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Written Question
Child Maintenance Service
Thursday 16th September 2021

Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to tackle issues raised in the Independent Case Examiner's Annual Report 2020 on the Child Maintenance Service, including the findings on the way that Service presents its accounts information.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Since the report was published in October 2020 the Child Maintenance Service has been running at a reduced level and has been focussed on frontline activity serving our customers due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

However, we are now starting to increase that service and have introduced a Transformation Programme that will constantly review how we work and help to automate lots of processes.

We are continually improving our contact channels and we plan to improve our calculation letters in line with our online portal and system. This is so that all lines of communication between Child Maintenance Group and customers present information to customers in the same way to reduce confusion.

There are also proposed changes to our online portal that surround explaining the calculation and explaining the payment plan to our customers, these changes are planned for Quarter 3 of the financial year.


Written Question
Independent Case Examiner
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that complaints to the Independent Case Examiner are being promptly investigated.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In the current financial year the Department provided additional funding to the Independent Case Examiner’s Office, to allow it to increase its headcount from 89 to 112. The recruitment and rigorous training of additional Investigation Case Mangers, to reduce the time complaints wait to be brought into investigation, is underway.


Written Question
Independent Case Examiner
Monday 11th January 2021

Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average length of time is between a complaint being accepted by the Independent Case Examiner and the case being allocated to a caseworker; and what the average length of time is between a case being accepted by the Independent Case Examiner and the complainant receiving an outcome.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

When the Independent Case Examiner’s Office accept a complaint for investigation, they will initially try to broker a solution between the complainant and the relevant department or supplier, without having to request evidence to inform an investigation – this is known as “resolution”. If it’s not possible to resolve the complaint, the evidence will be requested and the case will await allocation to an Investigation Case Manager (ICM). The cases that reach the Independent Case Examiner are the most complex and usually require investigation. Complainants are kept updated about the timings involved with their case and the vast majority are satisfied with the service they receive.

Based on the complaints that were allocated for investigation during the 2020 calendar year, the average length of wait between the complaint being accepted for examination and it being allocated to an Investigation Case Manager was 64.5 weeks.

During the 2020 calendar year, the average length of time between a case being accepted for examination by the Independent Case Examiner’s Office and the complainant receiving an outcome was 81.4 weeks (this total includes the 64.5 weeks average wait before being allocated to an Investigation Case Manager. It excludes those cases which are resolved without the need for a full investigation).

Whilst the Unit has received additional resource during the current financial year, to help reduce the time complaints wait to be brought into investigation, progress has been constrained by the effects of Covid, which included the redeployment of some staff, and the delay in recruitment of new staff.


Written Question
Children: Maintenance
Tuesday 19th May 2020

Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the statutory basis is for the Child Maintenance Service to accept only verbal evidence, without supporting documentation, in relation to changes to the paying parent’s financial circumstances.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

In these unprecedented times, we have seen a significant increase in the number of new claims to UC - it’s right that we look to streamline our operations, and ensure that people get the support they need. No one will get away with giving false information to avoid paying what they owe and all decisions carry rights of appeal, so either parent can dispute a decision.

Those found to be abusing the system at this difficult time will find themselves subject to the full extent of our enforcement powers – including prosecution through the courts.

The Government has been clear in its commitment to support families during this public health emergency and we have made a number changes to the welfare system to ensure people are receiving the support they need. These include increasing the standard rate of Universal Credit and working tax credit for this year by around £1000 per year. People who need money urgently continue to be able to access up to a month’s Universal Credit advance upfront by applying online. In addition, Statutory Sick Pay now applies from day one, rather than the fourth day of illness. In April, in response to Covid-19 we increased Local Housing Allowance rates for housing benefit and universal credit claimants to the 30th percentile of local rents, providing additional financial support for private renters. This significant investment of almost £1 billion, ensures over 1 million households will see an increase, on average, of £600 per year

Taken together, these measures represent an injection of over £6.5 billion into the welfare system and, along with the other job and business support programmes announced by the Chancellor, represent one of the most comprehensive packages of support introduced by an advanced economy in response to the coronavirus outbreak.


Written Question
Child Maintenance Service: Coronavirus
Tuesday 19th May 2020

Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has directed the Child Maintenance Service to introduce greater flexibility in relation to evidence requirements during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

In these unprecedented times, we have seen a significant increase in the number of new claims to UC - it’s right that we look to streamline our operations, and ensure that people get the support they need. No one will get away with giving false information to avoid paying what they owe and all decisions carry rights of appeal, so either parent can dispute a decision.

Those found to be abusing the system at this difficult time will find themselves subject to the full extent of our enforcement powers – including prosecution through the courts.

