Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering secured e-mail as a communications option for his Department's customers upon request.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP utilises technology which allows encryption with most providers of personal email services, such as Gmail or Outlook, helping this stay secure. As such, email communication with customers is currently permitted in certain circumstances, for example, where the customer has a reasonable adjustment in place.
The Department is keen to utilise the benefits provided by email communication and is currently exploring the possibilities of expanding its use of email to communicate with customers.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 19 July 2023, reference JK41078, from the hon. Member for Solihull.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
When DWP receive correspondence relating to a complaint from a Member of Parliament, they aim to fully resolve or agree a resolution within 15 working days of receipt. Complex issues may take longer to resolve
The correspondence referenced was received from the MP on 19 July 2023. On 25 July, the complaint resolution manager contacted the customer to discuss their complaint. During the call, the customer asked CMG to audit her child maintenance account to confirm the arrears owed to her are correct. On 25 July, CMG wrote to the MP’s office confirming they would be unable to provide a full response within 15 days as actions were being progressed. On 2 August, CMG started to audit the customer’s account. This is a complex piece of work, and it can take several weeks to complete, depending on the complexity of the case. The MP contacted CMG on 31 August, 19 September and 16 October asking for a full response to be provided. On each occasion, CMG contacted the MP’s office by email, explaining their investigations were ongoing and a full response would be provided once their investigations were concluded. On 18 October, CMG contacted the MP’s office and confirmed a full response to the MP would be provided by Friday 20 October. I can confirm the response was issued to the MP’s office on Thursday 19 October.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he had with London’s 15 largest Housing Associations on the potential impact of Universal Credit migration on a claimant’s ability to pay housing costs.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department ensures Social Rented Sector landlords are engaged with migration to Universal Credit. We use a number of channels, including hosting regular interactive forums, tailored for the Social Rented Sector, where we engage the National Housing Federation and a broad range of landlords, including multiple London landlords. Landlords can also subscribe to ‘Touchbase’ Sign Up Form (dwp.gov.uk) to receive DWP news about work, working age benefits, pensions and services.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department is providing to the Child Maintenance Service to reduce payment recalculation processing times.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Significant improvements have been to the online service ‘My Child Maintenance Case’ to allow Child Maintenance Service customers report a range of changes that, with the associated automation and optimisation, have enabled reduction in payment re-calculation times. Examples of the types of changes that can now be reported through ‘My Child Maintenance Case’ include Paying Parent change of income and changes in shared care. In addition, through modernisation, the service is continuing to enable more and more automation in its regular casework and processing including the automation of changes when qualifying children leave full time education or when customers move on and off benefit. As well as speeding up certain changes this digitisation additionally creates time for caseworker to focus on delivering more complex changes that still require manual action improving speed and quality.
Email and SMS campaigns are now also being used to signpost and inform customers of online services and the volume of customers who are using the online services continues to increase.
As part of the wider DWP Service Modernisation Programme, further enhancements are being made that will support the reduction in time to re-calculate payments. This includes greater use of data available to automate the processing of changes and improved tailoring of the online services to make it easier for customers to navigate and use the online service so get their change made quicker.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she plans to reply to the email of 21 February 2023 from the right hon. Member for Leeds Central to the Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of a constituent, which was transferred to her Department on 24 February 2023, referenced MC 2023/14593.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The correspondence in question was transferred to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Andrew Bowie, the Minister for Nuclear and Networks, responded to the letter on 24th May 2023.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to respond to email correspondence of 20 February 2023 from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A reply to the correspondence from the hon. Member was sent on 23rd March 2023.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2023 to Question 152229 on Universal Credit, what steps his Department is taking to advertise Touchbase to Universal Credit claimants.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Touchbase is a weekly email newsletter from the Department for Work and Pensions which provides links to new and updated information on GOV.UK and other websites. It is the primary communication channel for DWP to a wide range of external stakeholders from diverse organisations across the UK who work with, support and advise our customers.
While Touchbase is not produced for Jobcentre Plus staff or Universal Credit claimants, DWP has a comprehensive internal communications programme which ensures that colleagues across the organisation are aware of the department’s priorities and the individual initiatives to deliver them.
The topics covered in Touchbase will routinely be part of this internal communications programme.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2023 to Question 152230 on Department for Work and Pensions: Publications, what steps he is taking to advertise Touchbase to staff in his Department.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Touchbase is a weekly email newsletter from the Department for Work and Pensions which provides links to new and updated information on GOV.UK and other websites. It is the primary communication channel for DWP to a wide range of external stakeholders from diverse organisations across the UK who work with, support and advise our customers.
While Touchbase is not produced for Jobcentre Plus staff or Universal Credit claimants, DWP has a comprehensive internal communications programme which ensures that colleagues across the organisation are aware of the department’s priorities and the individual initiatives to deliver them.
The topics covered in Touchbase will routinely be part of this internal communications programme.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March to Question 152230 on Department for Work and Pensions: Publications, what recent assessment his Department made of the effectiveness of Touchbase at communicating Department activity to Job Centre Plus staff.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Touchbase is a weekly email newsletter from the Department for Work and Pensions which provides links to new and updated information on GOV.UK and other websites. It is the primary communication channel for DWP to a wide range of external stakeholders from diverse organisations across the UK who work with, support and advise our customers.
While Touchbase is not produced for Jobcentre Plus staff or Universal Credit claimants, DWP has a comprehensive internal communications programme which ensures that colleagues across the organisation are aware of the department’s priorities and the individual initiatives to deliver them.
The topics covered in Touchbase will routinely be part of this internal communications programme.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2023 to Question 152230 on Department for Work and Pensions: Publications, if he will make it his Department's policy to routinely send the Touchbase newsletter to all staff in his Department.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Touchbase is a weekly email newsletter from the Department for Work and Pensions which provides links to new and updated information on GOV.UK and other websites. It is the primary communication channel for DWP to a wide range of external stakeholders from diverse organisations across the UK who work with, support and advise our customers.
While Touchbase is not produced for Jobcentre Plus staff or Universal Credit claimants, DWP has a comprehensive internal communications programme which ensures that colleagues across the organisation are aware of the department’s priorities and the individual initiatives to deliver them.
The topics covered in Touchbase will routinely be part of this internal communications programme.