Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of trade unions on the reintroduction of a full sanction and conditionality regime for claimants of jobseeker's allowance; and what the timeframe is for recommencing that regime.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department re-introduced Claimant Commitments for New Style and Legacy claims from 3 August 2020. We are reintroducing Claimant Commitments for existing claims on a phased approach as capacity allows.
We expect claimants on work-related benefits to undertake certain activities in return for financial support through the benefit system. These requirements are agreed and tailored to help the claimant prepare for, look for and move into work.
Work Coaches will ensure that commitments made by claimants are reasonable. They will also allow claimants to continue to adhere to local and national public health advice in regards to Covid-19, whilst also doing what they can to engage with the labour market.
No consultation was required as there was no change in policy.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of new claims for Universal Credit since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic have been unsuccessfull; and of those, what proportion were unsuccessful because of the income and capital rules; and what proportion of (1) successful, and (2) unsuccessful, claimants for Universal Credit in this period were eligible for contributory (a) Jobseeker's Allowance, and (b) Employment and Support Allowance.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Department has been working to ensure we get support as quickly as possible to those individuals and households most financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It has been a longstanding principle of Universal Credit (UC) that an assessment of earnings, other income and capital is needed to establish eligibility to target support to those most in need. There may be several reasons why someone is not eligible to receive UC, will have received a nil award or withdrew their claim. Among other reasons, this includes:
Between 16 March and 3 May there were 1,875,000 declarations made to UC, all of which are processed. Of these:
Claimants move from existing benefits to UC when they experience a significant change in their circumstances that triggers a new claim to benefit. We do not centrally collate the number of claimants that have made a new claim to UC as a result of such a change in circumstances.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what transitional arrangements are in place for claimants whose health deteriorates when in receipt of jobseeker's allowance if their claim is stopped and they are advised to claim employment support allowance.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
If a JSA claimant’s health deteriorates, and the period of sickness is expected to exceed 13 weeks, a claim should be made to ESA or Universal Credit (UC) in relevant geographical areas.
In this instance the claimant would need to close their JSA claim and make a new claim to ESA. ESA can be claimed immediately following the closure of a JSA claim and, provided the claim to ESA was made within 12 weeks of closing their JSA claim, the claimant would not have to serve waiting days.
There are no transitional arrangements between the benefits however, the aim is for there to be no unnecessary interruption of funds to the individual. Where a claimant is in urgent financial need whilst their ESA claim is being processed, they can apply for additional support in the form of an advance on their first payment, known as a “short term benefit advance”, or a hardship payment. The claimant will receive a benefit advance payment on the same or next working day.
If the JSA claimant’s period of sickness is likely to be for less than 13 weeks (referred to as an Extended Period of Sickness (EPS)), the claimant may choose to remain in receipt of JSA rather than claiming ESA/UC. If they choose to do this, they will receive the same amount of JSA benefit.
To qualify for an EPS the claimant must not be fit for any work and this will be determined based on the medical evidence supplied. During this period the claimant will be treated as being available for work, and the Work Coach will tailor the conditionality requirements on their Claimant Commitment, taking into account the claimant’s health condition.
An EPS can only be declared for one continuous period of sickness of 13 weeks or less in any 12 month period calculated from the start of the period of sickness. Once it is clear the period of sickness will last for 13 weeks or more, the claimant will be advised to make a claim to ESA or UC.
In areas where UC Full Service is in place, the claimant will be advised to claim UC rather than ESA.
One of the policy designs of Universal Credit is that it removes the need for claimants to switch between different benefits as their circumstances change, simplifying the system and ensuring continuity for claimants.
As stated, there are no transitional arrangements for UC. Where a claimant advises they cannot manage financially until their pay day (UC is paid monthly, unlike JSA and ESA which are fortnightly), an advance can be made. This advance is recoverable from further payments of UC, at a rate agreed between the claimant and the Work Coach.
Universal Credit is a much simpler system with clearer rules and clearer rates. It has an easy to use online account, where claimants can report changes of circumstance in real time. UC Support for disabled people under UC reflects two core components of the old ESA system, ensuring that more severely disabled people benefit from higher payments.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many residents of (a) Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency and (b) Manchester have had their benefits sanctioned in each year since 2010.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The available information as requested is shown in the table below.
Number of individuals with an adverse benefit sanction applied in Wythenshawe and Sale East parliamentary constituency and Manchester local authority: 2010 - 2013
Year | Wythenshawe and Sale East Parliamentary Constituency | Manchester Local Authority |
2010 | 1,310 | 7,600 |
2011 | 1,400 | 8,140 |
2012 | 1,310 | 8,350 |
2013 | 1,290 | 9,590 |
Source: (JSA and ESA): DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database.
Source (IS): Income Support Computer System
Notes:
2. The number of benefit sanctions applied is the number of sanction or disallowance referrals where the decision was found against the claimant for those in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, or Income Support (Lone Parents).
3. Data is for January to December in each year.
4. Income Support Lone Parents receive a fixed sanction of 20% of the personal allowance rate of a single claimant [not aged less than 25] for each failure to attend/participate in a Work Focused Interview until 10 pence is left in payment. This sanction lasts until the individual attends and participates in a Work Focused Interview. In the case where there is more than one sanction in place the claimant need only attend/participate in one Work Focused Interview in order for all related sanctions to be removed from their benefit.
5. New sanctions rules came into force for JSA and ESA from 22 October 2012 and 3 December 2012. The number of JSA sanctions applied for the new regime is the number of low, intermediate, and high level referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-overview-of-sanctions-rules
6. This information for JSA and ESA sanctions is published at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have had their benefits sanctioned in (a) Wythenshawe and Sale East constituency and (b) Manchester in the most recent period for which figures are available.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The available information as requested is shown in the table below.
Number of individuals with an adverse benefit sanction applied in Wythenshawe and Sale East parliamentary constituency and Manchester local authority: 2010 - 2013
Year | Wythenshawe and Sale East Parliamentary Constituency | Manchester Local Authority |
2010 | 1,310 | 7,600 |
2011 | 1,400 | 8,140 |
2012 | 1,310 | 8,350 |
2013 | 1,290 | 9,590 |
Source: (JSA and ESA): DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database.
Source (IS): Income Support Computer System
Notes:
2. The number of benefit sanctions applied is the number of sanction or disallowance referrals where the decision was found against the claimant for those in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, or Income Support (Lone Parents).
3. Data is for January to December in each year.
4. Income Support Lone Parents receive a fixed sanction of 20% of the personal allowance rate of a single claimant [not aged less than 25] for each failure to attend/participate in a Work Focused Interview until 10 pence is left in payment. This sanction lasts until the individual attends and participates in a Work Focused Interview. In the case where there is more than one sanction in place the claimant need only attend/participate in one Work Focused Interview in order for all related sanctions to be removed from their benefit.
5. New sanctions rules came into force for JSA and ESA from 22 October 2012 and 3 December 2012. The number of JSA sanctions applied for the new regime is the number of low, intermediate, and high level referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-overview-of-sanctions-rules
6. This information for JSA and ESA sanctions is published at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/