Asked by: Owen Smith (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which date a Minister of his Department last visited Pontypridd DVSA test centre.
Answered by Jesse Norman
There is no record held by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency of a Minister visiting Pontypridd driving test centre.
Asked by: Owen Smith (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice his Department provides to vulnerable customers switching from a Post Office Card account to a bank account in order to manage their benefits and tax credit payments.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A dedicated telephone service has been set up and aims to support Post Office card account users, who can, into mainstream banking. Customers who receive a letter about how their payments are made can call free to ask questions and if required will be provided with information to help them choose an account that’s right for their circumstances.
This could include continuing to receive payments into their POca, as while the majority of pension and benefit payments are paid into a bank account some customers, including those who are vulnerable, may remain unable to use or access such services.
Asked by: Owen Smith (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to pay benefits and pensions into Post Office card accounts after 2021.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
In 2014 Government committed to maintain POca until at least 2021, to ensure that people who cannot use a mainstream account can continue to access their benefits and pensions.
Government’s existing POca contract with the Post Office, which expires in November 2021, has an option to be extended for up to 3 years to 2024. A decision on any extension will be taken at the appropriate time, informed by both customers’ needs and the need to make sure the taxpayer sees Value for Money.
Asked by: Owen Smith (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Post Office card accounts have migrated to mainstream bank accounts to date.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Direct Payment into a bank, building society or credit union account is the most efficient, cost effective and preferred way to make pension and benefit payments. The department is writing to some Post Office card account users about receiving their payments this way and around 440,000 have provided alternative payment details.
Asked by: Owen Smith (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to continue to pay benefits and pensions into Post Office card accounts until 2021.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
In 2014 Government committed to maintain POca until at least 2021, to ensure that people who cannot use a mainstream account can continue to access their benefits and pensions.
Government’s existing POca contract with the Post Office, which expires in November 2021, has an option to be extended for up to 3 years to 2024. A decision on any extension will be taken at the appropriate time, informed by both customers’ needs and the need to make sure the taxpayer sees Value for Money.
Asked by: Owen Smith (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to promote the availability of basic bank accounts.
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Under the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015, the nine largest personal current account providers in the UK have been legally required to offer fee-free basic bank accounts to customers who do not have a bank account or who are ineligible for a bank’s standard current account. The Financial Conduct Authority is the body responsible for monitoring and enforcing firms’ compliance with these requirements.
The Money Advice Service has a duty under the Regulations to endeavour to raise awareness among consumers about the availability, pricing and accessibility of basic bank accounts.
The Government continues to monitor firms’ wider commitments on basic bank accounts, including that the accounts should be visible to potential customers alongside other personal current accounts, and that applications for basic bank accounts can be accepted through the same channels the firm uses for other personal current accounts.
Firms also report data on basic bank accounts to the Treasury. The first publication of this data, in December 2016, showed that nearly half a million people had opened a new fee-free basic bank account in the first half of 2016. The publication, and further information on basic bank accounts, is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/576033/Basic_bank_account_2016_dec_final.pdf.
Asked by: Owen Smith (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make further payments to people affected by regulatory failings at Equitable Life.
Answered by Simon Kirby
After making payments of over £1.1billion to more than 900,000 policyholders, the Payment Scheme has now closed. There are no plans to reopen the Payment Scheme.
Asked by: Owen Smith (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has plans to reopen the Equitable Life Payment Scheme.
Answered by Simon Kirby
After making payments of over £1.1billion to more than 900,000 policyholders, the Payment Scheme has now closed. There are no plans to reopen the Payment Scheme.
Asked by: Owen Smith (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential costs to the public purse of increasing compensation to members of the Equitable Life Payment Scheme.
Answered by Simon Kirby
After making payments of over £1.1billion to more than 900,000 policyholders, the Payment Scheme has now closed. There are no plans to reopen the Payment Scheme.
Asked by: Owen Smith (Labour - Pontypridd)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants his Department has written to since March 2016 to inform them that they may be affected by changes to the work allowances of universal credit.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
We have contacted around 59,000 Universal Credit claimants. The actual number of claimants affected is expected to be significantly lower.