Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations she has received from agencies of her Department on the effectiveness of data sharing with her Department.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The introduction of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) increased the obligations on both data controllers and processors in respect of data sharing. DWP engages with all of its Agencies (Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs)). Each ALB is also required to provide a Certificate of Assurance regarding compliance with GDPR regulations. Any representations on the effectiveness of data sharing with the Department will be addressed in line with the GDPR. At the moment there are none to consider.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department has allocated to the promotion of public information on prescription prepayment certificates.
Answered by Steve Brine
The NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) actively prepares, circulates and promotes information for the public on Prescription Prepayment Certificates as part of its duties in administering this service. The funding information requested cannot be provided, as it is not separately identified.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on data sharing between her Department and arms-length management organisations in relation to housing benefit and universal credit claims.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Landlord Portal provides Social Rental Sector landlords, which includes arms-length management organisations, with the ability to submit information directly to the Universal Credit online system, this supports timely and accurate payment of housing costs to Universal Credit claimants.
DWP has enrolled more landlords in stages, in tandem with the expansion of the Universal Credit Full Service. Priority has been placed on enrolling the largest landlords that are eligible where possible in order to maximise the number of Universal Credit claimants that can be handled via the portal. By December 2018 we will have covered 90% of social landlords stock on the Portal, and we are looking at how best to complete rollout for the remaining social landlords.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department provides to claimants in rent arrears.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Safeguards are in place for Universal Credit claimants, including Advances, budgeting support and Alternative Payment Arrangements and research shows that over time claimants successfully reduce their arrears.
For Housing Benefit claimants there are also safeguards in place such as paying Housing Benefit directly to the landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments, is unlikely to pay their rent or is in rent arrears equivalent to eight weeks.
Claimants already receiving Housing Benefit are paid an additional two weeks of Housing Benefit to support them and reduce the issue of rent arrears whilst they transition to monthly payments on Universal Credit. Our work coaches gauge claimants’ financial needs from their first interview and can refer them to more specialist support for debt advice if required. There are a range of tools available to help claimants budget including a Personal Planner, Budgeting Support guidance and the Money Manager tool from the Money Advice Service.
We do not routinely collect information on rent arrears as part of the claim process. However, there is research which shows more broadly that many people come onto Universal Credit with existing rent arrears. For example, in their report published on 11 July 2018, the National Federation of Arms-Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) of Social Housing providers found that of those Universal Credit households in rent arrears, 76 per cent had arrears prior to moving onto Universal Credit.
We know that arrears are usually temporary and the majority of claimants do succeed in paying their rent, managing their monthly payments and clearing their arrears over time.
We are currently carrying out further analysis of this issue with a number of housing providers, to investigate and understand the true level of rent arrears for their tenants, what is causing them and any impacts Universal Credit may be having. It will be published when completed.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of claimants who are in rent arrears at the time of their transition to universal credit.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Safeguards are in place for Universal Credit claimants, including Advances, budgeting support and Alternative Payment Arrangements and research shows that over time claimants successfully reduce their arrears.
For Housing Benefit claimants there are also safeguards in place such as paying Housing Benefit directly to the landlord if the tenant is likely to have difficulty in managing their rent payments, is unlikely to pay their rent or is in rent arrears equivalent to eight weeks.
Claimants already receiving Housing Benefit are paid an additional two weeks of Housing Benefit to support them and reduce the issue of rent arrears whilst they transition to monthly payments on Universal Credit. Our work coaches gauge claimants’ financial needs from their first interview and can refer them to more specialist support for debt advice if required. There are a range of tools available to help claimants budget including a Personal Planner, Budgeting Support guidance and the Money Manager tool from the Money Advice Service.
We do not routinely collect information on rent arrears as part of the claim process. However, there is research which shows more broadly that many people come onto Universal Credit with existing rent arrears. For example, in their report published on 11 July 2018, the National Federation of Arms-Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) of Social Housing providers found that of those Universal Credit households in rent arrears, 76 per cent had arrears prior to moving onto Universal Credit.
We know that arrears are usually temporary and the majority of claimants do succeed in paying their rent, managing their monthly payments and clearing their arrears over time.
We are currently carrying out further analysis of this issue with a number of housing providers, to investigate and understand the true level of rent arrears for their tenants, what is causing them and any impacts Universal Credit may be having. It will be published when completed.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether funding for the Universal credit support scheme by Citizens Advice is planned to be allocated at a national, regional or local level.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Universal Support provides Universal Credit claimants with digital and budgeting skills.
Earlier this month we announced a new Universal Support partnership with Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, which they will develop and run alongside the current provision offered by local authorities until 31 March 2019. From April 2019 Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland will take on sole responsibility for delivering a Universal Support service, a move which will ensure a consistent and streamlined service for claimants across the country.
The funding for this will be allocated directly to Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland at a national level.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2018 to Question 167122, what information her Department holds on the number of people who have been underpaid employment and support allowance.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The Department is reviewing around 300,000 cases that were receiving contributory ESA only at 21 October 2014 and we estimated that around 70,000 of those cases may have been underpaid.
In addition, following the Government’s announcement on 18 July 2018, we are looking at around a further 250,000 cases that may have been affected before 21 October 2014.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timescale is for resolving cases of underpayment of employment support allowance.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The Department is prioritising the cases most likely to be affected.
We expect to finish reviewing and correcting the original 300,000 cases early next year.
We are currently assessing the timescales for completion of the additional 250,000 cases that are now in scope following the decision to pay arrears back to the date of conversion from incapacity benefit.
Our aim is for all claimants to receive the benefit they are due as quickly as practicable.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Statement of 18 July on employment and support allowance, WS877, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been underpaid in (a) Doncaster and )b) South Yorkshire.
Answered by Sarah Newton
We are not able to make an estimate at this geographical level.
We are focusing our efforts on contacting all potentially affected individuals to ensure they are paid as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Caroline Flint (Labour - Don Valley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the proposed National Planning Policy Framework will enable councils to require fibre to home broadband to be installed on new developments.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was published for consultation on 5 March 2018. The framework proposes that councils should put forward planning policies setting out how high quality digital infrastructure is expected to be delivered and upgraded over time, prioritising full fibre connections to existing and new developments. If this is taken forward as part of the finalised NPPF, it will be for councils to determine the scope of their policies.