Mentions:
1: Paul Maynard (Con - Blackpool North and Cleveleys) According to the latest estimate, based on data from March 2022, uprating the state pension where we - Speech Link
2: Rob Roberts (Ind - Delyn) confirm that all British citizens who live in the Commonwealth should be entitled to the appropriate uprating - Speech Link
3: Mel Stride (Con - Central Devon) The pensions Minister, my hon. - Speech Link
4: Lindsay Hoyle (Spk - Chorley) I call the Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Stevenson, Collette (SNP - East Kilbride) To what extent does this year’s uprating policy put pressure on Scottish Government budget choices. - Speech Link
2: None One of the things that we talk about in the report is the effects of uprating and inflation. - Speech Link
3: None Things will be a bit more stable once the transfer of PIP cases from the Department for Work and Pensions - Speech Link
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many alerts from the Verified Earnings and Pensions service informing his Department of carers’ earnings information were (a) passed and (b) not passed on to carers in each of the last five years; and whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of VEPs in preventing large value overpayments for Carer's Allowance.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Rounded | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
The number of CA cases identified through the VEP system | 91,000 | 73,000 | 96,000 | 107,000 | 67,000 |
The number of cases reviewed by CA | 35,000 | 38,000 | 46,000 | 50,000 | 35,000 |
Overpayments are recoverable from the Carer where there is evidence that the Carer failed to timeously inform the Department of changes in circumstances. The annual benefit uprating letter issued highlights the need to report changes such and changes in earnings. The Department also uses data from HMRC to indicate where the customer may have had a change in income and failed to inform us.
The Department also takes steps to avoid large scale overpayments that are not recoverable. This includes managing workloads at appropriate levels so changes in circumstance are processed timeously.
Caveats
Apr. 23 2024
Source Page: I. Universal Credit guidance April 2024 [update of previous guidance, deposited Oct 2023, DEP2023-0791]. 204 docs. II. Letter dated 15/04/2023 from Jo Churchill MP to to the Deposited Papers Clerk regarding documents for deposit in the House libraries. Incl. file list at Annex 1. 9p.Found: Legacy benefit run -on payment Other benefits Other benefits that impact Universal Credit Annual uprating
Asked by: Lord Wasserman (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 26 October (HL10597), when they last had discussions with the government of Canada about uprating UK State Pensions paid to UK pensioners residents in that country; and what was agreed at that meeting.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government of Canada last raised this issue during a meeting on 17 April 2023. Following this meeting, the UK Government reiterated in writing that it is not intending to change the existing social security relationship with Canada under the arrangements made in 1995 and 1998.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to extend Cost of Living Payments beyond the Spring.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are currently no plans to extend the Cost of Living Payments beyond the Spring. Cost of Living payments enabled us to target further support during the rising cost of living pressures. Delivering lump sum payments got support faster to those who needed it, reflecting our commitment to providing direct and timely relief to those who need it most. The rate of inflation has slowed, and we have been able to implement uprating to other benefits in the meantime to reflect increased costs. This includes increasing benefits and the state pension by 10.1% in April 2023 in line with inflation. The Secretary of State has completed his annual statutory review of pensions and benefits and his decisions were announced to Parliament on 22 November. From April 2024, Universal Credit amounts will be up-rated by 6.7%.
May. 15 2024
Source Page: Valuation Office Agency Rent Officers: Private Rented Market StatisticsFound: been a shift towards using the CPI in preference to using the RPI for a number of uses, including; uprating
Correspondence Feb. 28 2024
Committee: Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice CommitteeFound: You can get further free advice and assistance by visiting the Money & Pensions Service's MoneyHelper
Mar. 18 2024
Source Page: Letter dated 14/03/2024 from Viscount Younger of Leckie to Baroness Sherlock regarding the Draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2024 debate: questions on deferral and up-rating, and child poverty statistics. 2p.Found: House of Lords London SW1A 0PW Parliamentary -Under - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Report Mar. 14 2024
Committee: Social Justice and Social Security CommitteeFound: Policy Note states that a 6.7% increase is also applied to other benefits not subject to the mandatory uprating