Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to ensure maximum uptake of pension credits in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is important to highlight that there are over 1.6 million people already claiming some £5.4 billion in Pension Credit but the Government wants to ensure that all pensioners eligible can claim the Pension Credit to which they are rightly entitled. In Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk there are around 2,600 pensioners already claiming Pension Credit.
On a national basis the DWP targets activity on engaging with people who may be eligible to benefits at pivotal stages, such as when they claim State Pension or report a change in their circumstances. The DWP uses a wide range of channels to communicate information about benefits to potential customers; including information on https://gov.uk/, in leaflets and by telephone. DWP staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide help and advice about entitlement to benefits, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit.
Potential customers can use the Pension Credit Calculator https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator to check if they are likely to be eligible and get an estimate of what they may receive. People wishing to claim Pension Credit can do so by calling the Freephone number 0800 99 1234.
We welcome and encourage initiatives to promote take up of Pension Credit by local organisations who may often be best placed to understand the local circumstances and needs in the community. To help facilitate this, we have developed the Pension Credit toolkit, as an on-line tool for agencies and welfare rights organisations to use in order to encourage Pension Credit take-up. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pension-credit-toolkit
The toolkit contains resources for anyone working with pensioners and includes guides to Pension Credit. It also contains publicity material and guidance designed to help older people understand how they could get Pension Credit and help organisations support someone applying for Pension Credit as well as ideas for encouraging take-up. The toolkit also provides links to information about disability and carers benefits.
Most recently we have provided to relevant stakeholders a fact sheet about Pension Credit and the changes introduced on 15 May for mixed age couples to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make automatic payment of the housing cost element of universal credit directly to the landlord.
Answered by Will Quince
Universal Credit payments are designed to mirror the world of work, with monthly payments reflecting the way many working people are paid. This model of monthly payments allows claimants to take responsibility for budgeting their own income and helps prepare them for getting back to work.
Many claimants are capable of managing their own financial affairs and for these claimants a Managed Payment to Landlords (MPTL) is not appropriate.
A claimant’s personal circumstances could change in a way which means that they need additional support at any stage of a claim, not just at the start. As such, we make sure that managed payments to landlords (MPTL) are available to Universal Credit claimants when appropriate, either from the start of their claim or at whatever point in which they need help.
A MPTL can be requested by the claimant, their representative or their landlord and will be considered on a case by case basis and requests for MPTLs are dealt with as a priority. Landlords who are given access to the Landlord Portal are also given Trusted Partner status which allows them to make recommendations on whether an MPTL should be put in place. All MPTL recommendations from Trusted Partners will be implemented in good faith by DWP.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk received winter fuel payments in each of the last five winter periods; and what the annual cost of winter fuel payments in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk was in each of the last five years.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Figures for the number of Winter Fuel Payment recipients in the Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk constituency are given in the table below.
2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 |
25,020 | 24,760 | 24,460 | 24,150 | 23,770 |
Figures for the annual cost of Winter Fuel Payment from the past five winters is not available at constituency level.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk received cold weather payments in each of the last five winter periods; and what the annual cost of cold weather payments in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk was in each of the last five years.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Cold Weather Payment scheme is administered at weather station level rather than any other standard GB geography such as constituency level. The coverage area for each weather station is determined by the Met Office which assesses the most appropriate weather station for each postcode area. Cold weather payments are triggered when the average temperature recorded at the weather station has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0oC or below over seven consecutive days, during the Cold Weather season (November to March).
The constituency of Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk covers all or part of the following postcode areas: DG14, EH37, EH38, EH43 and TD1-15.
The above postcode areas are covered by four weather stations: Charterhall, Edinburgh Gogarbank, Eskdalemuir and Salsburgh. Qualifying individuals living in this area will have received a payment in respect of a seven-day period of Cold Weather, as shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Estimated number of Cold Weather Payment recipients, by year and weather station | |||||
Weather station | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 |
Charterhall | 0 | 0 | 6,000 | 0 | 6,0001 |
Edinburgh Gogarbank | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72,0001 |
Eskdalemuir | 0 | 5,0001 | 5,000 | 0 | 5,0003 |
Salsburgh | 0 | 19,0001 | 35,000 | 0 | 34,0002 |
1 There were two triggers at this weather station; recipients will have received two payments in that year. 2 There were four triggers at this weather station; recipients will have received four payments in that year. 3 There were five triggers at this weather station; recipients will have received five payments in that year. | |||||
Estimated expenditure for Cold Weather Payment recipients covered by Charterhall, Edinburgh Gogarbank, Eskdalemuir and Salsburgh weather stations can be seen in Table 2, along with the annual total for the four weather stations.
