Written Question
Monday 20th October 2014
Asked by:
Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the time limit is for local authority decisions on determining reported changes of circumstances.
Answered by Steve Webb
There is no time limit set by Central Government for this. The latest published data for average Speed of Processing for change of circumstances for 2013/14 is 9 days.
Written Question
Monday 20th October 2014
Asked by:
Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, under what circumstances local authorities are permitted to suspend housing benefit payments.
Answered by Steve Webb
Guidance to local authorities on permitted work and how it affects Housing Benefit is provided in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter BW2, specifically paragraphs W2.141 and following. A link is provided below.
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236962/hbgm-bw2-assessment-of-income.pdf
There is no specific suspension rule relating to permitted work cases. Decision makers have general powers to suspend any payment of Housing Benefit, in whole or part, when there is an issue about whether the conditions for entitlement are or were fulfilled, or a question arises about whether a decision to award HB should be revised or superseded. This might be exercised where, for example, the decision maker needs further information from the claimant in order accurately to assess Housing Benefit entitlement. It is not an obligatory power; the decision maker may decide whether or not to suspend, based on the circumstances of the case. Guidance is in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter C8. A link is provided below.
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236976/hbgm-c8-suspension-and-termination.pdf
Written Question
Monday 20th October 2014
Asked by:
Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department gives to local authorities on steps to take when a claimant of housing benefit who retains an award of employment and support allowance reports a change of circumstance in the form of Permitted Work.
Answered by Steve Webb
Guidance to local authorities on permitted work and how it affects Housing Benefit is provided in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter BW2, specifically paragraphs W2.141 and following. A link is provided below.
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236962/hbgm-bw2-assessment-of-income.pdf
There is no specific suspension rule relating to permitted work cases. Decision makers have general powers to suspend any payment of Housing Benefit, in whole or part, when there is an issue about whether the conditions for entitlement are or were fulfilled, or a question arises about whether a decision to award HB should be revised or superseded. This might be exercised where, for example, the decision maker needs further information from the claimant in order accurately to assess Housing Benefit entitlement. It is not an obligatory power; the decision maker may decide whether or not to suspend, based on the circumstances of the case. Guidance is in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter C8. A link is provided below.
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236976/hbgm-c8-suspension-and-termination.pdf
Written Question
Monday 20th October 2014
Asked by:
Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question
to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements his Department makes for disabled people to contact his Department by email.
Answered by Steve Webb
The Department makes reasonable adjustments for disabled people to use alternative communication channels where appropriate, including email.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 29 Oct 2013
Pensions Bill
"As another signatory to amendment 1, I am disappointed by the Prime Minister’s response. Will the Minister at least admit that he personally feels that this is a terrible injustice that will have to be addressed sooner or later, because the longer we leave it the more difficult it will …..."Baroness Hoey - View Speech
View all Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Pensions Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 05 Mar 2013
Romanians and Bulgarians (Benefits)
"Is not the simple truth that we cannot do anything much about any of these problems? The Secretary of State might come up with one or two little changes, but the only thing that will give us back control of our own borders is leaving the European Union...."Baroness Hoey - View Speech
View all Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Romanians and Bulgarians (Benefits)
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 01 Feb 2012
Welfare Reform Bill
"Although most of us agree that there should be a cap, does the Minister not accept that the situation is different for people living in different parts of the United Kingdom? Costs are different, so common sense says that the cap should be different...."Baroness Hoey - View Speech
View all Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Welfare Reform Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 01 Feb 2012
Welfare Reform Bill
"Would the Minister like to visit one or two people who I know in my constituency? It is only across the river. They are elderly people with one extra bedroom who have lived where they live all their lives. Their children have moved outside London because they cannot get housing …..."Baroness Hoey - View Speech
View all Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Welfare Reform Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 22 Nov 2011
Pensioners and Winter Fuel Payments
"I congratulate the Democratic Unionist party on proposing this debate, and I presume that there will be a Division of some kind so that we can show our views. Does the hon. Gentleman think that the saddest part of this cut, made for the sake of such a minimal amount …..."Baroness Hoey - View Speech
View all Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Pensioners and Winter Fuel Payments
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 22 Nov 2011
Pensioners and Winter Fuel Payments
"The hon. Lady is right that we all have a responsibility to make people aware of such things. However, if she were an 89-year-old lady living on her own on a tiny pension, would she really think it her priority to have the huge disruption of someone doing all that …..."Baroness Hoey - View Speech
View all Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Pensioners and Winter Fuel Payments