Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of freezing the health element of Universal Credit for new claimants from April 2026 on (a) poverty rates, (b) the cost of living and (c) workforce participation in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) Upper Bann constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC) are administered in Northern Ireland by the Department for Communities (DfC). DfC is responsible for producing analysis on how proposed reforms would impact claimants in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed reforms to (a) PIP and (b) Universal Credit on (i) community cohesion and (ii) equitable access to benefits in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC) are administered in Northern Ireland by the Department for Communities (DfC). DfC is responsible for producing analysis on how proposed reforms would impact claimants in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the review by the Minister for Social Security and Disability on PIP eligibility will incorporate (a) regional data and (b) stakeholder views from (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) Upper Bann constituency.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We have launched a review of the PIP assessment to make sure it is fair and fit for the future in a changing world and helps support disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence.
We have published the Terms of Reference for this review and we will engage widely over the summer to design the process for its work. We are committed to co-producing the review with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders, to ensure that a wide range of views and voices are heard.
We will of course engage with the Devolved Governments as part of this process, recognising their interest in the review and potential implications for the benefits and services they administer.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether (a) Universal Credit and (b) PIP awards in Northern Ireland will remain indexed to inflation until 2029-30 under proposed welfare reforms.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Social security is a transferred matter in NI, but there is a long-standing principle of parity between the social security systems of the Northern Ireland Executive and that of the UK Government. In line with this principle, the Universal Credit Bill makes provision for Northern Ireland equivalent to that for Great Britain
The Government is committed to protecting the benefit awards of the most vulnerable and addressing the basic adequacy of Universal Credit. The Universal Credit Bill will make the first ever, sustained, above inflation increase to the standard allowance of Universal. For example, the standard allowance for a single 25 year old is expected to rise from £96 per week, to £106 per week in 2029/30.
For customers already in receipt of the Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity (LCWRA) element of Universal Credit, the combined rate of the Universal Credit standard allowance and LCWRA will rise at least in line with inflation every year for the next four years. Those who meet the Severe Conditions Criteria or where Special Rules for End of Life apply will also receive this protection, no matter when they start claiming the benefit. From 6 April 2026, the LCWRA rate will be reduced and frozen until 2029/30 for those newly defined as LCWRA.
The Universal Credit Bill does not make any changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in Great Britain or Northern Ireland. PIP is transferred in Northern Ireland and decisions about indexation are a matter for the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the change to the Winter Fuel Allowance entitlement on terminally ill patients.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Pensioners with a terminal illness who meet the Winter Fuel Payment eligibility criteria will receive a payment in winter 2024/25. Winter Fuel Payments are payable to pensioner households entitled to Pension Credit, or the other qualifying benefits: Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.
This means that the Winter Fuel Payment will be better targeted to low-income pensioners. The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to, including their Winter Fuel Payment. As part of this, we have started a new drive to increase take-up of Pension Credit. We know there are low-income pensioners who are not claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply.
Pensioners with a long-term or terminal health condition may be eligible for Attendance Allowance. It provides a tax free, non-income-related contribution towards the extra costs a long-term health condition can face. It is paid in addition to any other benefits received.
Attendance Allowance also gives rise to a disability addition in Pension Credit, meaning that disabled pensioners are more likely to be entitled to Pension Credit, and at a higher amount, than those without disabilities.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that the needs of men experiencing incontinence are recognised in Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) 1992 Regulations (‘the Workplace Regulations’) and Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) set broad standards for what employers should provide to ensure the workplace is safe, healthy and provides appropriate welfare facilities to meet the needs of each member of the workforce.
Regulation 20 of the Workplace Regulations state that toilets should be kept in a clean and orderly condition. A business should consider the means to ensure they can fulfil this duty for every member of the workforce. The guidance already places a requirement for any worker with a disability to have access to facilities which are adjusted for their use if necessary.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that where children or adults are the subject of a Child Maintenance case and registered in full time education, Child Maintenance is only payable if the Child Maintenance Service is satisfied that they are attending and participating in that education.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
To qualify for maintenance payments a child must meet the Child Maintenance Service's (CMS) criteria.
A person is considered a child for child maintenance purposes if they are under the age of 16 and habitually resident in the UK or if they are under the age of 20 and are considered a qualifying young person.
A qualifying young person is someone who is aged over 16 but under 20, and in full-time non-advanced education or approved training for at least 12 hours a week or if Child Benefit is payable.
The CMS may amend a calculation if we receive evidence that a child is no longer in full-time non-advanced education or approved training, but we do not measure attendance or participation.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, under what circumstances officials in Child Maintenance Service may refuse to meet, either in person or online, a parent who is seeking to resolve issues in their case.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Customers of the service can contact officials online, by telephone or in writing and in cases where customers have concerns, a complaints process including independent review is available and clearly signposted in written and online communications.
The Child Maintenance service undertakes work face to face meetings only in certain prescribed circumstances where there is a legal requirement to do so for instance certain judicial proceedings and interviews under caution.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what sources of information are available to the Child Maintenance Service to help them ascertain whether a child or adult, who is the subject of a case, and who is registered in full time education is actually attending and participating in the course in a meaningful way.
Answered by Guy Opperman
There is no requirement in law for the Child maintenance Service to gather data on children attending full time education or training.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many errors have been recorded in the payment of winter fuel payments by reason of (a) incorrect address (b) being paid into incorrect bank account, in each of the last three years.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department for Work and Pensions Is not required to retain this information. In the circumstances the information is only possible to obtain at disproportionate cost to the DWP.