Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his Department's policy to accept data protection forms relating to queries arising from hon. Members' casework by email.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
DWP current email policy states “this policy does not change existing rules on communications with Members of Parliament (MPs) and when responding to customer complaints (handled by the Independent Case Examiner) where the MP or complainant has requested a response by email”.
A Member is the data controller for all personal data handled by their own office and must be registered with the Information Commissioners Office in accordance with the following guidance.
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/advice-for-members-offices.pdf
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason personal independence payment claimants resident in North Wales who require a Capita assessment are given the option of attending clinics only in Cardiff and Swansea.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Capita offer all claimants in North Wales the opportunity to have the assessment conducted within their own home. Those claimants who wish to attend a clinic appointment are offered the nearest centre, which may include Cardiff and/or Swansea. Claimants are reimbursed their travel expenses.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many local authorities in (a) Wales and (b) the UK returned unused discretionary housing payment to his Department in 2013-14.
Answered by Steve Webb
In 2013-14, 240 local authorities in Great Britain spent less than 100% of their total Government contribution in DHP, of which 5 were in Wales. Thirteen local authorities, of which two were in Wales, reported expenditure which exactly matched their Government contribution.
In June, the Government published an analysis of local authority DHP expenditure in 2013-14, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322455/use-of-discretionary-housing-payments-june-2014.pdf
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much each local authority in (a) Wales and (b) the UK returned to his Department in unused discretionary housing payment funding in 2013-14.
Answered by Steve Webb
Five local authorities in Wales spent less than their 2013-14 Government contribution in Discretionary Housing Payments. These were:
Local Authority Government Contribution Amount Unspent
Ceredigion | £324,933 | £290 |
Conwy | £267,700 | £1,498 |
Gwynedd | £605,141 | £20,072 |
Newport | £343,870 | £1 |
Pembrokeshire | £193,940 | £4,176 |
Details for all 240 local authorities in Great Britain which spent less than their 2013-14 Government contribution in DHP are provided in the attached annex.
For the remaining 140 local authorities across Great Britain, of which 17 were in Wales, DHP expenditure in 2013-14 either matched or exceeded the Government contribution.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many local authorities in (a) Wales and (b) the UK returned unused discretionary housing payment to his Department in 2013-14.
Answered by Steve Webb
In 2013-14, 240 local authorities in Great Britain spent less than 100% of their total Government contribution in DHP, of which 5 were in Wales. Thirteen local authorities, of which two were in Wales, reported expenditure which exactly matched their Government contribution.
In June, the Government published an analysis of local authority DHP expenditure in 2013-14, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322455/use-of-discretionary-housing-payments-june-2014.pdf
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much each local authority in (a) Wales and (b) the UK returned to his Department in unused discretionary housing payment funding in 2013-14.
Answered by Steve Webb
Five local authorities in Wales spent less than their 2013-14 Government contribution in Discretionary Housing Payments. These were:
Local Authority Government Contribution Amount Unspent
Ceredigion | £324,933 | £290 |
Conwy | £267,700 | £1,498 |
Gwynedd | £605,141 | £20,072 |
Newport | £343,870 | £1 |
Pembrokeshire | £193,940 | £4,176 |
Details for all 240 local authorities in Great Britain which spent less than their 2013-14 Government contribution in DHP are provided in the attached annex.
For the remaining 140 local authorities across Great Britain, of which 17 were in Wales, DHP expenditure in 2013-14 either matched or exceeded the Government contribution.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many companies (a) expressed an interest in and (b) tendered for the Help to Work scheme in Wales.
Answered by Esther McVey
DWP received expressions of interest from three organisations and three organisations tendered for the Community Work Placement (Help to Work) contract in Wales.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much each local authority in (a) Wales and (b) the UK returned to his Department in unused discretionary housing payment funding in 2013-14.
Answered by Steve Webb
The information requested is due to be published shortly as part of wider analysis on the use of Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) in 2013/14.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many local authorities in (a) Wales and (b) the UK returned unused discretionary housing payment to his Department in 2013-14.
Answered by Steve Webb
The information requested is due to be published shortly as part of wider analysis on the use of Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) in 2013/14.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to expand the PAYE reporting in real time to Child Support Agency claims.
Answered by Steve Webb
Since 25 November 2013, all new applications for child maintenance are made to the 2012 Scheme, which is run by the Child Maintenance Service. The Child Support Agency (CSA), which administers the 1993 and 2003 Schemes, is now closed to new applications and there are plans in place to gradually end liabilities on these schemes over a three year period starting this summer.
Unlike 1993 and 2003 Scheme cases, 2012 Scheme maintenance calculations are based on historic data supplied by interfaces with HMRC and Jobcentre Plus IT systems. In the vast majority of applications these interfaces return information to allow a calculation to be made. This is reviewed on an annual basis or where there are in-year changes of at least a 25 per cent change in the level of income. This simplified approach provides parents with greater certainty over the level of maintenance payable. In instances where HMRC information is not available our process involves gathering current income information from the paying parent or employer. It is for these 2012 Scheme cases that we are currently exploring opportunities to access and use real time earnings information.