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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, 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, 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
  • 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 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Freedom of Information requests were (a) submitted to, (b) acceded to and (c) refused by his Department in each of the last five years.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Information on Freedom of Information performance for the last five years for all Government Departments, including DWP, is routinely published on GOV.UK.

    These reports are published quarterly and annually and include the number of requests received, acceded to and refused.

    They are published at:

    https://www.gov.uk/search?q=freedom+of+information+statistics+&tab=government-results

    “

  • 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 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what ways his Department’s requirements for reassessment of continuing claims for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment by people with multiple sclerosis reflect the degenerative nature of that condition.

    Priti Patel

    The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assesses individuals against a set of functional descriptors not specific conditions, as two people with the same condition can be affected in different ways. This does however take account of how fluctuating and degenerative conditions, such multiple sclerosis, affect a claimant’s ability to work.

    A healthcare professional gives advice on when they think a claimants functional capability may have changed sufficiently to trigger a change in the outcome of the WCA. Re-referral dates chosen can be 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 or 36 months depending on when it is considered most appropriate for the claimant to have their next contact with the Department.

    Decisions on claims to Personal Independence Payment are made by case managers and are based on advice received from the assessment providers following an assessment, together with any other evidence received. People with a progressive condition, and who are not expected to live beyond six months, are not required to attend a face-to-face assessment and their claims will always be decided on the basis of the evidence received.

    Claims to Personal Independence Payment are looked at individually, considering the impact on daily living and mobility of the impairment or health condition, rather than solely basing the decision on the impairment or health condition itself. Award durations and reviews are based on an assessment of whether the individual’s functional abilities are likely to deteriorate, improve or stay the same. Reviews ensure that claimants continue to receive the appropriate level of award throughout their claim, including claimants with degenerative conditions who may get a higher award at review to reflect a deterioration in their condition.

  • 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 he is taking to increase the uptake of housing benefits by people who are eligible.

    Justin Tomlinson

    We are committed to ensuring people are able to claim the correct benefits to which they are entitled. The availability of benefits is widely known, advice is available in different languages, different formats, and different locations. In addition to local authorities, Jobcentre Plus offices, law centres, Citizens Advice, post offices, doctors’ surgeries, libraries, the internet, community groups, welfare rights groups, advice centres, and various voluntary organisations all offer advice and information. Furthermore, many benefit claim forms will offer advice on other forms of assistance that may be available.

    Claimants to DWP benefits are routinely asked during the claim process if they want to claim Housing Benefit. If they do, we take the claim and share the data with the local authority.

    In future working age customers who are receiving Universal Credit will receive housing costs as part of an individual or a couple’s claim, thus removing the need to make a separate application to the local authority.

  • Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Caroline Flint – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Flint on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of people in work expected to be in receipt of universal credit currently receive less than the proposed National Living Wage.

    Priti Patel

    DWP does not have estimates of the salaries of people who are forecast to be on Universal Credit in the future.

  • 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 he is taking to increase the uptake of jobseeker’s allowance by people who are eligible.

    Priti Patel

    The Department does all it can to ensure that people are aware of the benefits to which they may be entitled and how to claim them, through its information providing services.

    Advice is available in different languages and formats, and across multiple locations. In addition to Jobcentre Plus offices, these include local authorities, law centres, Citizens Advice, post offices, doctors’ surgeries, libraries, the internet, community groups, welfare rights groups, advice centres, and various voluntary organisations.

  • 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 he is taking to monitor regional variations in benefit uptake.

    Priti Patel

    Estimates of take-up are not available at geographies below Great Britain. This is due to the size of the survey sample they are based on and methods used to generate robust national figures.

    However, on 25th June 2015 the Department for Work and Pensions published the report “Income-related benefits: Estimates of take-up in 2013/14 (experimental)”. The full report can be found at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-201314

    “

  • 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 he is taking to increase the uptake of (a) income support and (b) employment and support allowance by people who are eligible.

    Priti Patel

    The Department does all it can to ensure that people are aware of the benefits to which they may be entitled and how to claim them, through its information providing services.

    Advice is available in different languages and formats, and across multiple locations. In addition to Jobcentre Plus offices, these include local authorities, law centres, Citizens Advice, post offices, doctors’ surgeries, libraries, the internet, community groups, welfare rights groups, advice centres, and various voluntary organisations.

  • Karen Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Karen Buck – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Karen Buck on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which local authorities are covered by the Maximus Camden Team which is leading on the Work Programme for employment support allowance claimants in the work-related activity group.

    Priti Patel

    Only claimants in Camden local authority are covered by the Maximus team located in Camden.