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  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Reynolds on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many claims for statutory shared parental pay have been linked to adoption leave since 1 April 2015.

    Nick Boles

    The Government does not yet have any information on the take up of Statutory Shared Parental Pay. Information for the 2015-16 tax year will be available from May 2016, although it will also include claims for Additional Statutory Paternity Pay. Information is not held on the number of claims for Statutory Shared Parental Pay that are linked to adoption leave.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice his Department gives to universal credit applicants on their eligibility for council tax reduction.

    Priti Patel

    Local Council Tax reduction schemes are delivered by Local Authorities.

    Universal Credit claimants are signposted to the Local Authority for information on eligibility.

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were paid their Christmas bonus on their benefits in the first week of December 2015.

    Priti Patel

    For Working Age a total of 430,160 customersreceived their Christmas Bonus with their benefit payment for the period covering week commencing 7th December.

    The Pension Service has deemed that to provide a response to this PQ for any of their products could only be provided at a disproportionate cost to the Department.

  • Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Owen Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the final version of the Evaluation of Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy was agreed within his Department.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The contractors who were commissioned to undertake the report into the evaluation of the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy provided the Department with the final version of the report on 8 December 2015.

    It was agreed within the Department on 11 December 2015 and publication details were announced on the same day.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Jim Cunningham – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of women born in the 1950s who have been affected by the changes to pension terms made in 1995 and 2011; and if he will make a statement.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We have interpreted the question as asking how many women in total were affected by State Pension age equalisation in either the Pensions Act 1995 or the Pensions Act 2011 or the increase in the State Pension age to 66 in the Pensions Act 2011.

    The estimated number of women born between April 1950 and December 1959 who are affected by the changes to State Pension age made in the 1995 and 2011 Pensions Acts is 3.48 million. This figure, rounded to the nearest 10,000, is for Great Britain and is based on DWP calculations using ONS statistics.

  • 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 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what circumstances claimants of personal independence payment may be asked to attend reassessments at an earlier date than initially expected.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Benefit is always awarded on the basis that the level of need at the start of the award will continue at the same level throughout the period of the award. In most cases the length of award is based on an intervention date decided by the decision maker, and informed by a healthcare professional.

    Where a claimant’s circumstances change or doubt arises as to the correctness of the award, the claimant or the department can instigate a review of that award before the planned end date. Where this happens the claimant may be asked to attend a face to face consultation with a Health Professional.

  • 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 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many personal independence payment claimants were asked to attend reassessments earlier than the date originally given in each of the last three years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    The information requested can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many potential overlapping payments between those processed through the universal credit live service and those processed for housing benefit have been identified in the East London Jobcentre Plus district since 2013.

    Priti Patel

    We do not retain statistics to identify the information requested, however we have safeguards in place to ensure an effective transition in these instances to avoid overlapping benefits.

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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answers of 11 January 2015 to Questions 21337 and 21336, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the vast majority of existing universal credit claimants will see no change in entitlement.

    Priti Patel

    The latest statistics indicate that the majority of existing Universal Credit claimants are not yet in work.

    As such they will not see a change in entitlement as a result of the April 2016 changes.

  • Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Angela Eagle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Angela Eagle on 2016-01-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer of 9 September 2015 to Question 9059, which other key stakeholders have been consulted on co-locating with Wallasey Jobcentre Plus; and when he plans to publish the outcomes, responses and findings of those consultations.

    Priti Patel

    The proposed relocation of Department for Work and Pensions colleagues from Wallasey Dominick House to Birkenhead Brunswick House will provide an expected net financial saving of around £450,000 by 2018.

    Notification of the 4-week consultation period was sent to all key stakeholders of Wallasey Jobcentre Plus, including Angela Eagle MP, Eric Robinson (Chief Executive Wirral Council), People Plus (Work Programme Provider), Ingeus (Work Programme Provider), Citizens Advice Bureau, and Wirral Welfare Rights.

    The Department has no plans to publish the outcome of the consultation.