Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2024 to Question 12735 on Personal Independence Payments, if he will take steps to reduce the median wait for award review decisions.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are aware that many claimants are waiting a long time for their award review.
Due to competing priorities and limited resources, we are currently prioritising getting new claims into payment as quickly as possible to ensure financial support is provided for those who need it.
Most award review decisions are now made without the need for an assessment by a Healthcare Professional, where we have sufficient information, which helps to reduce the time taken to process many cases.
For those waiting for a review, we keep them informed and continue to extend awards where necessary, to ensure claims remain in payment. This also ensures continuity of entitlement to Motability vehicles and blue badges for those who need it.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the average wait for a Personal Independence Payment review decision.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We make every effort to conduct award reviews as soon as possible. Most decisions are made without the need for an assessment by a Healthcare Professional.
Where the claimant requests a review of their Personal Independence Payment award, the median wait is 69 working days as of September 2024. Where the review is initiated by the department, the median wait for a decision that is referred to an assessment provider is 290 working days as of September 2024, and 252 days where it is not referred to an assessment provider.
Whilst reviews are outstanding, all payments to existing claimants continue. Should a review identify eligibility for an increased award, backdated payments will be made where appropriate to ensure claimants are not adversely impacted by delays.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to (a) advise claimants migrating to Universal Credit from legacy benefits to check whether their eligibility for NHS Help with Health Costs will change and (b) include this advice in migration letters.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Jobcentre staff recognise that not all customers are aware of other financial help they may be entitled to. In such cases staff will signpost customers to online financial support.
We do not have plans to include this advice in migration letters. User research suggests that customers can feel overwhelmed with the volume of information in the migration notice, so we are careful about how much we include, focusing on the most relevant information and signpost people to services to support them with making their claim.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will take steps to improve the capacity of local authorities to administer the Household Support Fund.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Since October 2021, over £2.9 billion has been allocated to Local Authorities (LAs) in England to support those most in need through the Household Support Fund (HSF).
LAs have the discretion to design their own local schemes within the parameters of the guidance and grant determination that the Department for Work and Pensions have set out for the fund. This is because they have the ties and the knowledge to best determine how support should be provided in their local communities.
We understand that improving how local government is funded is crucial to enabling councils to deliver support to their residents and ensuring we can deliver our missions. We will provide councils with more stability and certainty through multi-year funding settlements and by ending wasteful competitive bidding. This will ensure councils can plan their finances for the future properly, delivering better value for money for taxpayers.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number and proportion of households where income does not meet essential spending in Newcastle East and Wallsend constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No such assessment has been made.
Statistics on the number of people living in low income households in the UK at a regional level are published annually in the Households Below Average Income statistics publication, available here: Households below average income (HBAI) statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). These are on a before and after housing costs basis and include measures of material deprivation.
The numbers of children living in low income families before housing costs by constituency are published annually in the Children in Low Income Families Publication, available here: Childrenin low income families: local area statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty, but too many people are being denied the security and dignity that comes with being in good work.
The Get Britain Working White Paper, to be set out in the Autumn, will develop measures to reduce inactivity and help people to find better paid and more secure jobs.
For those most in need, an additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund in England until 31 March 2025, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress her Department has made on increasing the uptake of Pension Credit.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The latest available take-up estimates Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) cover the financial year 2021/2022 and suggest an overall Pension Credit take-up rate of 63%. The next take-up estimates covering the financial year 2022/2023 are due to be published in October.
The Government is determined to ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need. We will work with external partners, local authorities and the Devolved Governments to boost the take-up of Pension Credit.
As part of the current Pension Credit Week of Action, we have joined forces with charities, broadcasters and local authorities to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim.
A national Pension Credit marketing campaign in the autumn will focus on encouraging pensioners to apply by 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the additional resources it will need to means test winter fuel payments.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The department will deliver this year’s Winter Fuel Payments within the existing planned headcount. This is due to linking eligibility to Winter Fuel Payments with existing means tested benefits rather than means testing Winter Fuel Payments separately.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 9 of the policy paper entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, what estimate her Department made of the level of uptake of Pension Credit in the (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The estimate included within Fixing the Foundations assumed a 5 percentage point increase in the take-up of Pension Credit during 2024/25 as a behavioural response to the new link between Winter Fuel Payment entitlement and receipt of Pension Credit. The take-up of Pension Credit and benefits more generally can be affected by a range of factors. As a result, estimates of take-up will be subject to review at each Budget (including Autumn Budget 2024).
The Government is determined to ensure that the poorest pensioners get the support they need.
As part of the current Pension Credit Week of Action, we have joined forces with national charities, broadcasters and local authorities to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim.
From 16 September, we will be running a national marketing campaign on a range of channels. The campaign will target potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.
Our future campaign messaging will also focus on encouraging pensioners to apply for Pension Credit before the 21 December 2024, which is the last date for making a successful backdated claim for Pension Credit in order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment.
We will work with external partners, local authorities and the Devolved Governments to boost the take-up of Pension Credit.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to ensure local housing allowance keeps pace with median rent prices.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum housing support for tenants in the private rented sector.
Households in similar circumstances living in the same area are entitled to the same maximum rent allowance regardless of the contractual rent paid. LHA rates do not cover all rents in all areas.
Any decisions on LHA in 25/26 need to be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, housing priorities and the fiscal context. LHA rates were restored to the 30th percentile of local market rents from April 2024, at a cost of £1.2bn in 2024/25 and £7bn over five years.
For those who need further support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 14 May 2024 to Question 25516 on Universal Credit, when her Department plans to publish the findings of the survey of people who have not claimed Universal Credit following receipt of the migration notice.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The survey is currently being conducted. The Department intends to publish the findings once it is complete in the Autumn.