Tag: Owen Smith

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many current Child Support Agency arrears cases with a current or ongoing liability for a child repayments are currently being made towards the arrears.

Priti Patel

As at December 2015, there were 149,600 CSA cases with a current liability and arrears paying more than their liability.

Information on Caseload Status is set out on Page 54 of the CSA Quarterly Summary of Statistics which can be accessed online at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-statistics–2

Note

1. Figured rounded to nearest 100.
2. Figures include 1993 and 2003 Schemes.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2016 to Question 30330, if he will publish examples of the feedback received on the placing of work coaches in foodbanks.

Priti Patel

The Department has shared findings from the food bank initiative with Jobcentre District Managers. There are no plans to publish the Lalley Community Centre findings externally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2016 to Question 30765, when his Department plans to publish its White Paper on improving support for disabled people.

Justin Tomlinson

Improving support for disabled people and people with health conditions to get into and stay in work is a key priority for Government.

The Secretary of State has outlined that he is starting a new conversation with disabled people and people with health conditions, their representatives, healthcare professionals and employers. He is listening to all of their ideas and this will help inform our plans.

These will be set out in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of how many working households including people under 25 are likely to lose income as a result of changes he has announced to tax credits.

Damian Hinds

The Government is committed to achieving a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare economy. That means more emphasis on support to working families on low incomes through reducing tax and increasing wages, than on topping up low wages through tax credits.

The Chancellor is listening to concerns raised by colleagues and will announce in his Autumn Statement how he plans to achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits and saving the money we need to secure our economy, while at the same time helping in the transition.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-05.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people aged 18 to 21 in receipt of housing benefit also received tax credits in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the effect on those people of planned reforms to tax credit.

Damian Hinds

The Government is committed to achieving a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare economy. That means more emphasis on support to working families on low incomes through reducing tax and increasing wages, than on topping up low wages through tax credits.

The Chancellor is listening to concerns raised by colleagues and will announce in his Autumn Statement how he plans to achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits and saving the money we need to secure our economy, while at the same time helping in the transition.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-01-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to increase collection charges for the 2012 child maintenance scheme for the (a) parent with care and (b) non-resident parent.

Priti Patel

The level of the application charge and collection charges for parents with care and non-resident parents will be included in the statutory 30 month review of charging, which is due to be completed by December 2016. There are no current plans to increase the application fee or collection charges.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many arrears-only Child Support Agency cases repayments are currently being made towards the arrears.

Priti Patel

In the quarter to December 2015, 48,000 arrears only Child Support Agency cases made a payment towards their arrears.

For further information see table 21(page 54) in the Quarterly Summary Statistics at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-statistics–2

Note

1. Figured rounded to nearest 100.
2. Figures include 1993 and 2003 Schemes.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-08.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate the Government has made of the number of people who will (a) be eligible for and (b) participate in the Help to Save scheme in each year up to 2020.

Harriett Baldwin

Approximately 3.5 million people are expected to be eligible to open a Help to Save account in each year from the date the scheme is launched, which will be no later than April 2018.

The costing is based on the expectation that around half a million people will open a Help to Save account in the first two years that accounts are available.

Further information on the costing of this measure can be found on page 62 of the published Budget 2016 Policy Costings document, available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/508147/PU1912_Policy_Costings_FINAL3.pdf

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who will be affected by proposed changes to debt repayment arrangements under universal credit.

Justin Tomlinson

Analysis undertaken by DWP has identified a large number of variables that will affect debt repayments from individuals claiming Universal Credit.

This includes, but is not limited to; the number of people claiming Universal Credit, the level of Universal Credit award they receive, the amount of debt they have (across DWP, HMRC and Local Authorities), the approach for recovering debt from Universal Credit and the approach for recovering debt by deduction from earnings.

Considering this, it is likely that most Universal Credit claimants with existing debts or debt repayment arrangements will be affected to some degree. At present there is insufficient data to predict the effects of these variables accurately.

Given the scale of the change, the likely confidence interval for forecasts for any time after 2016-17 is too large to give a meaningful or indicative answer at this time.

However, as Universal Credit rolls out, DWP will continue to analyse all available data to give a wider view on any changes to debt repayment agreements that are being seen under Universal Credit.

In addition, DWP will continue to work with HMRC and Local Authorities in developing forecasting models to show the changes that people with debt will see as their benefit payments move to Universal Credit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2015-11-03.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish an equality assessment of the Government’s changes to tax credits.

Damian Hinds

As the Chancellor has made clear, the Government will set out at Autumn Statement how we plan to achieve the same goal of reforming tax credits, saving the money we need to save to secure our economy, while at the same time helping in the transition.

The Government carefully considers all relevant legal obligations – including the equalities duty – when formulating welfare policy.