Author: admin

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of increasing the other funeral expenses category of the social fund funeral payments scheme in line with inflation since the level was set at £700 in 2003.

    Steve Webb

    There has been no estimate as we do not know what people would have claimed if the limit was higher. However, it is vital that the Government ensures that any scheme funded by the taxpayer is managed properly and the money spent wisely. The funding offered from both Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments and Budgeting Loans continues support towards the cost of a funeral, including necessary costs in full, whilst maintaining a fiscally viable fund.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department provides on (a) the average cost of a funeral and (b) potential sources of financial support for a funeral to families of the recently deceased who are in receipt of state benefits.

    Steve Webb

    My department does not hold information on the average cost of a funeral. However the average funeral expenses payment for 2013/14 was £1,347.

    My department provides financial support towards a funeral to those on certain state benefits via Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments and Budgeting Loans.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people aged 18 to 24 years are subject to sanctions for (a) jobseeker’s allowance and (b) employment and support allowance in (i) Preston, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) the North West.

    Esther McVey

    The information requested for Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance adverse sanctions, by age and geography is published at:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

    Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

    “

  • Pamela Nash – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Pamela Nash – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Pamela Nash on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding has been provided to the Rapid Response Service in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the staffing level of that service was in each of those areas in those years.

    Esther McVey

    The overall funding for Rapid Response by DWP in the UK was:

    · 2010-11 £7.100m

    · 2011-12 £3.000m

    · 2012-13 £4.037m

    · 2013-14 £4.000m

    This spend is captured at a National level and is unable to be split into Scotland and Wales data without a disproportionate cost to disaggregate. Northern Ireland is not within the jurisdiction of the Department for Work and Pensions.

    Rapid response activities are part one of an advisor’s job so it is not possible to identify specific staff time utilised on Rapid Response.

    Budget data can only be provided for the 4 years from 2010/ 11 to 2013/14 as historic changes in the accounting systems mean that 2009/10 information is not available.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Universal Credit IT system in Leigh, Greater Manchester, was out of action for three consecutive days in the first week of February 2015; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Mark Harper

    The Universal Credit IT core system was fully operational throughout February. In Leigh, however, there was a problem in non-UC IT which was remedied promptly.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many sanctions were imposed on employment and support allowance claimants in each month between January 2013 and June 2014; and how many such sanctions were imposed on claimants whose primary condition was (a) mental and behavioural disorders, (b) diseases of the nervous system, (c) diseases of the circulatory or respiratory system, (d) diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, (e) injury, poisoining and certain other consequences of external causes and (f) other.

    Esther McVey

    The number of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) adverse sanction decisions is published at:

    https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

    Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:

    https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm

    The information requested for primary condition of ESA adverse sanction decisions is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

    “

  • Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Frank Field – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Frank Field on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library copies of the letter he wrote to the Rt hon. Member for East Ham on Universal Credit in January 2015.

    Steve Webb

    The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions wrote to the Rt Hon Member for East Ham on 22 January. In line with the conventions of the House, correspondence between Ministers and MPs are confidential as far as the Department is concerned, and it is a matter for the MP to decide whether to make it more widely available. The Department has no issue if the Rt Hon Member for East Ham chooses to place a copy of the letter in the library.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) men and (b) women were earning the minimum wage in each of the last five years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Gloria De Piero – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of people were earning the minimum wage in each ethnic group in each of the last five years; and what proportion of people earning the minimum wage were in each ethnic group in each of the last five years.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

  • Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Mark Hendrick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which Ministers in his Department visited departmental buildings in Preston in 2014; which buildings were so visited and on what dates; who was met on each such visit; and what was discussed on each such occasion at those meetings.

    Steve Webb

    The Secretary of State visited Preston Benefit Centre Barry House, 67-69 London Road, PR1 4DE on 11 April 2014 where he met with DWP staff and discussed a variety of Departmental topics.