Blog

  • Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Green – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2014, Official Report, columns 171-2W, on children: maintenance, how much of the amount is written off in child maintenance arrears since November 2012; how much is attributable to (a) a request from the parent with care to write off the arrears, (b) the death of a non-resident parent, (c) the death of a parent with care, (d) an interim maintenance assessment between 1993 and 1995 and (e) a debt where the non-resident parent had been told that no further action would ever be taken.

    Steve Webb

    The amounts written off since November 2012 in the circumstances requested are as follows.

    Reason

    Year to March 13

    Year to March 14

    Parent with care request

    £365,269

    £9,922,726

    Non-resident parent death

    £683,378

    £4,617,325

    Parent with care death

    £8,121

    £24,240

    Interim maintenance assessments 1993 – 1995

    £35,796

    £126,340

    NRP advised debt will not be pursued

    £11,648

    £355,956

    Total

    £1,104,212

    £15,046,587

    Note:

    The total does not equal that quoted in response to PQ/14/201287 because there are amounts recorded under categories which are not included in this response.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children in Yorkshire were in (a) relative and (b) absolute poverty in 1997-98 and in each year since.

    Esther McVey

    Estimates of the number and proportion of children in relative and absolute low income are published in the National Statistics Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. This information is captured using the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The latest publication is available at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/households-below-average-income-hbai-199495-to-201213

    Due to small sample sizes local poverty estimates for Yorkshire are not available as robust estimates cannot be produced. However, HBAI does provide 3-year average estimates of the number of children in relative and absolute low income in Yorkshire and the Humber.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) York Central constituency and (b) York Unitary Authority area received pension credit in the last year for which data is available.

    Steve Webb

    Statistics for State Pension and Pension Credit are available from 100% data and are published on the Department’s website at:

    http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/pc/tabtool_pc.html

    and

    http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/sp/tabtool_sp.html

    Guidance for users is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance

    “

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households with a person aged 75 or over in (a) York Central constituency and (b) York Unitary Authority area were eligible for a free television licence in the last year for which data is available.

    Steve Webb

    The information requested is not held.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in (a) York Central constituency and (b) York Unitary Authority area received winter fuel payments in the last year for which data is available.

    Steve Webb

    The information for winter 2012-13 is available on the internet at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/winter-fuel-payment-caseload-and-household-figures-201213

    “

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time is that people wait to receive employment and support allowance following a successful tribunal appeal.

    Mike Penning

    The information requested is not readily available.

    DWP action appeal disposals from HMCTS as a matter of urgency once received to ensure the customer is not disadvantaged.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people wait more than (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine and (d) 12 months to receive a tribunal appeal decision following an employment and support allowance decision; and what steps the Government is doing to speed up that process.

    Mike Penning

    The information requested is not readily available.

    As a consequence of the recent significant drop in appeals the Tribunal service expects its clearance times to significantly decrease.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total cost incurred by his Department was of appeals against employment and support allowance decisions in 2010 and in each year since.

    Mike Penning

    We have taken action to reduce the cost of appeals by reforming the DWP appeal process. Mandatory reconsideration, where we look again at individual decisions before it goes to a tribunal, alongside our wider reforms to streamline the system are designed to avoid the need for expensive appeals.

    We have seen a significant reduction in the volume of appeals. During the first quarter of this year appeals against ESA decisions decreased by almost 90 per cent, compared to the same time last year. We expect that this will be reflected in a lower total cost incurred by this Department in 2014/15.

    The operating costs incurred by the Department for appeals against ESA decisions prior to 2014/15 are as follows:

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    ESA Appeals

    £16,464,859

    £19,651,619

    £28,678,396

    In addition to these costs the Department has paid the following amounts to HMCTS. These costs are for the number of appeals against ESA decisions that HMCTS have handled which are in excess of the volume for which they have been funded for in their baseline funding.

    2011/12

    2012/13

    2013/14

    Total Costs payable to HMCTS

    £26,157,701

    £29,291,646

    £41,179,738

    Note: Comparable data is not available prior to 2011/12.

  • Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Hugh Bayley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hugh Bayley on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) the City of York local authority area and (b) York Central constituency were in receipt of (i) the basic state pension and (ii) pension credit in 2008-09 and in each year since; and what the average weekly value of pension credit received was in each case during those periods.

    Steve Webb

    Statistics for State Pension and Pension Credit are available from 100% data and are published on the Department’s website at:

    http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/pc/tabtool_pc.html

    and

    http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/sp/tabtool_sp.html

    Guidance for users is available at:

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-tabulation-tool-guidance

    “

  • Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Stephen Timms – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department is currently pursuing plans for jam jar bank accounts under the universal credit programme; and if he will make a statement.

    Esther McVey

    We are looking at a wide range of support options and considering the best outcomes for Universal Credit claimants which provide value for the taxpayer.

    We are continuing to have discussions with providers of financial products and other stakeholders and we will make an announcement once those discussions have concluded.