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  • Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Margaret Ritchie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Margaret Ritchie on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the level of household median net earnings after the deduction of income tax and national insurance contributions and before benefits was for (a) all working-age adults, (b) working-age adults without children and (c) working-age adults with children (i) including individuals in households without household earnings and (ii) excluding individuals in households without household earnings in the most recent period for which figures are available.

    Priti Patel

    Table 1: Median weekly household net earnings – including households without earnings, UK 2013/14

    Household median weekly net earnings

    (a) (i) All households with at least one working age adult

    £452

    (b) (i) All households with at least one working age adult and no dependent children

    £442

    (c) (i) All households with at least one working age adult and at least one dependent child

    £469

    Table 2: Median weekly household net earnings – excluding households without earnings, UK 2013/14

    Household median weekly net earnings

    (a) (ii) All households with at least one working age adult

    £561

    (b) (ii) All households with at least one working age adult and no dependent children

    £558

    (c ) (ii) All households with at least one working age adult and at least one dependent child

    £566

    Source: Family Resources Survey, 2013/14

    Notes:

    1. Net earnings are defined as earnings from employment and self-employment, after the deduction of income tax and national insurance contributions but before deductions such as pension contributions, trade union fees etc..
    2. Median calculations in Table 2 exclude those households with zero or negative net earnings (i.e. excludes those with losses from self-employment).
    3. The Family Resources Survey is a nationally representative sample of UK households.
    4. The figures from the Family Resources Survey are based on a sample of households which have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors which align the Family Resources Survey to former Government Office Region population by age and sex. Estimates based on survey data are subject to uncertainty due to sampling error and remaining non-response error.
    5. Data are rounded to the nearest whole pound.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payment claimants there were in Cardiff South and Penarth constituency in each of the last 12 months.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Information on the number of claimants in receipt of Personal Independence Payment, by month and a range of geographic breakdowns, including parliamentary constituency, is available from Stat-Xplore. https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

    “

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2016 to Question 27464, how many joint investigations by the Child Maintenance Group Financial Investigation Unit and HM Revenue Customs in connection with income fraud for child maintenance and tax purposes are underway; and how many such investigations have been completed.

    Priti Patel

    There are currently three on-going joint investigations between HMRC and CMG, two of these are currently awaiting trial at the Crown Court. Three joint investigations have been concluded, all with findings of guilt at the Crown Court, with sentences ranging from 1 – 3 years imprisonment. Intelligence on a further 13 cases has also been passed to HMRC for them to consider.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average weekly personal independence payment was to people in Cardiff South and Penarth constituency in the last 12 months.

    Justin Tomlinson

    At the end of January 2016 the average amount payable to PIP recipients in the Cardiff South and Penarth parliamentary constituency was £89.85 per week.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what communications his Department had with people receiving personal independence payments to inform them of the potential changes to their benefits before announcing those changes.

    Justin Tomlinson

    As confirmed by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State in his statement to the House on 21 March, the proposed changes to PIP will not be going ahead.

    We spend around £50bn every year on benefits alone to support people with disabilities or health conditions, with spending on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) having increased by more than £3 billion since 2010. The government is committed to talking to disabled people, their representatives, healthcare professionals and employers to ensure the welfare system works better with the health and social care systems and provides help and support to those who need it most.

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Thomas-Symonds on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2016 to Question 30986, what estimate his Department has made of the number of children who will be lifted out of poverty as a result of universal credit before any effect on employment.

    Priti Patel

    This Government is committed to eliminating child poverty and transforming the life chances of the most disadvantaged children and families.

    We know that work is the best route out of poverty, and Universal Credit is designed to strengthen incentives for parents to move into and progress in work. Ignoring the impact that Universal Credit has on incentivising work and raising the incomes of families is inappropriate.

    The impact of Universal Credit cannot be considered in isolation– it is a key component of a broader strategy to move Britain to a higher wage, lower welfare, lower tax society.

  • Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Greg Mulholland – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Greg Mulholland on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve the assessment process for personal independence payments.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Since its inception, the system of assessing claimants’ eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has been continually reviewed and refined in order to improve its efficiency, effectiveness and the claimant experience. We have worked extensively with PIP assessment providers and disability rights groups to make improvements to guidance, training and audit procedures in order to ensure a quality service.

    The Government’s response to Paul Gray’s independent review of the process can be found at:

    www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/478224/pip-assessment-first-independent-review-second-response.pdf

    The Government has committed in legislation to a further independent review which will report by April 2017.

    “

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have had their initial assessments for personal independence payments assessments payments upheld on appeal in (a) the UK, (b) Wiltshire and (c) the Chippenham constituency in each of the last 12 months.

    Andrew Selous

    The information requested is not held centrally.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what work his Department is undertaking to support people with mental health conditions who are subject to the personal independent payments assessment process.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Claimants identified as having mental health issues can access additional support at any point in the assessment process. At the new claim stage: if they do not return their claim form, we will arrange for the claimant to be referred directly to the assessment provider for their assessment without the need for completing the form. At the assessment stage: we would support any claimant with mental health issues to have company with them for their assessment.

    Additionally, Atos and Capita both employ Mental and Cognitive Champions to provide advice and support to their health assessors on conditions and disabilities affecting mental, cognitive and behavioural function. We also work closely with disability organisations to develop training and increase awareness of these conditions amongst health assessors.

  • Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Neil Gray – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Neil Gray on 2016-03-21.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects the findings of the review of industrial injuries disablement benefit to be published.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The review is ongoing and we will report our findings in due course.