Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has plans to undertake a public consultation on changing the sequence by which deductions from benefits are ordered to ensure that child maintenance payments take priority over debts to private companies.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Under Universal Credit there is a structured approach to deductions from benefit, which simplifies the current complex arrangements of the legacy system.
The aims of the deductions policy in Universal Credit are to protect vulnerable claimants by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of essential services, to enforce social obligations and to recover Government debt in a cost effective manner.
Deductions are made following the priority order, which determines the order in which items should be deducted. ‘Last resort’ deductions, such as rent or fuel costs, are at the top of the priority order, ensuring that claimant welfare is prioritised, followed by social obligation deductions, such as child maintenance, and finally benefit debt, such as Social Fund loans and benefit overpayments.
We prioritise the welfare of claimants, as this is the best way to support them and to help them to move towards work and off benefits.
The Deduction Priority Order can be found here (p. 72) - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/683470/benefit-overpayment-recovery-guide.pdf
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many UC50 forms were issued by her Department to residents of Bristol South constituency between the June 2018 and December 2018.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This information is not readily available at constituency level and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many ESA50 forms were issued by her Department to residents of Bristol South constituency between June 2017 and December 2017.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The requested information is not readily available to constituency level and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many UC50 forms were returned to her Department by residents of Bristol South constituency between June 2018 and December 2018.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This information is not readily available at constituency level and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many ESA50 forms were returned to her Department by residents of Bristol South constituency between June 2017 and December 2017.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The requested information is not readily available to constituency level and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance joint claimant cases there are where both claimants have an underlying entitlement to severe disability premium.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A person would have to satisfy the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) qualifying conditions to be entitled to it.
There are no ‘joint claims’ in income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA(IR)). Where a couple wishes to claim ESA(IR), they will need to decide which of them will be the ‘lead’ claimant, and claim on their partner’s behalf.
Only the lead claimant has entitlement to a SDP. In couple cases, the SDP is not payable if the lead claimant does not meet the qualifying conditions, even if their partner does.
The SDP is payable at the single rate where only the lead claimant meets the qualifying conditions. The couple rate is payable where both members of the couple meet the qualifying conditions – but only the lead claimant is entitled to it.
In November 2018 there were 9,500 live couple cases of ESA(IR) where the lead claimant was in receipt of a SDP at the couple rate.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, since January 2019 how many universal credit claimants who had an underlying entitlement to severe disability premium (SDP) have not been able to claim employment and support allowance (ESA) following the death of a partner who was the lead claimant in a previous joint ESA claim and who also had entitlement to SDP.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Since the introduction of The Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (SDP Gateway) Amendment Regulations 2019, which came into force on 16th January 2019, claimants who are entitled, or have been within the last month, to an award of an existing benefit that includes Severe Disability Premium (SDP) have not been able to claim Universal Credit; even if they have experienced a relevant change in their circumstances, such as a partner’s death. These claimants continue to be able to maintain, or make, a claim to legacy benefits.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit claimants have had money deducted as a result of (a) council tax arrears, (b) rent arrears and (c) historical tax credit debt.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The latest available data is for eligible claims to Universal Credit Full Service that were eligible for payment in February 2019.
Of these claims:
- 2% (34,000 claims) had a deduction for council tax arrears
- 6% (83,000 claims) had a deduction for rent arrears
- 17% (255,000 claims) had a deduction for tax credit overpayments
Notes:
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many ESA50 forms were returned to her Department by residents of Bristol South constituency in each month from June to November 2017.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many ESA50 forms were issued by her Department to residents of Bristol South constituency in each month from June to November 2017.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.