Tag: Owen Smith

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 192 of the Office of Budget Responsibility’s report, Economic and fiscal outlook, published in March 2016, how the estimated savings of £0.8 billion by 2020-21 from the minimum income floor of universal credit were calculated.

Priti Patel

The savings were estimated using DWP’s and HMRC’s models of the tax and benefit system. Extracting the full details of the calculations carried out within the models would only be possible at disproportionate cost.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has held with food bank providers on his Department’s plans to locate job advisers in food banks.

Priti Patel

Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches already undertake outreach work every day in local communities. Work Coaches recently began offering back-to-back support in the Lalley Centre in Manchester. Early feedback has been positive. We will reflect on this, and consider if there is potential for expansion

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the final version of the Evaluation of Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy was agreed within his Department.

Justin Tomlinson

The contractors who were commissioned to undertake the report into the evaluation of the Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy provided the Department with the final version of the report on 8 December 2015.

It was agreed within the Department on 11 December 2015 and publication details were announced on the same day.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, under what change of circumstances a tax credit claimant will naturally be migrated onto universal credit.

Priti Patel

The events that can trigger a change of circumstances depend on many factors. They are similar to the circumstances that would trigger a new claim to existing benefits or tax credits, which would also lead to a recalculation of entitlement.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the risk register for the universal credit programme.

Priti Patel

In accordance with government policy in this area, the Department does not publish risk registers for major programmes.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff employed in delivering the Fit for Work programme are (a) registered as disabled or in receipt of disabled people’s benefits and (b) returning to work after serious illness or injury.

Justin Tomlinson

Health Management Ltd (HML), responsible for delivering Fit for Work in England and Wales, does not hold records of staff members who are disabled or who are in receipt of disabled person’s benefits although the company does provide the opportunity for people to self-declare a disability should they wish to do so.

Since Fit for Work was launched, seven members of staff have returned to work following a serious illness or injury. ‘Serious illness or injury’ is here considered to mean an absence of four weeks or more.

For Scottish Government, which is responsible for delivering Fit for Work in Scotland, does not collect this information centrally.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit, what his estimate is of Government spending on transitional protection where entitlement is lower in each year until 2018-19.

Priti Patel

Our estimates of Government spending on transitional protection over the Spending Review period are: £120 million in 2018/19. The national implementation of managed migration is not planned to start before June 2018, and so transitional protection will not start until then.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many job advisers he plans to locate in food banks.

Priti Patel

I refer the Hon. Member to the answers I gave on 3 November 2015 to Question 14114 and 14139

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-01-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were paid their Christmas bonus on their benefits in the first week of December 2015.

Priti Patel

For Working Age a total of 430,160 customersreceived their Christmas Bonus with their benefit payment for the period covering week commencing 7th December.

The Pension Service has deemed that to provide a response to this PQ for any of their products could only be provided at a disproportionate cost to the Department.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Owen Smith on 2016-02-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of times a universal credit claimant has been paid housing benefit and housing costs at the same time resulting in an overpayment of housing benefit.

Priti Patel

The information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.