Asked by: Ian Blackford (Scottish National Party - Ross, Skye and Lochaber)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants of New Style Employment Support Allowance were refused assistance because of insufficient National Insurance contributions during the covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make it his policy to reduce the requirement for National Insurance contributions in that period.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
As part of the Government's strategy to support people affected by the Coronavirus, we made a number of changes to ensure people who needed financial help could have access to the benefit system. People who were unable to claim New Style ESA due to insufficient National Insurance credits could alternatively make a claim for Universal Credit, which is a means tested benefit. There are no plans to change the New Style ESA contribution conditions for this period of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2023 to Question 161211 on Universal Credit: Coronavirus, how much was not collected in deductions from Universal Credit as a result of the suspension of deductions during the covid-19 pandemic in the period between January 2020 and January 2021.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and in agreement with His Majesty’s Treasury and the Chancellor, debt recovery was paused for 3 months from April 2020.
Due to the number of variables involved, and taking account of the phased reintroduction of debt recovery, we cannot accurately provide details of the amount not collected in deductions from Universal Credit for the period January 2020 to January 2021.
The department continues to have a well-established process for working with individuals to support them to manage their debts; this might result in agreeing a reduced rate of deduction or, in exceptional cases, suspending repayments. Individuals impacted by the pandemic may have contacted the department seeking a reduction in, or suspension of, their rate of repayment, had the department not suspended all recovery.
Processing of newly identified overpayments was also suspended, and we are unable to accurately estimate the rate of repayment that would have been negotiated given the impact of the pandemic.
Additionally, as we recommenced recovery, changes to individual circumstances may have led to a lower rate of repayment than was in place prior to the pandemic.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the income not received by his Department as a result of the suspension of deductions from Universal Credit during the covid-19 pandemic for the first 12 months from the start of that suspension.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The impact of pausing deductions resulted in debt recovery being delayed rather than lost.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of Universal Credit claimants who are estimated to be living in poverty.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Statistics on poverty levels for Universal Credit claimants in 19/20 are available at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ on the HBAI dataset.
It is not possible to provide a robust estimate for 2020/21 due to the impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had on data quality in 2020/21.
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support childminders who have lost work due to testing positive for covid-19 or due to a positive case in their household following the closure of Test and Trace Support Payment scheme.
Answered by Will Quince
Keeping children and staff safe is the department’s utmost priority. Throughout the pandemic we have listened carefully to the latest scientific and medical advice when developing guidance.
The department has recently reviewed and updated our guidance for childminders with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
From 17 March 2022, childminders can continue to childmind in their homes if someone who lives with them has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms.
Childminders are advised to follow the steps below to reduce the risk of onward transmission:
Childminders can also consider using alternative places to operate such as other childminders’ houses, where possible.
Childminders who are unable to work due to COVID-19 can claim other government support such as Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, and the new style Employment and Support Allowance (subject to eligibility).
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much expenditure by her Department that was identified as fraudulent was repaid to her Department in each of the last three years.
Answered by David Rutley
The Department publishes Fraud and Error estimates, as shown in the link, which include data on how much money was potentially lost to Fraud in each of the last 3 years. Fraud and Error in the benefit system is rare, but we know that organised criminals and opportunists sought to exploit the extraordinary circumstances of a global pandemic for gain. We took steps to stop this and estimate that we prevented nearly £3bn of additional fraud and error in 2020/21.
fraud-and-error-stats-release-2020-2021-estimates-tables-xls.xlsx (live.com)
These same statistics also indicate how much money was repaid by way of benefit debt. The totals include debts incurred through Fraud, Claimant Error, and where appropriate, Official Error.
The repayment figures are:
20/21: £0.8bn (£0.5bn Housing Benefit and £0.3bn other DWP benefits)
19/20: £1.0bn (£0.6bn Housing Benefit and £0.4bn other DWP benefits)
18/19: £1.1bn (£0.7bn Housing Benefit and £0.4bn other DWP benefits)
The slight fall in 20/21 was due in part to debt recovery being paused for three months from April 2020, so that Debt Management staff could support processing of the substantial rise in new Universal Credit claims, following the outbreak of coronavirus.
Note that other benefits recovered by DWP, including Tax Credits and Advances, are not included in these totals.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much expenditure by her Department was identified as fraudulent in the last three years.
