Asked by: Danny Kruger (Reform UK - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to publish a consultation on fit note reform.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The call for evidence was launched under the previous government to seek views on how the current fit note process works and the support required to facilitate meaningful work and health conversations. It closed on the 8 July 2024 and received around 1,900 responses. We are still in the process of thoroughly analysing the responses received. These responses will play a crucial role in shaping our ongoing policy development.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Reform UK - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her planned timetable is for responding to her Department's consultation entitled Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments, published on 8 May 2024.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
A consultation on proposed reforms to the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) was published by the previous Government on 8 May 2024. These proposed reforms included removing Direct Pay and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster, as well as exploring how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported. This consultation followed the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act which received royal assent in July 2023.
The consultation was extended by this Government at the end of July and ran until 30 September 2024. We are analysing the responses we have received, and the Government will publish a response in due course.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Reform UK - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of issuing a commencement order for curfews for non-compliant parents refusing to pay child maintenance.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service already has a suite of strong enforcement powers at its disposal. These include using Enforcement Agents (previously known as bailiffs) to take control of goods, forcing the sale of property, removal of driving licence or UK passport, deductions directly from earnings and bank accounts or even commitment to prison.
The Department has explored how curfews could be implemented as an additional enforcement measure to improve compliance. Several enforcement initiatives aimed at improving compliance are currently in train. These initiatives need to be implemented and their effects assessed before we can best see how curfews might fit with them.
The Department plans to enhance effectiveness in collecting arrears payments by delivering changes via regulations, thereby streamlining the enforcement process. This will remove the requirement to obtain a court issued liability order and instead allow the Secretary of State to issue an administrative liability order. The introduction of this simpler administrative process will enable the CMS to take faster action against those Paying Parents who actively avoid their responsibilities.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Reform UK - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her planned timetable is for responding to her Department's closed consultation entitled Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper, published on 29 April 2024.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 October 2024 to question number 6515. The answer can be found here: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Reform UK - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of (a) the take-up, as a proportion of eligibility, of the Specified Adult Childcare Credit, and (b) the estimated expenditure for the Specified Adult Childcare Credit, in each of the last four years.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Qualifying Years of National Insurance for State Pension can be filled whilst working or being self-employed; by being credited with National Insurance credits; and through making voluntary National Insurance contributions.
Specified Adult Childcare Credits are one of the many ways an individual can build a Qualifying Year of National Insurance to protect their future entitlement to State Pension. It is a transfer of the National Insurance credit from the primary parent/carer receiving Child Benefit to a Specified Adult providing care. Its award depends on the circumstances between an individual parent and a carer, and it is not possible to estimate potential volumes
There is no immediate expenditure associated with the award of the credit. Each credit adds a qualifying year which is used when the individual reaches State Pension age to determine their overall State Pension entitlement.
Asked by: Danny Kruger (Reform UK - East Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish (a) a list of all organisations that have been awarded funding under the Kickstart scheme and (b) details of the number of placements each organisation has created since the start of that scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
As of 20/11/2020, the DWP’s Kickstart scheme has received 4’783 total applications. So far, applications covering 23’934 vacancies have been approved. Once approved, employers and organisations are sent a grant agreement of terms and conditions for Kickstart funding.
Below is a list of organisations who have been approved for funding from the DWP’s Kickstart scheme and that have returned their grant funding agreements as of 23/11/2020.
