Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to reviewing the rate of inflation figure used for state pensions.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Department for Work and Pensions is required by law to undertake an annual review of benefits and pensions. CPI in the year to September is the latest figure that the Department for Work and Pensions can use to allow sufficient time for the required operational changes before new rates can be introduced at the start of the new financial year.
All benefit up-rating since April 1987 has been based on the increase in the relevant price inflation index in the 12 months to the previous September.
The Department for Work and Pensions decisions regarding benefits/pensions for 2022/23 were announced to Parliament on 25 November 2021 and the increase of 3.1 per cent from April 2022 was agreed by both Houses of Parliament.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that pensioners with (1) vision, and (2) hearing, impairments are able to apply for Pension Credit.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
Individuals wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by telephone, online or by postal claim form. Within these three options, there are a number of different ways the Department communicates with people with visual or hearing impairments. These include large print, Braille and British sign language options. Hearing loop, textphone and Next Generation Text relay facilities are also available.
More generally, people wishing to claim Pension Credit who need help to do so can receive help from family members, friends or voluntary organisations such as Citizens Advice or Age UK.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of take up of Pension Credit; and what discussions they have had with the BBC about publicising eligibility for Pension Credit alongside advertising to the same group their eligibility for free television licences.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Department assesses levels of take-up of Pension Credit on an annual basis. Latest official statistics on the take-up of income-related benefits at Great Britain level, including Pension Credit, can be found in the publication “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up in 2018 to 2019”, is available on the gov.uk website.
As well as regular meetings to discuss Pension Credit and the implications of the new television licence arrangements, DWP officials have worked with the BBC to ensure that the BBC’s letters to all existing free TV licence holders informing them of the new arrangements included information on how to claim Pension Credit. The Minister for Pensions and I are engaging with the BBC to discuss what more we could do together to increase take-up of Pension Credit.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claimed employment and support allowance in Thirsk and Malton constituency in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Harper
Statistics on the number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants are published at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool
Guidance for users is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on amendments required to EU law to limit the access of migrants to national welfare systems.
Answered by Esther McVey
Ministers and officials are in regular dialogue with the European Commission and other Member States about the coordination of social security in the European Union. DWP Ministers and officials have met with a number of their European counterparts in recent months to discuss mutual matters of interest where reforms to the social security coordination system have been discussed.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the current number of job vacancies is in the Thirsk, Malton and Filey travel-to-work area.
Answered by Esther McVey
The Universal Jobmatch System was introduced in November 2012. The system does not provide data for travel-to-work areas. However, I can confirm the number of live jobs on the system in these towns at 8 April 2014.
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Town | Number of Live jobs |
Thirsk | 149 |
Malton | 134 |
Filey | 44 |
Total | 327 |