Answered by David Rutley
The Department publishes Fraud and Error estimates, as shown in the link, which include data on how much money was potentially lost to Fraud in each of the last 3 years. Fraud and Error in the benefit system is rare, but we know that organised criminals and opportunists sought to exploit the extraordinary circumstances of a global pandemic for gain. We took steps to stop this and estimate that we prevented nearly £3bn of additional fraud and error in 2020/21.
fraud-and-error-stats-release-2020-2021-estimates-tables-xls.xlsx (live.com)
These same statistics also indicate how much money was repaid by way of benefit debt. The totals include debts incurred through Fraud, Claimant Error, and where appropriate, Official Error.
The repayment figures are:
20/21: £0.8bn (£0.5bn Housing Benefit and £0.3bn other DWP benefits)
19/20: £1.0bn (£0.6bn Housing Benefit and £0.4bn other DWP benefits)
18/19: £1.1bn (£0.7bn Housing Benefit and £0.4bn other DWP benefits)
The slight fall in 20/21 was due in part to debt recovery being paused for three months from April 2020, so that Debt Management staff could support processing of the substantial rise in new Universal Credit claims, following the outbreak of coronavirus.
Note that other benefits recovered by DWP, including Tax Credits and Advances, are not included in these totals.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to amend sick pay regulations to match those in Germany to encourage employees who display symptoms of COVID-19 to remain at home.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott - Opposition Whip (Lords)
As part of the Government's response to the pandemic, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) has been made payable from the first day of sickness absence from work, rather than the fourth, and eligibility extended to those who are following public health advice on self-isolation due to coronavirus, including where they do not have symptoms. These measures will remain in place until 24th March 2022.
Sick pay regimes sit alongside the different welfare systems, economies, and employment obligations and protections in place internationally which need to be taken into account when making international comparisons.
In the UK, SSP should not be looked at in isolation. Government support through the welfare system, including Universal Credit, is also available for those on low incomes who need extra financial help when they are sick or incapable of work.
As we learn to live with Covid-19, Government is continuing to take a broader look at the role of SSP and is keeping the system under review.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people claiming disability benefits or universal credit who are experiencing long covid; and what plans her Department has to undertake future monitoring of the number of people receiving support from her Department who are experiencing long covid.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Department publishes monthly Official Statistics on the number of people entitled to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) by main disabling condition. The Department also publishes quarterly National Statistics on the number of people entitled to, and in payment of, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA) by main disabling condition. Statistics are available to October 2021 for PIP, and August 2021 for DLA and AA on Stat-Xplore. Guidance for users is available here.
From March 2021 PIP, DLA and AA cases were able to have the disability or main disabling condition classified as "Coronavirus covid-19". These cases are long covid / post-covid syndrome cases, rather than initial covid-19 infection. Any individuals with long covid as their primary reason for claiming PIP, DLA or AA prior to March 2021 will not be classified as "Coronavirus covid-19". These cases will remain classified according to the disability recorded that links with the claimant’s functional needs.
For PIP statistics, the PIP Cases with Entitlement dataset allows you to view the number of PIP cases with entitlement split by disability. Coronavirus-19 can be selected by expanding ‘Infectious disease’ then ‘Viral diseases’. For DLA and AA, the respective DLA and AA: Cases with Entitlement – Data from May 2018 datasets have a category within the disability filter called ‘Infectious diseases: Viral disease - Coronavirus covid-19.’
Please note that data is based on primary disabling condition. This is as recorded on the administrative systems for PIP, DLA and AA. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is available for statistical purposes and shown in these statistics.
The information requested for Universal Credit is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. There are currently no plans to provide such a breakdown.
Other people receiving support with long covid may include those receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), however information is currently only available for high level medical conditions on Stat-Xplore and analysts are investigating if lower level conditions, including "Coronavirus covid-19", can be recorded and reported in the future.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether virtual assessments will remain in-place for universal credit applicants who are classified as clinically extremely vulnerable.
Answered by Chloe Smith
We are currently delivering health assessments through a variety of channels including face-to-face, and telephone and video assessments introduced in response to the pandemic. Whenever possible we will conduct a paper-based assessment. Any future decisions about assessment methods will be evidence-based and to ensure this we will draw on existing evidence as well as research and analysis.