Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential (a) financial and (b) administrative impact of differing mileage allowance rates for DWP and HMRC on self-employed people who are also in receipt of Universal Credit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
No assessment is currently available.
While the Department’s permitted expenses framework is designed to align, wherever feasible, with the approach taken by HMRC, the tax and welfare systems serve different purposes and operate under different legislative frameworks so complete alignment is not always possible. The Department does routinely keep its policies under review.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
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 merits of (a) annually uprating the Bereavement Support Payment in line with inflation and (b) extending the payment period for the Bereavement Support Payment beyond 18 months.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The level of Bereavement Support Pay (BSP) is reviewed annually as part of the uprating process, and Government keeps wider bereavement support under review to ensure it remains effective and sustainable. BSP was designed to provide support during the immediate period following a bereavement, rather than replace income over the longer term.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support disabled people into work.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This Government is committed to championing the rights of, and helping, disabled people and those with long-term health conditions.
Last week we announced the expansion of our groundbreaking programme WorkWell across England, up to 250,000 more people with health conditions will receive support to stay in or return to work. This builds on our Pathways to Work Guarantee and our Connect to Work supported employment programme.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the inflation-based rise to Universal Credit was paid to claimants in their April benefit payment.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Increases in Universal Credit come into force from the start of the first assessment period beginning on or after the first Monday of the tax year.
As Universal Credit is a calendar monthly assessed benefit that is paid monthly in arrears, a claimant will receive their uprated benefit award in payments due from 16 May.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of benefits for disabled people in the context of increases in the cost of living.
Answered by Chloe Smith
PIP is designed to provide help with extra costs arising from disability. Alongside the £9.1 billion Energy Bills Rebate announced on 3 February, the Government is providing £12 billion of support over this financial year and next to ease cost of living pressures, with help targeted at working families, low-income households and the most vulnerable.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been affected by the underpayment of benefits after transitioning from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance in the Llanelli constituency.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training and guidance is provided to his Department's staff on dealing with veterans.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
DWP staff receive appropriate training and suitable guidance is in place to enable them to support the wide range of needs and circumstances that claimants have. For veterans, this will range from providing them with the support they need to find civilian employment after a long spell in the forces to using Service Medical Board evidence for some veterans claiming Employment and Support Allowance.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Jobcentre Plus districts have a designated Armed Forces champion.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
There are currently 46 Armed Forces Champions covering the 34 Jobcentre Plus Districts. The role of an Armed Forces Champion is to ensure that the support, advice and guidance offered reflects the needs of Service leavers and the wider Service community. The Champions work in partnership with the Armed Forces community, supporting organisations and local and national employers to identify employment opportunities and specialist support for Service leavers.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of moving additional work from elsewhere to his Department's building in Llanelli to make that site more cost effective.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The overall requirement in DWP for processing work is reducing and we do not need the same size estate we currently have. Specifically, the work undertaken at Llanelli Crown Buildings is reducing and due to end within the next 2-3 years.
The overall requirement for that work from March 2018 is deliverable out of fewer buildings which better match our strategic requirements and, therefore, the building in Llanelli will no longer be required.
Asked by: Nia Griffith (Labour - Llanelli)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with other potential users of his Department's building on Llanelli on sharing the use of that space.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Department does not own any of the buildings within the estate, and after 20 years the leases and contracts covering many of our buildings end in March 2018. The overall requirement in DWP for processing work is reducing and we do not need the same size estate we currently have.
Our strategic review of estate has concluded that there is no requirement for the space currently occupied in Llanelli Crown Buildings and that the work currently undertaken there can be accommodated elsewhere in the network. We have not, therefore, discussed the potential for sharing use of the space.