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Written Question
Pension Credit: Applications
Wednesday 21st December 2022

Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the waiting times for Pension Credit applicants.

Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott

Following the successful launch of our campaign to increase up-take of Pension Credit, we have received an unprecedented number of claims. We have increased the resources available to process the extra volume of claims and have also adapted our claims processing approach, which has enabled us to improve productivity and clear claims more effectively.

We are now clearing more cases per day than we are receiving. We are also prioritising the oldest cases, and those presenting in hardship, to ensure we get payments to those most in need.

With these measures in place and, assuming the current volumes of new claims for Pension Credit, we anticipate that both processing times and outstanding cases will return to the levels we had before the recent three-fold increase in claims.

Successful claims and arrears will be paid accordingly to ensure all those who are entitled do not miss out.


Written Question
Pension Credit: Applications
Wednesday 21st December 2022

Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many claims for Pension Credit have been waiting for more than (1) two, (2) three, (3) four, (4) five, and (5) six, months for approval; and what percentage of applications this comprises.

Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott

This information is only available at disproportionate cost to The Department for Work & Pensions as the Department does not have a business requirement for this information to be retained.


Written Question
Social Security Benefits
Monday 5th December 2022

Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much the threshold for (1) income support, (2) income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, (3) income-related Employment and Support Allowance, (4) housing benefit, (5) child tax credits, and (6) pension credits, has increased (a) in line with inflation, and (b) in monetary terms, each year since 1997.

Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott

For the benefits listed there are many different rates. The tables in the spreadsheet attached show a selection of illustrative examples for each benefit in both cash and real terms.

Child Tax Credits are administered by HMRC and are not a DWP responsibility. Rates are therefore not provided here.


Written Question
Mental Capacity: Payments
Monday 14th November 2022

Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish their response to the Mental Capacity Act: Small Payments Scheme, which closed on 12 January, to help disabled families access Child Trust Funds.

Answered by Lord Bellamy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

We are preparing the Government's response to the consultation and are aiming to provide an update to the House in the near future. The consultation exposed a number of issues which warranted further consideration, especially in relation to the design, security, simplicity and effectiveness of a scheme when compared to existing processes. In the meantime we have been collaborating with the Court of Protection to improve access to payments under current legislation, and pilot processes and documentation are currently being developed.


Written Question
Social Services: Migrant Workers
Friday 15th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many social care workers earning more than £20,480 they estimate will be recruited from overseas as a result of the new immigration visa rules; and what proportion of staff vacancies are expected to be filled further to those rules.

Answered by Lord Kamall

No specific estimate has been made. However, we are working with Skills for Care and the Home Office to produce guidance and seminars to equip adult social care providers with necessary tools and information to recruit successfully from overseas.


Written Question
Migrant Workers: Health Services and Social Services
Tuesday 12th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the total number of Health and Care Worker visas issued in Q1 2022 were issued to people due to work in (1) the health sector, and (2) the social care sector.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Home Office publishes data on Health and Care Worker visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’.

Data on the number of Health and Care visas issued are published in table Vis_D02 of the ‘entry clearance visa applications and outcomes detailed datasets’. Data on work sectors can be found in table CoS_D01 of the ‘Work sponsorship (Certificate of Sponsorship)’ dataset. Information on how to use these datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to year ending March 2022.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

The Home Office does not publish the number of Health and Care worker visas granted by sector.

The published sector (industry) data show visa applications where a certificate of sponsorship was used. The ‘Human Health and Social Work Activities’ sector cannot be disaggregated to differentiate social care from health.


Written Question
Internet and WiFi
Monday 11th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of people in the UK aged (1) 20–39, (2) 40–59, (3) 60–79, and (4) 80 and over, have no (a) internet, or (b) Wi-Fi, access in their own home.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

At present, 94% of UK households have internet access and Her Majesty’s Government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity as soon as possible. Today, 69% of premises can access gigabit-capable broadband, up from just 9% in November 2019.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport does not hold information broken down by the specific age brackets registered.

According to 2021 Ofcom data, the percentage of those without internet access in their own home is (1) 1% for 18 - 24 year olds; (2) 0% for 25 - 34 year olds; (3) 3% for 35 - 44 year olds; (4) 2% for 45 - 54 year olds; (5) 3% for 55 - 64 year olds; and (6) 20% for those aged 65+.

In addition, the Office for National Statistics releases information relating to internet access across the UK. Its most recent release was in April 2021.


Written Question
Mobile Phones
Monday 11th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of people in the UK aged (1) 20–39, (2) 40–59, (3) 60–79, and (4) 80 and over, do not own a smartphone.

Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

According to Ofcom’s Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes report’, published in April 2021, smartphone usage by the following age categories was: 16-24 (96%), 25-34 (96%), 35-44 (96%), 45-54 (94%), 55-64 (86%), 65+ (55%).


Written Question
Parking and Public Sector: ICT
Thursday 7th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that all (1) parking facilities, and (2) essential public services, including medical appointments, council inquiries, service payments, and registrations, are always available to those who do not have (a) internet access, (b) a Wi-Fi connection, or (c) a smartphone.

Answered by Lord Greenhalgh

The Government's Service Standard is mandated for government departments to follow in the development of new digital services. The Service Standard requires new services to be accessible to all users, including disabled people, people with other legally protected characteristics, people who do not have access to the internet and/or lack the skills or confidence to use the internet.

The Service Standard mandates that users who need “assisted digital support” should be able to access public services by phone, face to face meetings, or via webchat. All central government services must meet these requirements to go onto GOV.UK and assurance is provided through a formal Assessment process.

The NHS also follows the Service Standard with additional elements specific to health needs. People can contact their GP practice by telephone, in person or using a secure online form and patients unable to access remote general practice consultations for any reason should be offered an alternative appointment mode. In England and Wales there is no provision for births, deaths, marriages or civil partnerships to be registered online, attendance in person is required. Online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing general practice, and practice receptions should be open so that patients without access to telephone or online services are in no way disadvantaged.

Responsibility for parking facilities rests with the relevant local authority, as they are best placed to consider how local needs can be effectively met.

DLUHC is currently reviewing Private Parking Code of Practice, which has previously recommended that operators accept at least two different payment methods. For example, cash and card. There are currently no plans to issue a similar direction to local authority car parks.


Written Question
Parking: ICT
Wednesday 6th July 2022

Asked by: Baroness Altmann (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many councils in (1) England, (2) Wales, (3) Scotland, and (4) Northern Ireland, have introduced parking which has no cash or credit card payment option and requires payment digitally or through an app.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Responsibility for traffic management on local roads rests with the relevant local authority, as they are best placed to consider how local needs can be effectively met. It is entirely a matter for individual authorities to decide on the nature and scope of parking policies including the operation of any pay to park schemes in their area. The Department does not hold information on local parking schemes of this nature in England and, because parking is a devolved matter, not for Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.