Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether (a) GoFundMe and (b) other fundraisers set up by a friend or relative can impact on a claimant's access to (i) universal credit, (ii) child benefit, (iii) housing benefit and (iv) other social security benefits.
Answered by Jo Churchill
A lump sum received as a result of a fund-raising campaign through GoFundMe or other similar platforms would be treated as capital for the assessment of means-tested benefits (Universal Credit, Income Support, Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance). Such a payment would only affect benefit entitlement if the claimant’s total capital exceeds the lower limit of £6,000, then a tariff will be applied to reduce the means -tested benefit award. For pension age benefits (Housing Benefit for pensioners and Pension Credit) the tariff would only be applied where the total capital held exceeds £10,000.
Where the lump sum payment means that the claimant’s capital exceeds the upper capital limit of £16,000 then the individual will no longer be eligible for means-tested benefits, although there is no limit for Pension Credit.
In certain specific circumstances money received through such channels may be eligible for a formal disregard. Charitable or voluntary payments which are made or due to be made at regular intervals are fully “disregarded” (ignored) in Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Second Special Report of the Environmental Audit Committee of Session 2017–19 on Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Life: Government Response to the Committee's Twentieth Report of Session 2017–19, HC160, published on 30 October 2019, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of chemical flame-retardant use in furniture filling materials on (a) health, (b) environmental wellbeing and (c) fire safety.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
The Government has consulted on a new approach to the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture and will set out its response in due course. The consultation included proposals to encourage and enable a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants reflecting commitments made in the Government’s response to the Environmental Audit Committee’s 2019 report. Where flame retardants are used to meet the fire safety requirements, they must be compliant with all relevant UK chemicals regulations, including UK REACH.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on what date the UK Government made the decision to allocate £150 million from the Fresh Start Agreement funding package to the Strule Shared Education Campus.
Answered by Steve Baker
In June 2018, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced £144 million from the Fresh Start Agreement funding package to be allocated to the Strule Shared Education Campus in Omagh. This built on an initial £43 million announced in March 2016. The UK Government was advised by the Northern Ireland Civil Service in June 2023 that there was an assumption that this allocation had risen.
Fresh Start Agreement funding has always been subject to individual projects, including Strule, being agreed between the Northern Ireland Executive and the UK Government. The Government has continued to work with Northern Ireland Departments on funding arrangements and projects under the Agreement and final funding allocations continue to be subject to HM Treasury approval.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had discussions with the British Medical Association on preparatory work for legislation for the Work Capability Assessments.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
Following the announcement of changes to the Work Capability Assessment, officials are working with clinical experts in mental health and representatives from national organisations to define the Substantial Risk criteria which will be outlined in legislation.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when funds will be available from Fresh Start Funding for financial year 2023-24; and what funds are available to the Northern Ireland Department of Finance from that scheme in 2023-24.
Answered by Laura Trott - Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
At Main Estimates 2023-24, the Northern Ireland Executive was provided with £64.4 million of capital funding under the Fresh Start Agreement. Any additional Fresh Start Agreement funding in 2023-24 for the Northern Ireland Executive would be confirmed through the Supplementary Estimates process that is ongoing.
Funding for individual projects is administered by the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department of Education.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Fresh Start Funding has been awarded for construction of the Millennium Integrated Primary School new build project.
Answered by Laura Trott - Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
At Main Estimates 2023-24, the Northern Ireland Executive was provided with £64.4 million of capital funding under the Fresh Start Agreement. Any additional Fresh Start Agreement funding in 2023-24 for the Northern Ireland Executive would be confirmed through the Supplementary Estimates process that is ongoing.
Funding for individual projects is administered by the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department of Education.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Q26 of the evidence given by Neil Couling to the Work and Pensions Select Committee on 10 January 2024, HC 417, whether it is his policy that where a claim is subject to checking that claim is not suspended and there is no interruption to payments so long as the claimant cooperates with that process.
Answered by Paul Maynard
Where customers provide all evidence requested, within the timescales requested, to enable DWP to verify entitlement to benefit then no payment will be interrupted. If the evidence is not provided within the timescale or there is a high risk of fraud and/or error DWP’s Enhanced Review Team (ERT) may suspend payments to prevent further loss and the customer to build up possible debt.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there is a cap on weekly working hours for charity worker visas.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
There is no cap on weekly working hours for those with permission on the Charity Worker visa route. However, visa holders must be undertaking voluntary fieldwork that does not fill a permanent position, even if this is on a temporary basis.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 42, on what evidential basis his Department proposed preventing overseas care workers from bringing family dependants to the UK.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
As the Prime Minister has made clear, current levels of migration to the UK are far too high. The long-term plan the Home Secretary has announced would mean around 300,000 of the people who came to the UK last year would not have been able to come.
Care workers were added in February 2022 as a temporary addition to address acute shortages in the social care sector. This has since seen a rapid increase in numbers of people arrive with over 80,000 visas issued to main applicants in the last year to this September alone, bringing a further estimated 100,000 dependants.
The Government will reduce the numbers on the Health and Care visa route by removing the right for care workers and senior care workers to bring dependants from spring 2024.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he plans to bring forward the commencement orders for Section 4 of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022.
Answered by Steve Baker
The planned repeal of the Administration of Justice (Language) Act (Ireland 1737) is one of many steps in the Identity & Language legislation that will affirm the need to respect the freedom of all persons in Northern Ireland to choose, maintain and develop their national and cultural identity.
The Government is carefully considering its next steps on implementation, including the remaining commencement orders and will provide an update to Parliament in due course.