Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will immediately uprate benefits in line with the current high rate of inflation; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Secretary of State for Work is required by law to undertake an annual review of benefits and pensions, and Consumer Price Index in the year to September is the latest figure that she can use to allow sufficient time for the required legislative and operational changes before new rates can be introduced at the start of the new financial year.
All benefit up-rating since April 1987 has been based on the increase in the relevant price inflation index in the 12 months to the previous September.
The Secretary of State’s decisions regarding benefits and pensions uprating for this financial year were announced to Parliament on 25 November 2021. And the increase of 3.1% from April 2022 was debated and approved by both Houses of Parliament earlier this year.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 3 of his Department's document, Universal Credit National Expansion, published on 9 December 2014, what steps his Department takes to ensure that place-names are not mis-spelled in its publications.
Answered by Mark Harper - Secretary of State for Transport
We apologise for this single mistake, it falls short of our normal standards for publications.