The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-10.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people who were classified as self-employed and who claimed Working Families Tax Credits (WFTC) in 2010 still claimed WFTC in 2013.
Nicky Morgan
Working Family Tax Credit was abolished in 2003 and replaced by Child Tax Credits (CTC) and Working Tax Credits (WTC).
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-16.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve support for people over 50 provided through the Work Programme.
Esther McVey
The Work Programme is continuing to offer tailored support to those people over 50 at risk of becoming long-term unemployed and providers are continuing to design support based on their individual need.
Last year, the Government launched the Work Programme ‘Building Best Practice Group’, which is considering the best ways of addressing the particular needs of claimants, including older workers. The group will report back to Ministers later in 2014.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people referred by Jobcentre Plus to the Work Programme in each month since June 2011 failed to start on the Programme.
Esther McVey
The information we have on the number of Work Programme referrals, since June 2011, who failed to start on the Programmecan be found in table 2.6 of the Work Programme Statistical Summary through the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/work-programme-statistical-summary-december-2013
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons he has not yet placed the business case for universal credit in the public domain.
Esther McVey
In line with standard practice, as the Universal Credit Business Case includes details of a sensitive nature the Department will not be putting the Business Case into the public domain.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-03-27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new employment and support allowance claimants have been placed in the work-related activity group with the prognosis that engagement in work is unlikely in the longer term since October 2008.
Mike Penning
The information requested to answer both questions are shown in the table below:
Outcomes of functional assessments by prognosis of 2 years or more for the ESA work-related activity group, Great Britain: October 2008 – September 2013
|
WRAG: Claimants with a prognosis of 2 years or more |
|
|
New Claims – Initial assessment |
11,800 |
|
New Claims – Repeat assessment |
19,700 |
Source: Data in the tables above is derived from administrative data held by the DWP and assessment data provided by Atos Healthcare.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
2. The outcome recorded is the final DWP Decision Maker’s decision or the recommendation made by the Atos Healthcare Professional where the Decision Maker’s decision is not yet available.
3. The data presented above comes from benefit claims data held by the Department for Work and Pensions. It related to new and repeat ESA claims. In October 2008, ESA replaced IB for new claims. Starting with a trial in October 2010, and reaching a full scale national roll-out in April 2011, existing IB claims began to be phased out, with claimants reassessed to see if they qualify for ESA instead.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-09.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations he has made to authorities in Brazil and Qatar conveying the lessons learned in the UK about health and safety in constructing sporting stadia.
Mike Penning
A senior official from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) participated in the Government to Government Olympic Handover in Rio de Janeiro in November 2012 and established ongoing contact with the Brazilian labour inspectorate. HSE attended meetings held with the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Supreme Committee in London during February 2014. In both engagements, attention was also drawn to the material published by HSE on the successes and lessons learned from the ‘Big build’, which formed part of the Olympic Delivery Authority’s legacy commitment. This can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/london-2012-games/index.htm
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what criteria were used for targeting the Skills Funding Agency’s reduction in funding for adult qualifications; and what account the decisions to reduce that funding took of each such course’s effect on (a) skills development and (b) employability of participants.
Matthew Hancock
The Skills Funding Agency’s review of vocational qualifications is not about a reduction in funding. Within agreed budgets, the review has sought to ensure funding is redirected in support of qualifications which are high quality, demanded by learners and valued by employers. The Agency has removed these low quality qualifications from the scope of public funding to ensure we only fund those vocational qualifications which are recognised by employers and enable someone to be employable in a particular occupation or sector. The goal is to promote both the skills development and employability of participants.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-04-30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a code of practice on the circumstances in which recovery action will be taken for overpayments of universal credit, jobseeker’s allowance and employment and support allowance.
Esther McVey
A copy of the Code of Practice What happens if you are overpaid Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance will be placed in the House Library.
The Code of Practice is available on GOV.UK and can be accessed through the following link:
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent on legal costs incurred appealing against decisions by the Information Commissioner requiring the release of information about the universal credit programme since 2011.
Esther McVey
The Department’s records relating to legal costs do not distinguish between actions which the Department has brought and actions which it has defended or the stage of legal proceedings in respect of which each invoice for legal representation is paid. Disaggregating the data would take the costs of responding to the question over the disproportionate cost threshold.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2014-06-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress he has made in developing local support services for Universal Credit claimants; and if he will make a statement.
Esther McVey
The Local Support Services update and trialling plan was published in December 2013 and set out how DWP and local authorities will work together to test different arrangements for partnership working, financial management, the effective delivery of front line services and other specific aspects of the Local Support Services Framework.
The closing date for bids from DWP/LA partnerships, to undertake robust trialling, was Friday 13th June. Trials will start in Autumn and run for 12 months.