Tag: Chris Bryant

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many councils in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland funded discretionary housing payments beyond the funds allocated to them by his Department in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

Steve Webb

In 2013/14, a) 85 (out of 326) English authorities, b) 15 (out of 27) Welsh authorities and c) 27 (out of 32) Scottish authorities spent more than the contribution provided by DWP towards Discretionary Housing Payments.

Figures for 2014/15 will not be available until after 30 April 2015 – the deadline for local authority DHP returns for the year in question.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to free school meals to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out in Scotland.

David Mundell

The Scottish Government is responsible for defining the entitlement criteria for these passported benefits. They will need to consider the current eligibility criteria and make arrangements to ensure that they can continue to deliver these benefits as Universal Credit is introduced.

There is ongoing engagement between the Scottish Government and the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that any solution is simple, fair, easy to understand and affordable.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to school clothing grants via (a) vouchers and (b) cash or cheque to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Mr David Laws

There is no national school clothing grant operating currently in England.

Individual local authorities and academies may choose to provide school clothing grants or to help with the cost of school clothing in cases of financial hardship. In such cases, it is for the local authority or academy concerned to decide the criteria upon which pupils are entitled to this support. Local authorities and academies which choose to run such schemes must do so from within their existing delegated budgets.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to legal aid to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out in Scotland.

David Mundell

The Scottish Government is responsible for defining the entitlement criteria for these passported benefits. They will need to consider the current eligibility criteria and make arrangements to ensure that they can continue to deliver these benefits as Universal Credit is introduced.

There is ongoing engagement between the Scottish Government and the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that any solution is simple, fair, easy to understand and affordable.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to free (a) swimming and (b) other leisure services to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Mrs Helen Grant

No costing has been estimated.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to a jobcentre plus discount travel card to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Esther McVey

The Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card is a discretionary travel discount scheme operated in conjunction with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).

There is no evidence to suggest that ATOC have plans to change their approach of targeting support at specific benefit recipients based on specific eligibility criteria.

However, If ATOC were to allow access to all Universal Credit Claimants the cost to DWP would be in the region of £100,000, but the impact on ATOC members would be around £20 million (roughly estimated)

Currently the following UC claimants are entitled to the JCP Travel Discount Card:

· Universal Credit claimants in the All Work Related Requirements group from 13 weeks to point of Work Programme referral

· Universal Credit claimants not in the All Work Related Requirements group who are actively engaged with a Work Services Coach in returning to employment

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to benefits from the pupil premium to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Mr David Laws

Universal credit will be fully rolled out in the next Parliament from 2017/18, and no pupil premium spending decisions for that period have yet been taken. For example, the per-pupil funding rates have not been decided beyond 2014/15. This means that it is not possible to estimate the potential cost of extending entitlement on the pupil premium budget.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to cold weather payments to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Steve Webb

Under existing Universal Credit eligibility criteria, it is estimated that Cold Weather Payments will cost an additional £8 million per annum once Universal Credit has been fully rolled out.

Were entitlement to Cold Weather Payments extended to all claimants of Universal Credit once Universal Credit has been fully rolled out the additional cost would be around £320 million per annum. It is not our intention to provide this level of support to everyone on Universal Credit. This would not be affordable and would divert resources from areas that most need it.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to free early education to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Elizabeth Truss

Government-funded early education for three- and four-year-olds is already a universal entitlement, so there would be no cost of extending the entitlement. Universal Credit will be fully rolled out in the next Parliament, and spending decisions for that period have not been taken. This means it is, therefore not possible to estimate the potential cost on early learning for two-year-olds.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Bryant on 2014-06-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of extending entitlement to funeral payments to all claimants of universal credit once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Steve Webb

The additional cost of extending entitlement to Funeral Payments to all Universal Credit claimants who satisfy all the relevant criteria once Universal Credit is fully rolled out would be around £1.5 million per annum.