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  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases of debt repayment to his Department have been cancelled in each year since 2010.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The latest preliminary figures for 2014/15 estimate Fraud and Error levels as £3.2 billion, or 1.9% of benefit expenditure. The net figure after recoveries is £2.3bn, or 1.4%. This means that DWP Fraud and Error is at its lowest ever level.

    We have interpreted this question to mean the volume of debts written off since 2010. The totals represent the number of transactions where debts have been written off either in full or in part, i.e. where some element remains recoverable.

    The vast majority of these transactions are either cases where the Department has no legal right to recover or overpayments under £65 which are not value for money to pursue.

    Year 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 To 30 Sept 2015
    Total Write Off 1,312,421 1,198,463 1,513,404 1,460,734 1,213,838 571,008
  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total value is of outstanding benefit overpayments due to be recovered by his Department.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The latest preliminary figures for 2014/15 estimate Fraud and Error levels as £3.2 billion, or 1.9% of benefit expenditure. The net figure after recoveries is £2.3bn, or 1.4%. This means that DWP Fraud and Error is at its lowest ever level.

    The total value of outstanding benefit overpayments as of 1 October 2015 is £2.5 billion. This represents less than 1.5% of the total benefit expenditure of £168 billion for 2014 – 2015.

    The Department recovered over £1.3 billion of debt in 2014-2015, including benefit debts.

  • Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Louise Haigh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Louise Haigh on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total value is of benefit overpayments which have been written off by his Department due to a failure to keep and maintain adequate records since 2010.

    Justin Tomlinson

    This information can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  • Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Ian C. Lucas – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian C. Lucas on 2015-10-27.

    To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people claimed tax credits in each lower super output area in (a) Wrexham County Borough Council and (b) Wrexham constituency.

    Damian Hinds

    A geographical breakdown of tax credits claimants can be found in the 2013-14 finalised award published statistics, at this link:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/462398/LSOA_2013_-_W_-_Wales.xls

    “

  • Drew Hendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Drew Hendry – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Drew Hendry on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that landlords receive the expected rent payments for tenants in properties in areas where universal credit is rolled out.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Universal Credit is usually paid directly to claimants as a single monthly sum.

    In certain circumstances, such as where a claimant is identified as vulnerable, the Department may make alternative payment arrangements for rent to be paid directly to landlords.

    The Department is also conducting a pilot with a selection of landlords from the social housing sector where the landlord can identify claimants with a need for alternative payments arrangements and make recommendations to DWP for rapid implementation of direct payments.

  • Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Coyle – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Coyle on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2015 to Question 12674, what his Department is doing to ensure that people provide sufficient written medical information for their initial Personal Independence Payment decision to prevent the need for reconsiderations and appeals.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Claimants are invited to provide any evidence that they have to hand when they submit their "PIP2 How your disability affects you" questionnaire. We also ask them who assessment providers can approach to seek further evidence.

    We have worked with organisations representing disabled people to improve our communications; we now provide additional information to claimants outlining more specifically the types of evidence which are most helpful in enabling us to carry out an assessment.

    In every case the health professional conducting the assessment will consider any evidence that the claimant has provided, and will also consider whether further evidence will help them in providing advice on the claim to the Department’s decision maker. Ensuring that the claimant is able to tell us who is best placed to provide supporting evidence forms a core part of our approach. Such evidence can come from a variety of sources, including GPs, hospital consultants, community psychiatric nurses and social workers, as well as family members and carers.

    We would urge all advisors and advocates to encourage claimants to provide relevant evidence at the earliest opportunity to avoid the need for reconsiderations and appeals, and minimise consequent costs for the tax-payer.

  • Steven Paterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steven Paterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steven Paterson on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the effect of benefit sanctions on levels of poverty.

    Priti Patel

    The current employment rate of 73.6% is a record high.

    Work is the best route out of poverty, and the system of conditionality that underpins the welfare system is the most effective way to support jobseekers into work.

  • Peter Grant – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Peter Grant – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Grant on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the monthly running costs of administering benefit sanctions.

    Priti Patel

    The department does not hold information on the monthly running costs of administering benefit sanctions.

    This information cannot be captured at this level even at disproportionate cost.

  • Richard Fuller – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Richard Fuller – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Richard Fuller on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of the benefit cap on the number of workless households.

    Justin Tomlinson

    I refer the hon.Member to the answer I gave today to Oral Question UIN 901933

    The benefit cap is having a long term positive impact on people’s lives, and encouraging them to find work.

    Over 60,000 households have been capped since April 2013. As of May 2015, over 40,000 households were no longer subject to the benefit cap. Of those, 16,300 households moved into work.

  • Stephen Hepburn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Hepburn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Hepburn on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate the Government has made of the number of working families which will be affected by its reforms to benefits.

    Priti Patel

    The welfare system we inherited from Labour was uncontrolled, unaffordable and favoured welfare over work. This Government is undertaking widespread reform to ensure that work always pays, and restoring fairness for the hardworking taxpayers who pay for it.

    Universal Credit will radically reform working-age benefits system via improved work incentives, increased simplicity and increased conditionality. Once fully rolled out, we estimate that around 3.8 million working households will be affected by the move to UC.