Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of changes to Universal Credit (a) assessment periods and (b) payment schedules arising from early salary payments at weekends and bank holidays on people affected by those payments.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no planned changes to Universal Credit assessment periods or payment schedules.
Universal Credit has been designed with monthly assessment periods to reflect the world of work, where the majority of all employees receive wages monthly. Guidance is available to claimants, staff and representatives to raise awareness of different earnings patterns and their impact on Universal Credit.
Where a claimant wishes to dispute the earnings information, we have received from their employer, they can submit evidence to us, and we will look into the case to see if a change needs to be made.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of early salary payments paid via bank credits on working recipients of Universal Credit and their benefit assessment period and level of entitlement to UC payments.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No such assessment has been made.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people who will receive the second cost of living payment in Stockport constituency.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The estimated number of benefit units eligible for the means-tested benefit cost of living payment in Stockport parliamentary constituency is 13,500.
There are an estimated 10,100 individuals who are eligible for the disability cost of living payment in Stockport constituency.
The Department for Work and Pensions has published an Impact Assessment on the Cost of Living Payments. Further information can be found here: SocSec(AdditionalPayments)IA.pdf (parliament.uk)
The pensioner cost of living payment will be delivered through the Winter Fuel Payment. The number of Winter Fuel Payments awarded in the Stockport constituency in winter 2021 to 2022 was 12,437. Statistics for the Winter of 2022 to 2023 will be published in September 2023. A full breakdown of Winter Fuel statistics can be found here: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2020 to 2021 and winter 2021 to 2022- GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to encourage greater take-up of Pension Credit among families that are eligible to receive that benefit.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Pension Credit provides vital financial support to our most vulnerable pensioners and we want all those who are eligible to claim it.
To raise awareness of Pension Credit and increase take-up, the Department launched a £1.2m nationwide communications campaign in April. The campaign included:
The campaign will continue in December with press and radio advertising, and social media channels.
We will be urging eligible pensioners to claim Pension Credit as it is not too late to qualify for the second Cost of Living Payment of £324 – part of the package of Help for Households which the Government announced earlier this year. This is because a claim for Pension Credit can be backdated for up to three months, provided the entitlement conditions are met throughout that time. To ensure that a successful backdated claim falls within the qualifying period, claims should be made as soon as possible and by no later than 18 December.
In the new year, DWP will again write to over 11 million pensioners as part of the annual uprating of State Pension. The accompanying leaflet has been updated to include the prominent campaign messaging promoting Pension Credit.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Government's relationship with the International Labour Organisation.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As a founding member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) the UK continues to be actively engaged and involved with the organisation. To date, the UK has ratified 89 ILO Conventions, most recently the Violence and Harassment Convention, which was ratified in March this year (2022).
The UK is one of ten permanent members of the ILO Governing Body and currently have a delegation attending its 346th session in Geneva, running until 10 November. The UK also attends the annual International Labour Conference.
In addition to contributions made by the Department for Work and Pensions to the ILO’s regular budget, the UK is a major contributor to the ILO’s development cooperation programme through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
I hope to meet with the new Director General of the ILO, Mr Gilbert Houngbo, in due course.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of current levels of Local Housing Allowance rates in the (a) UK and (b) Stockport constituency.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas. In April 2020 Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were increased to the 30th percentile of local rents. This significant investment of nearly £1 billion provided 1.5 million claimants with an average £600 more housing support in 2020/21 than they would otherwise have received.
LHA rates have been maintained at their increased levels since then, so that everyone who benefitted from the increase will continue to do so.
The constituency of Stockport covers two broad rental market areas (BRMAs) as shown in the table below.
| Household average gap between LHA and rent per month | Prevalence of households with a gap between LHA and rental costs |
Great Britain | £146 | 55% |
Tameside & Glossop BRMA | £123 | 71% |
Southern Greater Manchester BRMA | £145 | 52% |
For those who require additional support with housing costs, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 we have provided almost £1.5 billion in DHPs.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with relevant stakeholders on the potential merits of introducing a maximum working temperature.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Workplace temperature is one of the potential hazards that employers should address to meet their legal obligations under health and safety law.
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 place a legal obligation on employers to provide a ‘reasonable’ temperature in indoor workplaces. Detailed guidance for employers on workplace temperature and thermal comfort is available on the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) website. This guidance includes information on how to undertake a thermal comfort assessment and specific measures that can be taken to improve thermal comfort.
Responsibility to make workplaces safe and healthy lies with employers, who should consult with employees or their representatives to establish sensible means to cope with high temperatures.
No maximum workplace temperature exists because every workplace is different. No meaningful upper limit can be imposed because in many indoor workplaces extreme temperature is not seasonal, but is created by work activity, for example, in a glass works or foundry. In such environments factors other than air temperature, including radiant temperature, humidity and air velocity, become more significant and the interaction between them becomes more complex with rising temperatures. However, it is still possible to work safely provided appropriate controls are present.
HSE regularly reviews and, where necessary, refreshes the guidance published on its website.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Support for Mortgage Interest payments are in line with the increase in interest rates made by mortgage providers.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Support for Mortgage Interest is calculated using a standard interest rate which is set at a level equal to the Bank of England's published monthly average mortgage interest rate. The rate is currently 2.09%, changes to that rate will occur when the Bank of England’s average mortgage rate changes by at least 0.5%. In this way, help provided increases when mortgage interest rates rise.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the three-week period, including over the Easter period, to claim the Household Support Grant.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Household Support Fund, which has been extended from 1 April to 30 September, provides funding for Upper Tier Local Authorities in England to deliver support for people who are struggling to afford household essentials such as energy and water bills, food, and other necessities.
It is for Local Authorities to determine how to use this funding, within the parameters of the scheme, based on their assessment of local need. Local Authorities have been working quickly to get their schemes up and running.
The Household Support Fund extension is just one part of a wider package worth £22 billion that we are providing in 2022-23 to help ease cost of living pressures.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) long-term unemployed and (b) over-50s unemployed people into work.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
For those who are long-term unemployed, the Restart Scheme, which went live in July 2021, is providing support to Universal Credit Intensive Work Search Regime claimants and Income Based Jobseekers Allowance claimants. Claimants are considered for the Restart Scheme after claiming for 9 months.
The Restart Scheme is being delivered across England and Wales using 12 Contract Package Areas with providers working with employers, local government, and other partners to deliver tailored support for individuals, breaking down employment barriers that could be holding claimants back from finding work.
The Government also recognises the challenges faced by people aged 50 and over.Therefore, as part of the £500m Plan for Jobs expansion we are funding a new enhanced support package for workers over the age of 50 to help them to stay in or return to work. This offer will ensure that older job seekers receive more intensive, tailored support as part of their Universal Credit claim and will give Work Coaches more time to spend with older job seekers who have recently become unemployed.
The 50PLUS Champions network also provides dedicated support to Work Coaches to enable them to effectively direct suitable support to claimants who are aged 50 and over.