Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 targeted employment support for unemployed care leavers.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We recognise the challenges care leavers face as they move out of the care system and are working closely with Department for Education to ensure care leavers can access the right skills, opportunities, and wider support, to move towards sustained employment and career progression.
Under the new Youth Guarantee, all young people between 18-21 years will be able to access support to enter employment, education and training opportunities. This includes Care Leavers who we know are more likely than their peers to not be in education, employment or training and may benefit from more tailored support to support their transition as they leave the care provided by their Local Authority.
We are working closely with the Department for Education on the design of the Youth Guarantee, which is in the early stages of development. The Autumn Budget announced that we will establish eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazer areas to test new ways of supporting young people into employment, education or training, by bringing together and enhancing existing programmes in partnership with local areas. Further details will be set out in the up-coming ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper.
Meanwhile, care leavers who are in receipt of Universal Credit and available for work will continue to be supported by the DWP Youth Offer. This provides individually tailored work coach support to young people aged 16-24 who are in the Universal Credit Intensive Work Search group and can include access to specialist work coaches, for example the Youth Employability Coaches, which help address complex barriers to work, as well as the partnership led Youth Hub network.
We have also taken steps to improve the career opportunities of care leavers through government recruitment schemes such as the Civil Service Care Leaver Internship, the Social Mobility Apprenticeship Scheme and our ongoing partnership with Movement to Work. These are all designed to consider challenges disadvantaged young people face as they take their first steps on the career ladder.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when does his department expect to complete their review of alternative options for entry to Pension Protective Fund.
Answered by Laura Trott - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The Pension Protection Fund (Entry Rules) Regulations 2005[1] set out the criteria which a pension scheme must meet to be eligible for the Pension Protection Fund. There is currently no review of the Pension Protection Fund eligibility criteria.
A call for evidence was launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to support the development of innovative policy options which have the potential to offer more choices for defined benefit (DB) pension scheme sponsoring employers and trustees, increase protection for DB members and support wider economic initiatives. This closed on the 5 September
[1] The Pension Protection Fund (Entry Rules) Regulations 2005 (legislation.gov.uk)
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many unpaid carers have received support from the Household Support Fund since its launch.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
We do not collect this information. The published management information for the Household Support Fund covering the period 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 reports total grant allocation and spend, number of awards and the percentage spent on families with children, which relates to the condition that at least 50% of that grant be spent on families with children.
Household Support Fund management information: 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Management information for subsequent schemes will be published in due course.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent advice she has issued to staff in her Department on issuing foodbank vouchers.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
No recent advice has been issued to staff on issuing foodbank vouchers.
Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation. Service delivery staff may signpost claimants to support as appropriate.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the maximum amount claimable for childcare costs under Universal Credit compared with regional increases in the cost of childcare.
Answered by David Rutley
No such assessment has been made.
In Universal Credit, working families can claim up to 85%, increased from 70% in legacy benefits, of their eligible registered childcare costs each month regardless of the hours worked. This equates to a maximum support of £646.35 per month for one child and £1,108.04 per month for two or more children.
The current childcare offer is comprehensive, broad ranging and reflects different family circumstances, covering children over a range of ages. We believe that helping parents with their childcare costs is one of the best ways to help people into work, support families with the cost of living, and ensure every child has the opportunity of a high-quality early education.
The UC childcare policy aligns with the wider government childcare offer, which includes 15 hours per week free childcare for disadvantaged 2-year-olds and 3-&4-year-olds. This doubles to 30 hours per week free childcare for working parents of 3-&4-year-olds. The UC childcare element can be used to top up a claimant’s eligible free childcare hours if more hours are worked and childcare required. This offer means that for some claimants’ childcare costs should not present any barriers to entering work.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been affected by the underpayment of benefits after transitioning from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance in Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of assessing universal credit entitlement for working claimants who are paid by their employers (a) weekly, (b) fortnightly and (c) every four weeks based on a monthly equivalent of their earnings to prevent their entitlement being reduced if they receive more than one pay cheque in an assessment period.
