jobcentre.<\/p>
<\/p>
Universal Credit is already much more generous than the legacy benefit system it replaces. From 6th<\/sup> April 2020, we have increased the standard allowance for everyone by over £80 a month for one year. This is on top of the existing 1.7% increase already announced. The increase in the Universal Credit standard allowance provides additional support to claimants in order to help them manage the economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, including the repayment of new claim advances.<\/p> <\/p> The Government has reduced the maximum deduction from 40% to 30% of a claimant\u2019s standard allowance from October 2019 and this will be further reduced to 25% from October 2021. The repayment time for advances has already been extended from 6 months to 12 months, and will be further extended to 24 months from October 2021.<\/p> <\/p> If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions being made they can contact the Department to request that a reduction in deductions be considered. Any adjustment to repayments will be based on the individual circumstances of the claimant.<\/p>"}
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, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-04-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit: Coronavirus"}
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, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to suspend repayment of all universal credit advances during the covid-19 outbreak.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4393", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stuart C McDonald"}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stuart C McDonald"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1187105", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1187105/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced new support for the self-employed on 26 March 2020.<\/p> <\/p> The new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme will help those with lost trading profits due to COVID-19. It will allow eligible individuals to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for the next 3 months. This may be extended if needed and is one of the most generous self-employed support schemes in the world.<\/p> <\/p> To qualify, an individual\u2019s self-employed trading profits must be less than £50,000 and more than half of their income must come from self-employment. Some 95% of people who receive most of their income from self-employment will benefit from this Scheme.<\/p> <\/p> HM Revenue & Customs will contact individuals if they are eligible and will invite them to apply online using a simple form. HMRC are working on this urgently and expect people to be able to access the Scheme no later than the beginning of June.<\/p> <\/p> More information about the Scheme, including the full eligibility criteria and how to claim, is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme<\/a><\/p> <\/p> The Scheme supplements the significant support already announced for UK businesses and employees, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and deferral of tax payments.<\/p> <\/p> More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p>"}
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, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available to support (a) childminders, (b) driving instructors and (c) other self-employed people during the covid-19 outbreak.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1186745", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1186745/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is working with industry, the National Health Service, social care providers and the army to ensure the supply of key medical equipment for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak. We are in active discussions with the European Union Commission on future shared procurement opportunities and we will decide whether to participate in each on the basis of public health requirements at the time. We are exploring all procurement options for medical equipment to give the NHS and the social care sector everything they need to tackle this outbreak.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4362", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Edward Argar"}
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, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Charnwood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Edward Argar"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-04-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jo Churchill"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-03-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Medical Equipment: EU Countries"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to work with EU member states to procure medical equipment needed during the covid-19 pandemic", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4393", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stuart C McDonald"}
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, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stuart C McDonald"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1186099", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1186099/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is deferring tax payments, through the Income Tax Self-Assessment (ITSA) and VAT system to help support businesses and the self-employed with cash flows. VAT payments due between now and mid-June will be deferred. No business will have to make a VAT payment to HMRC in that period. Income tax payments due in July 2020 under the Self-Assessment system will be deferred to January 2021, benefitting up to 5.7m self-employed businesses.<\/p> <\/p> The Government has also announced it is delaying the reforms to the off-payroll working rules (IR35) from April 2020 to April 2021 and the reforms will be legislated for in the 2020 Finance Bill. This deferral has been announced in response to the spread of Covid-19, to help businesses and individuals deal with the economic impacts of the pandemic.<\/p> <\/p>