Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending bereavement support payments to widowers who were unmarried and living with their partner but who were not pregnant or eligible for child benefit.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Bereavement Support Payment is currently only available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. A marriage or civil partnership is a legal contract associated with certain rights. including entitlement to benefits derived from another person's National Insurance contributions such as Bereavement Support Payment. In February 2023, the Government extended bereavement benefits to cohabitees with children in response to two court judgments. However, for families without children, the basic principle for only paying BSP where there was a legal union remains. The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
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 communicate with (a) people and (b) households eligible for Pension Credit who have not yet applied for it to encourage Pension Credit take up.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
In order to maximise the take-up of Pension Credit, we have been running an extensive national campaign since September on a range of channels, including print and broadcast media to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. The campaign targets potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.
We continue to engage with a range of external partners who can help promote Pension Credit through their own channels and networks.
Building on last year’s ‘Invitation to Claim’ trial, the Department will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We can identify and target these households using DWP’s Housing Benefit data.
We are also asking local authorities to support our Pension Credit campaign - the Secretary of State and the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local authorities in August. Many already undertake their own initiatives to identify eligible households and promote take-up; and over 160 local authorities have responded positively to our ‘call for action’.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department takes to identify (a) people and (b) households eligible for Pension Credit who have not applied for it.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Building on last year’s ‘Invitation to Claim’ trial, the Department will be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioner households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may also be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We can identify and target these households using DWP’s Housing Benefit data.
In order to maximise the take-up of Pension Credit, we have been running an extensive national campaign since September on a range of channels, including print and broadcast media to encourage pensioners to check their eligibility and make a claim. The campaign targets potential pension-age customers, as well as friends and family who can encourage and support them to apply.
We continue to engage with a range of external partners who can help promote Pension Credit through their own channels and networks.
We are also asking local authorities to support our Pension Credit campaign - the Secretary of State and the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local authorities in August. Many already undertake their own initiatives to identify eligible households and promote take-up; and over 160 local authorities have responded positively to our ‘call for action’
Like all means-tested benefits, a person’s eligibility for Pension Credit and the amount they may get depends on their specific financial and personal household circumstances, information which DWP does not have. That’s why it is not currently possible to accurately identify people who may be entitled to Pension Credit just from DWP data.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) potential merits and (b) cost of expanding eligibility for winter fuel payments to those reaching state pension age in winter 2023-24.
Answered by Paul Maynard
An individual is entitled to a winter fuel payment if they have reached State Pension age by the end of the 'qualifying week', which has been defined in law since 1999 as the week beginning on the third Monday in September.
This is to allow time to check eligibility, make the calculations (which in some cases include an assessment of household formation as well as date of birth and place of residence), and make payments as far as possible before Christmas.
In 2023, the number of people who claimed State Pension between the end of the qualifying week (25 September) and Christmas (data available to 17 December) was 158,803.
Source: Power BI
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people who are (a) usually eligible for (i) Universal Credit and (ii) other benefits and (b) have received a nil award for those benefits in the qualifying period because they have received non-consolidated additional backpay from the NHS for the year 2022-23 will receive all the cost of living payments they would otherwise be entitled to in 2023-24.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Employees who receive arrears of earnings and/or lump sum payments in one month, could have their Universal Credit award reduced to zero in the same month (known as a ‘nil award’). Claimants who receive a ‘nil award’ in the qualifying period will not have an entitlement to a Cost of Living Payment.
We are unable to distinguish whether an increase to a claimant’s earnings is temporary or permanent.
However, we are delivering the Cost of Living Payment in three separate payments over 2023/24 to reduce the chance of someone missing out altogether. Those who do not qualify for an instalment of the Cost of Living Payment may qualify for another Payment.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of Government support systems that help refugees and asylum seekers into work.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
Once refugee status has been granted, individuals have immediate access to employment support and services.
We recognise that refugees often face additional barriers to labour market participation and are supporting the development of interventions that help to overcome these barriers. This includes developing an integration package which has a strong focus on supporting refugees to move more quickly to self-sufficiency.
DWP employment support includes help with job search and English language skills as well as with skills training, CV writing and securing work experience. Local Jobcentre Managers have considerable flexibility to provide tailored support to meet individual needs as required.
DWP also works closely with businesses expressing an interest in employing people in response to the situations in Afghanistan and Ukraine. We support them to develop job adverts open to any applicant and then share those adverts with Jobcentres and with the Refugee Employment Network, a charity who work with over 200 Refugee Support Organisations across the UK, to ensure these opportunities are widely advertised.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that people subject to managed migration do not have their existing benefit stopped until they have established a universal credit claim.
Answered by David Rutley
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8th February to question number 120621.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to make reasonable adjustments for people being required to apply for universal credit during managed migration, including for people who cannot access an online universal credit journal or people who need more frequent payments.
Answered by David Rutley
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8th February to question number 120621.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she will take to ensure that people with mental health conditions do not lose their benefit entitlement during managed migration from legacy benefits to universal credit.
Answered by David Rutley
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8th February to question number 120621.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Independent - Salford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made on the potential effect of not uprating benefits in line with inflation on levels of child poverty in Salford and Eccles constituency.
Answered by David Rutley
No such assessment has been made. The Government is up-rating benefits in line with inflation. The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions with reference to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). 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 relevant benefits are increasing by 3.1% from April.
The latest statistics on the number and proportion of children who are in low income families by local area, covering the six years, 2014/15 to 2019/20, can be found in the annual publication: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).
This Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families, and believes work is the best route out of poverty. Our approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment – particularly where it is full-time – in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children.