Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with trade unions on the reopening of job centres in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Jobcentres have remained open to support our most vulnerable claimants throughout this pandemic, providing a service, in accordance with PHE and Devolved Government guidelines on social distancing, to vulnerable claimants unable to access our services through digital/telephony channels.
We are currently completing a programme of implementing safety measures, including provision of screens and signage, across our Jobcentres allowing us to extend our face to face service. We remain open for those who need us but will continue to minimise the requirement for customers to travel to our Jobcentres, conducting the majority of interactions digitally or by phone.
The department has widely discussed plans to extend our face to face service with Trade Union at National, Regional and local levels
We have been in regular dialogue with the unions on the reopening of Jobcentres nationally over the last few weeks. We held a meeting with DTUS on plans for Scotland on Monday 13th July. This was at short notice in response to TU concerns that this was being pursued without proper consultation.
We then wrote to DTUS on 15th July with further detail on planning for the roll-out in both Scotland and Wales. We continue to meet with DTUS twice weekly so there is a regular opportunity for further discussion where needed.
Please note that the DWP is only responsible for benefits in Great Britain. Social security benefits are a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. Questions about benefits in Northern Ireland should be directed to the Department of Communities in Northern Ireland
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the job finding support service referred to in paragraph 2.19 of the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs, published on 8 July 2020, will be provided by (a) current work coaches or (b) put out to tender.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Work and Pensions plans to carry out a commercial exercise, compliant with public procurement regulations. More details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will bring forward proposals to increase financial support for key workers who need to self-isolate due to showing covid-19 symptoms.
Answered by Will Quince
As part of the Government’s strategy to support people affected by COVID 19, DWP has made a number of changes to make sure people can self-isolate, and to ensure people who need financial help have access to the benefit system.
We have increased the Universal Credit standard allowance by £20 per week for the next 12 months – up to £1,040 this year. This is in addition to the 1.7% inflation increase (announced Nov 2019) as part of the Government’s decision to end the benefits freeze and means more financial support for millions of people across the UK.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
What recent discussions she has had with the Health and Safety Executive on ensuring that workplaces are safe to return to after the covid-19 lockdown has ended.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
HSE are working across Government and both the Secretary of State and I have had regular meetings with senior officials from the HSE to assess the ways in which the Department can support the important work HSE is doing in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will extend deadlines for social security claimants to (a) ensure that claims are not stopped during the covid-19 outbreak and (b) ease the pressure on the NHS from claimants seeking evidence to support claims.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of the Government’s strategy to support people affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency, DWP is making a number of changes to its benefit processes to ensure people who need financial help have appropriate access to the welfare system. This includes claimants being able to claim Universal Credit and access its new claim advance payments where they are directly affected by COVID-19 (or self-isolating), without the requirement to attend a Jobcentre. Any evidence to support claims can be provided remotely, normally online or by telephone.
To avoid increasing the burden on health care professionals and the risk of further infection, everyone that claims Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or UC, and who is infected with COVID-19 or who is required to self-isolate, will be treated as having Limited Capability for Work in ESA and UC without supplying medical evidence or undergoing a Work Capability Assessment.
In addition, to better support the needs of people (particularly the self-employed and those not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay) and/or not entitled to UC, we are removing the seven waiting days that currently apply to ESA. This means that everyone who makes a new claim for ESA is entitled to the benefit, and is infected with COVID-19 or required to self-isolate, will be paid from day one of their claim.
Government officials continue to work closely together to understand the potential impacts of COVID-19 on employment and benefits. The Department has introduced new guidance about claiming benefits which can be found at: https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/coronavirus/
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will introduce a target for the uptake of pension credit to help ensure that all pensioners eligible to claim pension credit receive it.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is important to highlight that in 2017/18 there were around 1.7 million Pension Credit claimants, receiving around £5.1 billion of Pension Credit payments.
The Government wants to make sure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are entitled. That is why on the 10 February we launched a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit. The aim of the campaign is to encourage those over State Pension age to check whether they’re eligible. We want to make it clear that having savings, a pension or owning a home are not automatic barriers to receiving Pension Credit; as well as explaining that even a small award of Pension Credit can provide access to a range of other benefits such as help with rent, council tax reduction schemes and heating costs.
The campaign includes a short, animated video that is being shown in GP waiting rooms and in Post Offices. It is also being shown to Facebook users over State Pension age and supported by other messaging on social media. We have also made the video and campaign materials available for stakeholders to use, as we know they are often one of the first places people turn to for information about Pension Credit.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of the number of eligible pensioners in (a) Easington constituency and (b) the UK not in receipt of pension credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is important to highlight that in 2017/18 there were around 1.7 million Pension Credit claimants, amounting to around £5.1 billion of Pension Credit payments. The Government is committed to making sure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled.
The information requested on the number of people eligible for Pension Credit who are not in receipt of the benefit in (a) Easington Constituency and (b) the UK, is only available at the Great Britain level. The most recent estimate of this is for the period of 2017/18.
Year | Estimated number of Entitled Non-Recipients in Thousands | Range in Thousands |
2017/18 | 1,060 | 970 - 1,150 |
Official statistics on the take-up of income-related benefits at Great Britain level, including Pension Credit, can be found in the ‘Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up in 2017 to 2018’ publication.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will commission television advertising to promote the Pension Credit: Are You Eligible? public information promotional video.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is important to highlight that in 2017/18 there were around 1.7 million Pension Credit claimants, receiving around £5.1 billion of Pension Credit payments.
The Government wants to make sure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are entitled. That is why on the 10 February we launched a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit. The aim of the campaign is to encourage those over State Pension age to check whether they’re eligible. We want to make it clear that having savings, a pension or owning a home are not automatic barriers to receiving Pension Credit; as well as explaining that even a small award of Pension Credit can provide access to a range of other benefits such as help with rent, council tax reduction schemes and heating costs.
The campaign includes a short, animated video that is being shown in GP waiting rooms and in Post Offices. It is also being shown to Facebook users over State Pension age and supported by other messaging on social media. We have also made the video and campaign materials available for stakeholders to use, as we know they are often one of the first places people turn to for information about Pension Credit.