The Government has been clear in its commitment to support families during this public health emergency and we have made a number changes to the welfare system to ensure people are receiving the support they need. These include increasing the standard rate of Universal Credit and working tax credit for this year by around £1000 per year. People who need money urgently continue to be able to access up to a month’s Universal Credit advance upfront by applying online. In addition, Statutory Sick Pay now applies from day one, rather than the fourth day of illness. In April, in response to Covid-19 we increased Local Housing Allowance rates for housing benefit and universal credit claimants to the 30th percentile of local rents, providing additional financial support for private renters. This significant investment of almost £1 billion, ensures over 1 million households will see an increase, on average, of £600 per year

Taken together, these measures represent an injection of over £6.5 billion into the welfare system and, along with the other job and business support programmes announced by the Chancellor, represent one of the most comprehensive packages of support introduced by an advanced economy in response to the coronavirus outbreak.


Written Question
Children: Maintenance
Tuesday 19th May 2020

Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to provide support to single parents that have lost child maintenance payments as a result of the Child Maintenance Service accepting unsupported verbal assurances from the paying parent.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

In these unprecedented times, we have seen a significant increase in the number of new claims to UC - it’s right that we look to streamline our operations, and ensure that people get the support they need. No one will get away with giving false information to avoid paying what they owe and all decisions carry rights of appeal, so either parent can dispute a decision.

Those found to be abusing the system at this difficult time will find themselves subject to the full extent of our enforcement powers – including prosecution through the courts.

The Government has been clear in its commitment to support families during this public health emergency and we have made a number changes to the welfare system to ensure people are receiving the support they need. These include increasing the standard rate of Universal Credit and working tax credit for this year by around £1000 per year. People who need money urgently continue to be able to access up to a month’s Universal Credit advance upfront by applying online. In addition, Statutory Sick Pay now applies from day one, rather than the fourth day of illness. In April, in response to Covid-19 we increased Local Housing Allowance rates for housing benefit and universal credit claimants to the 30th percentile of local rents, providing additional financial support for private renters. This significant investment of almost £1 billion, ensures over 1 million households will see an increase, on average, of £600 per year

Taken together, these measures represent an injection of over £6.5 billion into the welfare system and, along with the other job and business support programmes announced by the Chancellor, represent one of the most comprehensive packages of support introduced by an advanced economy in response to the coronavirus outbreak.


Written Question
Small Businesses: Government Assistance
Friday 1st May 2020

Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how financial support provided to small businesses through the Small Business Grant Scheme will be classified for the purposes of applications for universal credit made by the owners of those businesses.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

During this difficult time for the country, we recognise the extreme disruption the necessary actions are having on people’s lives, their businesses, their jobs and the nation’s economy. And that’s why we have produced a huge and unprecedented programme of support both for workers and for business, and we’ll do everything we can to ensure people can pay their bills, stay in their home and put food on their table.


Written Question
Universal Credit: Yorkshire and the Humber
Wednesday 22nd January 2020

Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has been made of the effect of the roll out of universal credit on the number of people in employment in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber.

Answered by Will Quince

The Department successfully completed the rollout of Universal Credit in December 2018 and it is available in every Jobcentre across the country including those across the Haltemprice and Howden constituency and Yorkshire and the Humber. It is a modern, flexible, personalised system which has scrapped the ‘cliff edges’ featured across legacy benefits, where money was lost when working more than 16, 24 and 30 hours.

Universal Credit provides claimants with the support they need to better prepare for work, move into work, or to increase earnings. The Universal Credit Work Allowance has been increased by £1,000 and means that 2.4m households will keep an extra £630 of income each year.

The Department’s latest data for the Yorkshire and Humber region (to October 2019) shows there are over 200,000 more people in employment in the region compared with 2010.

The employment rate for the Haltemprice and Howden constituency for the year 2019 was 82.6% compared with 73.8% for the region of Yorkshire and the Humber overall. This can be compared to 2010 when the employment rate for the Haltemprice and Howden constituency was 79.2% compared with 68.9% for the region of Yorkshire and the Humber overall.


Written Question
Pension Credit
Tuesday 2nd July 2019

Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in receipt of pension credits in (a) the UK, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) Haltemprice and Howden constituency.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In November 2018, the number of people in receipt of Pension Credit in Great Britain, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Haltemprice and Howden constituency, can be found in the table below:

Number of Pension Credit recipients

Great Britain

1,642,874

Yorkshire and the Humber

148,940

Haltemprice and Howden constituency

1,788

The information is published and available at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk

Guidance for users is available at:

https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml


Written Question
Television Licences: Older People
Tuesday 2nd July 2019

Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how her Department plans to (a) work and (b) share data with the BBC to determine who will qualify for free TV licences.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

DCMS and DWP officials are in regular contact regarding the BBC’s decision on the future of the over 75’s licence fee concession. My officials have also had several meetings with the BBC to discuss their decision and further meetings are planned.