Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners over the age of 80 are in receipt of the state pension.
Answered by Guy Opperman
In August 2019, the latest date for which data are available, there were 3,572,109 persons aged 80 years and above in receipt of State Pension.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her policy is on maintaining benefit payments in cash form to claimants.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Departments payment policy does not include cash payments. This policy outlines that the standard method of payment is into a bank, building society, credit union account, internet based and basic bank account. There are also two payment exception services (Post Office card account and HMG PES) that enable individuals who cannot manage a standard bank account, access to their money from various outlets. When the contracts for these services end, a replacement service will be introduced.
We are committed to ensuring that those who need cash payments will be able to access them in their local area and that an over the counter face to face service will remain available.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many full-time equivalent staff worked in the Office for Disability Issues on 1 June 2019.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
There were 15.5 full-time equivalent staff working in the Office for Disability Issues on 1 June 2019.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the minutes of each meeting of the Independent Serious Case Panel.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
We are absolutely committed to improving our services, especially to the most vulnerable, which is why we have set up the Serious Case Panel. The panel was developed to take themes and systemic issues that come out of various case reviews and make recommendations for improvements.
More information about the Serious Case Panel will be published in due course.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was paid in local housing allowance in the Blackpool local authority area in financial year 2018-19.
Answered by Will Quince
Local Housing Allowance is used to calculate the maximum amount of Housing Benefit payable to claimants.
In 2018/19 the amount paid under the Local Housing Allowance Scheme for Housing Benefit claimants in the Blackpool local authority area was £51 million. This excludes the equivalent paid out in Local Housing Allowance for Universal Credit claimants, which is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Paul Maynard (Conservative - Blackpool North and Cleveleys)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when an annual progress report in respect of the Fulfilling Potential Outcomes and Indicators Framework was last published.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The last progress report for the Fulfilling Potential Outcomes and Indicators Framework was published in November 2015 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fulfilling-potential-outcomes-and-indicators-framework-second-annual-progress-report
We want to achieve practical changes for disabled people, which remove barriers and increase opportunity. The Government has committed to publish a National Strategy for Disabled People before the end of 2020.