Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have (a) had their motability cars removed before a personal independence payments appeal hearing and (b) subsequently had their entitlement reinstated post-appeal in the Garston and Halewood constituency in each year since April 2013.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The two respective parts of this question are being interpreted as referring to cases in the Garston and Halewood constituency, since April 2013, where individuals experienced the following sequence of events:
a) The number of individuals in receipt of the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and specifically using this for the Motability Scheme, that then underwent a Reassessment from DLA to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) where their PIP initial decision did not award them the enhanced rate mobility component, which therefore meant they were no longer eligible for the Motability Scheme.
b) The number of individuals from Part A that subsequently proceeded to lodge an appeal against the initial decision made at their Reassessment, and upon completing the appeal they saw the decision overturned where the post-appeal PIP award specifically included the enhanced rate mobility component, thus seeing them once again entitled to the Motability Scheme.
Information on the number of these cases could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
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 young people with SEND who are (a) in full-time further education and (b) aged 20 or above have sufficient financial support to complete their studies.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Education will be investing over £700 million in additional high needs funding to support young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in education. This represents an increase of over 11% on the funding available this year, bringing the total high needs funding budget to over £7 billion.
Every local authority will see a minimum increase of 8% per head of 2 to 18 population to their high needs funding. The Department for Education will provide provisional allocations for individual local authorities in October.
A disabled student determined to have Limited Capability for Work (Work Related Activity Group) or Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (Support Group), in receipt of PIP/DLA, who has moved from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit following a change in circumstances, with no break in their claim will meet the criteria to receive Universal Credit.
A person requiring financial support is able to claim Universal Credit alongside their PIP/DLA payments.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support her Department provides to claimants of personal independence payments who have had their motability car removed pending appeal and who need to travel to hospital appointments.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Motability allow eligible claimants who joined the Scheme before 2014 to opt to extend their lease for 26 weeks after the DLA payments end (or until a decision on their appeal is heard) and receive a smaller lump sum payment.
The NHS are responsible for considering costs relating to travel for hospital appointments under the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. This is for people in receipt of a qualifying benefit or who have a low income.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people received the enhanced mobility rate of personal independence payments after a successful appeal in the Garston and Halewood constituency in each year since April 2013.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Information on the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) cases in the Garston and Halewood constituency since April 2013 that saw that their mobility award, upon an appeal being cleared, ‘increased up to the enhanced mobility rate’ could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what alternative financial provision his Department has made available for young people with SEND who are (a) in full-time further education and (b) aged 20 or above and no longer have access to non-contributory employment and support allowance.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A disabled student determined to have Limited Capability for Work (Work Related Activity Group) or Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (Support Group), in receipt of PIP/DLA, who has moved from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit following a change in circumstances, with no break in their claim will meet the criteria to receive Universal Credit.
A person requiring financial support is able to claim Universal Credit alongside their PIP/DLA payments.
The following special points should be noted:
When claimants are undertaking education/training while claiming UC, their conditionality will depend on their circumstances and the labour market regime they are placed in. For example:
Regulation 12(4) of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 provides that a person, as described, is not treated as receiving education if the course is considered to be compatible with any work related requirements which the Secretary of State places upon them.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2018 to Question 182114 on Universal Credit, what definition of genuine hardship is used by her Department to determine whether exceptional circumstances apply to a claim for an advance payment of (a) legacy benefits, (b) personal independence payment and (c) universal credit.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Advances are available to those receiving Universal Credit, DWP legacy income related benefits (such as Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance), and Pension Credit.
However, advances are not available for those receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment (which are non means tested and for people with personal care and/or mobility needs because of a mental or physical disability).
There is no prescriptive definition of hardship used in determining an advance award in Universal Credit, or a Short Term Benefit Advance for DWP legacy income related benefits: we tailor the support that we provide and consider each case on its own merits given the financial and other circumstances of the claimant and their immediate family.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how exceptional circumstances is defined when determining whether a universal credit claimant in receipt of a universal credit advance payment is eligible for the three-month discretionary period after the first universal credit instalment before repayments of that advance begin.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The maximum value of an advance payment of Universal Credit is the claimant’s standard allowance plus any additional amounts to provide for extra needs such as housing, children or disability, up to 100% of the claimant’s indicative award and can be repaid over 12 months.
There is not a prescriptive list of exceptional circumstances to allow the deferral of the advance repayment. Consideration is given to whether the household would face genuine hardship.
During the recovery of the advance, exceptional circumstances may occur that were not foreseen when the advance was taken out. For example hospital visits resulting in unexpected and regular bus/taxi fares. If these circumstances push the claimant into genuine hardship resulting in difficulty repaying the advance over the agreed recovery time, a maximum 3 month deferral can be considered. Full recovery must currently be made within 12 months. However, from October 2021, the recovery period for advances will increase from 12 to 16 months.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria her Department uses to calculate the value of an advance under universal credit provided to claimants awaiting their first universal credit instalment.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The maximum value of an advance payment of Universal Credit is the claimant’s standard allowance plus any additional amounts to provide for extra needs such as housing, children or disability, up to 100% of the claimant’s indicative award and can be repaid over 12 months.
There is not a prescriptive list of exceptional circumstances to allow the deferral of the advance repayment. Consideration is given to whether the household would face genuine hardship.
During the recovery of the advance, exceptional circumstances may occur that were not foreseen when the advance was taken out. For example hospital visits resulting in unexpected and regular bus/taxi fares. If these circumstances push the claimant into genuine hardship resulting in difficulty repaying the advance over the agreed recovery time, a maximum 3 month deferral can be considered. Full recovery must currently be made within 12 months. However, from October 2021, the recovery period for advances will increase from 12 to 16 months.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of (a) legacy benefits, (b) personal independence payment and (c) universal credit in the Garston and Halewood constituency have been given an advance benefit payment to cover a delay in the receipt of their benefit instalments in the last 12 months.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Advances are available in legacy benefits and Universal Credit to help claimants ahead of their first benefit payment. The number of advances made for claimants in the Garston and Halewood constituency is not readily available and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Our latest internal management information data as of July 2018 shows that, nationally, over 60% of new claims currently receive either a ‘New Claim’ or ‘Benefit Transfer’ advance which shows claimants are getting the support they need.
There is no provision for advance payments when applying for Personal Independence Payment, as entitlement has to be established first.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with housing associations in South Liverpool on the potential effect of the introduction of universal credit on tenants' ability to make rental payments.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We work extensively with stakeholders, including housing associations in South Liverpool, to support Universal Credit claimants to pay their rent. Several Liverpool based housing associations are enrolled as Trusted Partners on the Landlord Portal, including Riverside Housing which took part in the Trusted Partner Pilot, and which was one of the first housing associations to enrol on the Landlord Portal. Jobcentres in Liverpool have been working closely with a wide range of partners including Registered Social Landlords throughout the preparation and delivery stages of Universal Credit, to help tenants and identify areas where further support may be required.
The best way to ensure people pay their rent is to help them into work. Under Universal Credit, people are moving into work faster and staying in work longer than under the previous system. The changes announced as part of the £1.5bn package of improvements in the Autumn 2017 Budget support claimants during the first assessment period to prevent them from falling into arrears while their claim is assessed.