Answered by David Rutley
Universal Credit is designed to top-up earnings from employment, adapting to changes in the amount of earnings received each month. The amount of Universal Credit paid each month will reflect, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household in that assessment period, including any earnings reported by the employer. As Universal Credit is paid monthly, those who are also paid their earnings on a monthly basis will normally get one payment in each assessment period. For those who are paid differently, such as four weekly, the frequency of their pay will impact on the amount of Universal Credit they will receive.
The Department has no plans to change either Universal Credit assessment periods or payment structures. They are fundamental parts of the design, reflecting payment patterns in the world of work where the majority of people are paid monthly. Ensuring similarities between paid employment and receiving benefits eliminates an important barrier which could prevent claimants from adjusting to paid employment.
Those who are paid four-weekly will normally get one payment in each assessment period and their Universal Credit will reflect the four weekly amount they are paid. For one assessment period a year, they will receive two four-weekly payments. This is because there are 12 assessment periods a year and those who are paid four-weekly will receive 13 payments a year. As their income rises in that assessment period, Universal Credit is reduced and this is in line with the long standing general principle of means-tested benefits. However, where the Universal Credit amount reduces in the assessment period where the household has received two payments of four-weekly earnings, they will still have the benefit of the higher income from their earnings.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
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 working claimants who are paid by their employers (a) weekly, (b) fortnightly and (c) every four weeks do not see their universal credit entitlement disrupted if they are paid twice during a given assessment period.
Answered by David Rutley
Universal Credit is designed to top-up earnings from employment, adapting to changes in the amount of earnings received each month. The amount of Universal Credit paid each month will reflect, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household in that assessment period, including any earnings reported by the employer. As Universal Credit is paid monthly, those who are also paid their earnings on a monthly basis will normally get one payment in each assessment period. For those who are paid differently, such as four weekly, the frequency of their pay will impact on the amount of Universal Credit they will receive.
The Department has no plans to change either Universal Credit assessment periods or payment structures. They are fundamental parts of the design, reflecting payment patterns in the world of work where the majority of people are paid monthly. Ensuring similarities between paid employment and receiving benefits eliminates an important barrier which could prevent claimants from adjusting to paid employment.
Those who are paid four-weekly will normally get one payment in each assessment period and their Universal Credit will reflect the four weekly amount they are paid. For one assessment period a year, they will receive two four-weekly payments. This is because there are 12 assessment periods a year and those who are paid four-weekly will receive 13 payments a year. As their income rises in that assessment period, Universal Credit is reduced and this is in line with the long standing general principle of means-tested benefits. However, where the Universal Credit amount reduces in the assessment period where the household has received two payments of four-weekly earnings, they will still have the benefit of the higher income from their earnings.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of reductions in universal credit entitlement for working claimants who are paid by their employers on a (a) weekly, (b) fortnightly and (c) four-weekly basis.
Answered by David Rutley
Universal Credit is designed to top-up earnings from employment, adapting to changes in the amount of earnings received each month. The amount of Universal Credit paid each month will reflect, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household in that assessment period, including any earnings reported by the employer. As Universal Credit is paid monthly, those who are also paid their earnings on a monthly basis will normally get one payment in each assessment period. For those who are paid differently, such as four weekly, the frequency of their pay will impact on the amount of Universal Credit they will receive.
The Department has no plans to change either Universal Credit assessment periods or payment structures. They are fundamental parts of the design, reflecting payment patterns in the world of work where the majority of people are paid monthly. Ensuring similarities between paid employment and receiving benefits eliminates an important barrier which could prevent claimants from adjusting to paid employment.
Those who are paid four-weekly will normally get one payment in each assessment period and their Universal Credit will reflect the four weekly amount they are paid. For one assessment period a year, they will receive two four-weekly payments. This is because there are 12 assessment periods a year and those who are paid four-weekly will receive 13 payments a year. As their income rises in that assessment period, Universal Credit is reduced and this is in line with the long standing general principle of means-tested benefits. However, where the Universal Credit amount reduces in the assessment period where the household has received two payments of four-weekly earnings, they will still have the benefit of the higher income from their earnings.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her oral contribution of 8 November 2021, Official Report, column 8, how the Harrogate pilot informed the Government's plan on resuming the managed migration to universal credit.
Answered by David Rutley
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 1st November to question number 64687.