Table 2 Estimated Expenditure of Cold Weather Payments, by year and weather station | |||||
Weather station | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 |
Charterhall | £0.0m | £0.0m | £0.1m | £0.0m | £0.3m |
Edinburgh Gogarbank | £0.0m | £0.0m | £0.0m | £0.0m | £3.6m |
Eskdalemuir | £0.0m | £0.2m | £0.1m | £0.0m | £0.6m |
Salsburgh | £0.0m | £0.9m | £0.9m | £0.0m | £3.4m |
Total | £0.0m | £1.1m | £1.1m | £0.0m | £7.9m |
| |||||
Charterhall, Edinburgh Gogarbank, Eskdalemuir and Salsburgh weather stations cover the following postcode areas, in Table 3, which include constituencies other than Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk. We estimate that 313,000 payments to 117,000 recipients, totalling £7.9 million expenditure, were made in this area as a whole in respect of the triggers in 2017/18. We are not able to break this figure down to a lower level.
Table 3 Postcode sectors mapped to Weather Stations | |
Weather station | Postcode Sectors Covered |
Charterhall | NE71, TD1-6, TD8, TD10-15. |
Edinburgh Gogarbank | EH1-42, EH47-49, EH51-55, FK1-7, FK9-10, KY3, KY11-12. |
Eskdalemuir | DG3-4, DG10-11, DG13-14, ML12, TD7, TD9. |
Salsburgh | EH43-46, G65, G67-68, ML1-3, ML6-11. |
Notes
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/social-fund-cold-weather-payments
https://www.gov.uk/cold-weather-payment/eligibility
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the merits of changing disability living allowance and personal independence payments to enable young cancer patients to get payments backdated from the day of diagnosis.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Other than for those who are terminally ill, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability rather than a diagnosis. Primary legislation sets out that a claimant cannot be entitled to DLA or PIP for any period prior to the date of claim.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will extend the Special Rules for Terminal Illness process for personal independence payments to include people with unpredictable terminal illnesses such as Motor Neurone Disease.
Answered by Sarah Newton
As for the entitlement conditions generally, the special rules for terminal illness in Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are not condition-based. At the end of October 2018, there were 751 claimants with Motor Neurone Disease in receipt of PIP under the special rules for terminal illness.
I have met with the Honourable Member for Bridgend, Madeleine Moon MP, the Chair of the All-Party Group on Motor Neurone Disease on a number of occasions, and will continue to work with her alongside other stakeholders.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of (a) how widespread social exclusion is in rural areas and (b) the effect of her Department’s policies on social exclusion in rural areas.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Through the evidence gathered in the 2017-18 Community Life Survey in England, indicators linked to social exclusion do not show a significant difference between urban and rural areas. Adults living in rural areas are less likely to say that they feel they often/always feel lonely than people living in urban areas (3% compared with 6%). In addition, adults living in rural areas are more likely to say they feel they belong to their immediate neighbourhood (68%) than those living in urban areas (61%).
The cross-government team on tackling loneliness are working with colleagues in the Devolved Administrations to ensure our work is complementary and to share insights and learn from one another.
In its response to a House of Lords’ report on the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act in May 2018, the government reiterated its commitment to rural proofing all policies from the earliest stages so that they take account of the needs and circumstances of rural areas. Defra supports this through the provision of guidance and statistical information.
DWP undertakes analytical research through a range of trials and proof of concept, which considers claimants in rural and urban settings. To ensure DWP services are relevant to the needs of the individual and locality, JCP staff monitor local developments, with a focus on overcoming barriers to gain employment. Where there is a perceived gap, the Flexible Support Fund can be used to provide additional financial support.
In delivering a personalised service, claimant needs are taken into account when arranging any attendance. Work coaches personalise the support they provide for each claimant based on individual need and circumstance, including the offer of home visits or postal signing where appropriate.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the level of social exclusion is in rural areas; and what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department’s policies on social exclusion in rural areas.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Through the evidence gathered in the 2017-18 Community Life Survey in England, indicators linked to social exclusion do not show a significant difference between urban and rural areas. Adults living in rural areas are less likely to say that they feel they often/always feel lonely than people living in urban areas (3% compared with 6%). In addition, adults living in rural areas are more likely to say they feel they belong to their immediate neighbourhood (68%) than those living in urban areas (61%).
The cross-government team on tackling loneliness are working with colleagues in the Devolved Administrations to ensure our work is complementary and to share insights and learn from one another.
In its response to a House of Lords’ report on the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act in May 2018, the government reiterated its commitment to rural proofing all policies from the earliest stages so that they take account of the needs and circumstances of rural areas. Defra supports this through the provision of guidance and statistical information.
DWP undertakes analytical research through a range of trials and proof of concept, which considers claimants in rural and urban settings. To ensure DWP services are relevant to the needs of the individual and locality, JCP staff monitor local developments, with a focus on overcoming barriers to gain employment. Where there is a perceived gap, the Flexible Support Fund can be used to provide additional financial support.
In delivering a personalised service, claimant needs are taken into account when arranging any attendance. Work coaches personalise the support they provide for each claimant based on individual need and circumstance, including the offer of home visits or postal signing where appropriate.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the status is of his Department's proposal to move the Galashiels Jobcentre.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
We announced on 5 July that this jobcentre’s staff and services were to relocate to a new DWP office: this plan has now changed. We are still progressing the options to locate a new office, so our staff and services will be staying in the current location for a period of at least 12 months whilst we conclude this activity.