Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support families who are not entitled to tax credits and whose wages have not risen to manage (a) energy costs and (b) the cost of living.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a strong welfare safety net that supports people whether they are in or out of work through Universal Credit and the legacy benefits it is replacing including tax credits, Employment and Support Allowance and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. In 2021/22, DWP will spend around £110bn on welfare benefits for people of working age.
As our economic recovery continues and with around 1.25 million vacancies across the UK there are many further opportunities for people to move into and progress in work and increase their earnings. Building on our Plan for Jobs, we launched ‘Way to Work on 27 January, a new campaign to help more people into work by matching jobseekers to the thousands of jobs available across the country.
We understand the pressures people are facing with the cost of living. We are providing support worth around £12bn this financial year and the next, to help families - changing the Universal Credit taper and work allowance which means, nearly two million households will keep, on average, £1000 a year, freezing fuel duties to keep costs down, and providing targeted support to help households with their energy bills.
For the lowest earners we are further increasing the National Living Wage by 6.6% to £9.50 from April 2022, meaning a full-time worker on the National Living Wage will see their annual earnings rise by over £1,000; we have set a target for the National Living Wage to reach two-thirds of median earnings by 2024, provided economic conditions allow.
We recognise that some people require extra support over the winter, which is why vulnerable households across the country can access the £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund provides £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula applies in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive)
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average monetary value was for deductions made from (a) universal credit, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) jobseeker's allowance, (d) income support and (e) pension credit claimant’s payments by (i) categories of third party debt deductions, (ii) benefit overpayments and (iii) other types of deductions in May 2021.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The average deduction amount per claim by deduction type, for (a) Universal Credit, in May 2021 is provided in the attached spreadsheet.
Information for (b) (c) (d) (e) (i) (ii) (iii) is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The Government recognises the importance of supporting the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. We seek to balance recovery of debt against not causing hardship for claimants and their families. Processes are in place to ensure deductions are manageable, and customers can contact DWP Debt Management if they are experiencing financial hardship, in order to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment or a temporary suspension, depending on their financial circumstances. The Department is not able to
change the rate of most Third Party deductions as these are set out in the regulations.
Advances are a claimant’s benefit entitlement paid early, allowing claimants to access 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. They ensure nobody has to wait for a payment in Universal Credit and those who need it are able to receive financial support as soon as possible. Claimants can receive up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit award if required, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) employment and support allowance, (b) jobseeker's allowance, (c) income support and (d) pension credit claimants had deductions made to their payments by (i) categories of third party debt deductions, (ii) benefit overpayments and (iii) other types of deductions in May 2021.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason deductions for child maintenance are listed at numbers 13 and 14 in her Department's guidance on the deductions priority order for universal credit.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Schedule 6 of the Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations 2013 sets out the priority order in which Departmental staff must consider all deductions from Universal Credit, including Child Maintenance. The deductions contained in that priority order are all priority debts and social obligations that are important for claimants to address.
The Department recognises the importance of Child Maintenance payments and these deductions are already prioritised above others such as benefit overpayments of Housing Benefit, Tax Credit and DWP overpayments and Recoverable Hardship and Social Fund loans.
Asked by: David Linden (Scottish National Party - Glasgow East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the answer of 28 April 2021 to Question 187305 on Work Capability Assessment, what assessment she has made of the effect of (a) regulation 23, (b) regulation 35(1) and (c) schedule 1 of the Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations 2013 on the determination of the commencement of award following (i) a scheduled review by her Department of that claimant's level of entitlement and (ii) completion of a new UC50 disclosing a change of circumstances by that claimant.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The provisions referred to provide for a decision to be superseded for a change of circumstances and the date from which that change takes effect. In terms of its effect on the decision which commenced the award, that of course will depend on whether it is a relevant change which does indeed affect that award. If the original award was that the claimant had Limited Capability for Work (LCW) and the change (confirmed or identified following a work capability assessment) had seen a deterioration in the same condition such that the claimant now had Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity, then the award would be superseded and increased effective from the appropriate date.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support her Department is providing to job seekers with no access to the internet to apply for jobs online.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Throughout the pandemic, Jobcentres have remained open for anyone who needs face-to-face support and cannot be helped in any other way. We have continued to provide vital support to the most vulnerable and those who cannot access our services remotely. Digital and phone options remained as they were, ensuring that customers can access all the help available to them.
From 12 April we restarted face to face services as we returned to our normal opening hours from 9am to 5pm for Jobcentres in England and Wales. We will restart the same face to face service in Scotland from 26 April. All Jobcentre Plus offices across the country have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet.
Our priority continues to be supporting people back into work though our network of dedicated Work Coaches, as we help Britain to build back better from this pandemic.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the six month term for jobseekers’ allowance whilst furlough is in place.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The 182-day limit is provided for in primary legislation and has remained unaltered since 1995.
The time limit strikes a balance in providing support whilst keeping the cost of this and other contributory benefits affordable based on the overall income to the National Insurance Fund each year. The government has no plans to extend the period of entitlement in response to the pandemic.
People who are entitled to new style Jobseeker’s Allowance, or whose entitlement ends before they find employment, may have access to income-related support through Universal Credit. Entitlement will depend on individual circumstances.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many claimants are in receipt of (1) income-related Employment and Support Allowance, (2) income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, (3) Income Support, and (4) Housing Benefit; and how many claimants of each of those awards receive a Severe Disability Premium.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The statistics are shown in the following table:
Number of people in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support and Housing Benefit, and estimates of the number of those receiving Severe Disability Premium (SDP), February 2020, Great Britain
| Recipients1 | SDP recipients2 |
All income-related ESA | 1,445,400 | 515,000 |
All income-based JSA | 119,300 | 7,000 |
Income Support | 319,600 | 16,000 |
Housing Benefit | 3,218,600 | .. |
Sources: Stat-Xplore, DWP Work and Pensions 5 per cent Sample, DWP 100 per cent Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) data, and 100 per cent Jobseekers Allowance Payment System Atomic Data Store
Notes:
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the number of qualified LGV drivers claiming jobseeker’s allowance.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The number of LGV drivers claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in February 2021 was 80, down 11 per cent from a year ago. The number of qualified LGV drivers claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has historically been low, reflecting the ongoing LGV driver shortages in the logistics industry.
Departmental officials are working with colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus to ensure that qualified LGV drivers are able to move back into work as soon as possible.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the outcome of the High Court case (R [Blundell & Ors] v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) whether her Department permits the placing of deductions for Child Maintenance payments ahead of all other deductions.
Answered by Will Quince
Child Maintenance can be recovered from Universal Credit where claimants who should contribute towards their non-resident children have no earnings.
Schedule 6 of the Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations 2013 sets out the priority order in which Departmental staff must consider all deductions from Universal Credit, including Child Maintenance.