Company Name | Number of Vacancies |
Hales Group Limited | 39 |
MOLINARE TV & FILM LIMITED | 37 |
Park Homes (UK) Ltd | 30 |
Black Sheep Utilities Ltd | 30 |
iSmash UK Trading Ltd | 56 |
Airfi Networks Services Limited | 30 |
Blueline Learning Ltd | 30 |
Intelligent Transformation Limited | 30 |
Lionheart Security Services LTD | 30 |
Modo Creations Limited | 30 |
RGE Engineering Ltd. | 32 |
Purpol Marketing Ltd | 50 |
Specialist Care Team Ltd | 33 |
The Boxing House Ltd. | 30 |
MYBE Awards | 30 |
Aspen Health | 30 |
Boundary Mill Stores Limited | 71 |
Compass Group PLC | 50 |
Cordant Recruitment | 65 |
David Lloyd Leisure | 130 |
DealBerry Limited | 40 |
Enginsoft | 40 |
Event Support Team ltd | 100 |
EXPD8 LIMITED | 305 |
Macc Care | 90 |
O'Neill and Brennan Construction Ltd | 500 |
Rising Stars Property Solutions | 100 |
Robinson Manufacturing Limited | 35 |
Tenstar Personnel Limited | 150 |
The HALO Kilmarnock Ltd | 200 |
TRG LOGISTICS LTD | 75 |
Yorkshire College of Beauty Ltd | 32 |
AA Zentivus Ltd | 30 |
AIR RESOURCES LIMITED | 30 |
Angel Guard Limited | 30 |
Bauer Radio Limited | 30 |
Crouch Logistics Ltd | 30 |
F M CONWAY LIMITED | 30 |
Link Academy Trust | 30 |
Hollowood Chemists Limited | 30 |
MARCUS EVANS LIMITED | 30 |
MPS Care Ltd | 30 |
Nightingale Group Limited | 100 |
Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd | 50 |
The Claxson Group Limited | 30 |
Hometrust Care Ltd | 30 |
Maritime Academy Trust | 30 |
The Trade Centre Group PLC | 30 |
Whistl UK Ltd. | 30 |
Yorkshire Repak Limited | 30 |
CAPITA PLC | 60 |
LADbible Group | 30 |
Q Care Ltd | 40 |
University of Wolverhampton Multi Academy Trust | 40 |
Berneslai Homes Ltd | 30 |
Corona corporate Solutions Ltd | 30 |
NDH CARE LTD | 34 |
Peninsula Care Homes ltd | 30 |
Reynold 123 Limited | 34 |
Search Consultancy Limited | 30 |
The Calico Group | 30 |
Williams & Co | 40 |
Bolloré Logistics UK Ltd | 30 |
Internet Fusion Ltd | 45 |
Learning Curve Group Limited | 30 |
Pilgrim's Pride UK Ltd | 60 |
The Northam Care Trust | 30 |
Heritage Taverns Ltd | 30 |
Oliver Marketing Limited | 30 |
Wincanton Holdings Ltd | 120 |
Places For People Group Limited | 41 |
The Gym Limited | 30 |
Portakabin Limited | 30 |
Unity Schools Partnership | 65 |
Astute Ltd | 31 |
Made To Order Limited | 30 |
E-ACT | 66 |
M&D Green Dispensing Chemist Limited | 30 |
Aspire Defence Services Ltd | 69 |
Suffolk's Libraries IPS Limited | 30 |
Treloar Trust | 30 |
Ronnies Limited | 35 |
Vantec Europe Ltd | 30 |
Tops Day Nursery Limited | 37 |
Coppergreen Developments Ltd | 41 |
Coffee1 Ltd | 30 |
Moorhouse Group | 30 |
Action Centres UK Ltd | 30 |
SPECTRUM HEALTHCARE DOMICILIARY CARE LIMITED | 30 |
Optima Care | 30 |
Clipper Logistics PLC | 105 |
Pre-school Learning Alliance | 50 |
Peter Vardy Ltd | 58 |
Rosebourne Limited | 30 |
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust | 30 |
Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust | 44 |
The Royal Mint | 32 |
Osbourne Co-operative Academy Trust | 30 |
Coate WATER Cre Company Ltd | 80 |
J Murphy & Sons Ltd | 52 |
Persona Care and Support Limited | 30 |
Doncaster Culture & Leisure Trust | 30 |
London North Eastern Railway Limited | 38 |
Harris Federation | 60 |
Aggregate Industries | 39 |
Impact Education Multi Academy Trust | 35 |
The Growth Company | 31 |
Go Train Ltd | 30 |
Furniture Resource Centre Limited | 30 |
Key Care & Support | 30 |
Saint John of God Hospitaller Services | 30 |
MLL Telecom Limited | 36 |
Brunelcare | 42 |
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust | 30 |
The Football League (Community) Ltd T/A EFL Trust | 475 |
Muslim Council of Britain Charitable Foundation | 90 |
HIT Training Ltd | 48 |
One for the people limited | 30 |
Casual Speakers Ltd | 38 |