Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for a funding programme for food banks to develop into alternative forms of initiative, such as food clubs or social supermarkets.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Food Banks are independent, charitable organisations where local communities come together to support one another. This is a great example of the generosity of spirit across the country. The Government has no role in their operation.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, and if so when, the Department for Work and Pensions will resume the sharing of Healthy Start take-up data with the Department of Health and Social Care.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
DWP are working with DHSC to make data available by the end of 2022.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have carried out an impact assessment of increasing the numbers of face-to-face advice services covering (1) household finances, and (2) benefit entitlement, in community centres that provide food to households on low incomes.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
No assessment has been made.
DWP staff provide benefit and employment support across Great Britain through our national network of Jobcentres, who work in partnership with a variety of organisations that offer local budgeting and debt advice support.
The Government is keen to ensure that everyone accesses the benefits they are entitled to, which is why we have just launched an eligibility checker that can be found at Gov.uk.
DWP also funds the Money and Pensions Service that provides additional support to help people – particularly those most in need – to improve their financial wellbeing. It provides access to high-quality money and debt advice through its “MoneyHelper” services and signposting to third party organisations best placed to help.