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  • 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.

  • 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.

    “

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

    “

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many challenges to benefits sanctions have been overturned as a result of tribunal interventions where his Department has not made reasonable adjustments under disability equality law; how his Department takes into account information from social services or health service staff before imposing such sanctions; and what processes ensure that adjustments are made before such sanctions are imposed on disabled claimants.

    Esther McVey

    The exact information you request on tribunal Interventions is not available.

    However, Decision Makers ensure that all relevant claimant circumstances are carefully considered before imposing any sanction. This may include information from social services and health service staff if it was relevant to the case. We do not sanction vulnerable claimants without making every effort to contact them or their carer/healthcare professional first. Clear and detailed guidance is used by Decision Makers to ensure that the necessary processes are followed in a consistent manner.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Rachel Reeves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2015-02-20.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) number, (b) value and (c) proportion is of incorrect payments made to claimants of universal credit since the scheme was introduced.

    Steve Webb

    This information is not readily available for publication and to quality assure this management information to Office for National Statistics quality standards, would incur disproportionate costs.

  • Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

    Roger Godsiff – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Wales Office

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

    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the total value of contracts his Department has with private sector providers was in each of the last five years for which records are available.

    Alun Cairns

    As a small Government Department we use the buying power of larger government departments to procure services, primarily the Ministry of Justice, and we do not therefore possess the information requested.