The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the new technology required to deliver universal credit has been completed to date.
Priti Patel
I again refer my Rt. Hon. Member to the answer I gave on the 11 January 2016
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diane Abbott on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment and support allowance claimants with (a) Parkinson’s disease, (b) rheumatoid arthritis, (c) motor neurone disease, (d) multiple sclerosis and (e) cystic fibrosis have been (i) placed in support groups, (ii) placed in the work-related activity group and (iii) found fit for work since 2008; and if he will make a statement.
Priti Patel
The information requested is shown in the table below.
|
Cystic Fibrosis |
Spinal Muscular Atrophy |
Parkinson’s Disease |
Multiple Sclerosis |
Other Rheumatoid Arthritis |
||
|
Initial |
SG |
900 |
1,100 |
1,700 |
7,600 |
3,400 |
|
WRAG |
100 |
100 |
700 |
2,600 |
3,500 |
|
|
FFW |
100 |
– |
600 |
1,800 |
4,100 |
|
|
Repeat |
SG |
500 |
300 |
1,100 |
7,300 |
4,500 |
|
WRAG |
100 |
– |
500 |
2,200 |
3,900 |
|
|
FFW |
– |
– |
100 |
400 |
1,200 |
|
|
IBR |
SG |
600 |
200 |
1,300 |
15,400 |
6,100 |
|
WRAG |
100 |
– |
300 |
2,600 |
5,000 |
|
|
FFW |
– |
– |
– |
300 |
1,100 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Joanna Cherry on 2016-01-21.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to ensure that parents who are the sole carer for disabled children aged over 18 will not lose out on vital income as a result of the reforms of tax credits.
Damian Hinds
As announced at Summer Budget, families will no longer be able to claim additional support through Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit for third or subsequent children in a family where the child is born after April 2017.
Third or subsequent disabled children born after April 2017 will still receive the disabled child element and the severely disabled child element in Child Tax Credit and the disabled child addition in Universal Credit, but not the child element.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Meg Hillier on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to enable special circumstances to be taken into account when making the decision to withhold pension credit to people who are away from their homes for a period of more than four weeks.
Justin Tomlinson
It is the intention to amend the Pension Credit temporary absence from Great Britain rules from April 2016. The temporary absence rules allow entitlement to Pension Credit to continue where under normal conditions it would not do so.
We are planning for a general rule which will allow Pension Credit to remain payable for absences not exceeding four weeks. We intend to have exceptions to the general rule to cater for bereavement or medical treatment. Where the absence from Great Britain is in connection with a bereavement concerning a partner or close relative then entitlement to Pension Credit may continue for absences not exceeding eight weeks. Where the absence from Great Britain is in order to receive medical treatment then entitlement to Pension Credit may continue for absences not exceeding 26 weeks.
These changes do not affect the Pension Credit rules covering absences from home within Great Britain.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Crawley on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a scheme based on the actuarial pension model to increase the speed at which women born in the 1950s qualify for state pension.
Justin Tomlinson
The State Pension is funded through the National Insurance scheme which does not bear comparison with a commercially operated one.
Although eligibility for the State Pension is dependent in part on the payment of National Insurance, the National Insurance system is not an individual pension fund. National Insurance credits are available for many people to help them build entitlement towards the State Pension. National Insurance contributions also give entitlement to a range of other benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Carer’s Allowance.
Future entitlement to benefits is a matter for the Government and Parliament to decide, and the changes to the State Pension age have been made in conjunction with introducing the triple-lock protection of the basic State Pension, the introduction of the new State Pension, and the protection of other pensioner benefits.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Hollern on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on working families of his proposed reductions to the work allowance of universal credit.
Priti Patel
The impact of the work allowance change on working families cannot be considered in isolation – it is part of a broader package of measures announced at the Summer Budget, such as the increase to the personal tax allowance and introduction of the national living wage.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelvin Hopkins on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons are for the delay in transferring his Department’s Transactional Bulk Print Services contract to Williams Lea from the current provider, Hewlett Packard, originally scheduled for February 2015; what the revised timetable is for that transfer; what assessment he has made of potential risks to service delivery arising from loss of key staff as a result of that delay; and what contingency plans his Department has prepared to mitigate such risks.
Justin Tomlinson
The DWP Print service will transfer to Williams Lea on 31st March 2016. All staff currently working on Print within Hewlett Packard (HP) will transfer over on this date via TUPE unless they have decided to opt out and accept alternative positions within HP prior to the date of transfer. All staff have been informed and consultation is actively underway in line with legislative requirements.
In terms of contractual obligations, Williams Lea are obligated to transfer the service over by 31st March 2016. Williams Lea remain on track to meet their transfer date obligation and no service disruption is anticipated.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Law on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the monetary value was of each type of benefits withdrawn in (a) Dundee and (b) Scotland as a result of benefit sanctions in each month from 2010 to date.
Priti Patel
The Department does not make an estimate of the amount of benefit withdrawn as a result of benefit sanctions.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paula Sherriff on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Energy and Climate Change on sharing data on households in receipt of welfare benefits; and what privacy safeguards apply to sharing individuals’ data with other Departments.
Justin Tomlinson
The Warm Home Discount Scheme was introduced in 2011 as a joint initiative between the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and energy suppliers for which we need data sharing arrangements which are reviewed annually. The initiative exists to help vulnerable and low income households with their energy costs.
By using an automated system, vulnerable pensioners do not have to go through a clerical claim process. Primary legislation removed the need for informed consent to the data-share for this purpose and a memorandum of understanding exists between DWP and DECC to ensure the successful delivery of the scheme. Legal gateway is provided by the Warm Home Discount Regulations 2011 and the Disclosure of State Pension Credit Information (Warm Home Discount) Regulations 2011 made in exercise of the powers conferred by the Energy Act 2010 and the Pension Act 2008.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-01-21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claimants of personal independence payments at the time of the introduction of the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments system have been subsequently taken off those payments; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of current claimants of that payment who will be taken off over the next six months.
Justin Tomlinson
The Centre for Health and Disability Assessments delivers Work Capability Assessments for Employment and Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit claimants. They do not carry out assessments of Personal Independence Payment claimants which are delivered by Atos Healthcare and Capita.