Asked by: Baroness Tyler of Enfield (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many households had deductions from legacy benefits to repay debt due to previous overpayment for the most recent month available; and what was the average amount that was deducted for those households.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
During May 2022, 170,000 individual claimants had deductions taken from their legacy benefits in order to repay overpaid benefits. The average deduction taken in that month was £61.
DWP has a duty to protect public funds and an obligation to ensure that overpaid benefit payments are recovered in accordance with the appropriate social security legislation. However, we seek to discharge that duty without causing undue financial hardship.
We therefore have an established route by which anyone experiencing difficulties with repayments is encouraged to contact DWP Debt Management in order to negotiate a possible reduction in their rate of repayment, or a temporary suspension of repayment, depending on financial circumstances.
In exceptional circumstances there is also discretion to waive recovery of an overpayment, but only were there are compelling grounds to show that recovery of the overpayment is detrimental to the health and/or welfare of the debtor or their family.
Asked by: Baroness Tyler of Enfield (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Universal Credit claimants in each parliamentary constituency had sums deducted from their claim to repay debt due to previous overpayment, including advances, in the most recent month for which data is available; and what were the (1) average, and (2) total, sums deducted in each constituency.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Government recognises the importance of supporting the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. We seek to balance recovery of debt against not causing hardship for claimants and their families. Processes are in place to ensure deductions are manageable, and customers can contact DWP Debt Management if they are experiencing financial hardship, to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment or a temporary suspension, depending on their financial circumstances.
Since April 2021, we have reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 40% to 30 % to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance. These positive measures were put in place to support claimants to manage financial difficulties.
Advances are a claimant’s benefit entitlement paid early, allowing claimants to access 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. They ensure nobody has to wait for a payment in Universal Credit and those who need it are able to receive financial support as soon as possible. Claimants can receive up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit award if required, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period. This is not a debt.
The information requested is provided in the attached spreadsheet.
Asked by: Baroness Tyler of Enfield (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many households had deductions to their Universal Credit award to repay debt due to previous overpayment, including advances, for the most recent month available; and what was the average amount that was deducted.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The Government recognises the importance of supporting the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. We seek to balance recovery of debt against not causing hardship for claimants and their families. Processes are in place to ensure deductions are manageable, and customers can contact DWP Debt Management if they are experiencing financial hardship, to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment or a temporary suspension, depending on their financial circumstances.
Since April 2021, we have reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 40% to 30 % to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance. These positive measures were put in place to support claimants to manage financial difficulties.
Advances are a claimant’s benefit entitlement paid early, allowing claimants to access 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. They ensure nobody has to wait for a payment in Universal Credit and those who need it are able to receive financial support as soon as possible. Claimants can receive up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit award if required, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period. This is not a debt.
The information requested is provided in the attached spreadsheet.
Asked by: Baroness Tyler of Enfield (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to deliver the outcomes of the Family Stability Review including doubling the funding for relationship counselling in 2015–16, as announced by the Prime Minister in his speech to the Relationships Alliance on 18 August 2014.
Answered by Lord Freud
The Prime Minister announced increased support for families and guaranteed that spend for relationship support would be at least £7.5m for 2015/16 and I can confirm this will be the case.
We are in the process of finalising the details of contracting for relationship support services for 2015/16. As well as the continuation of a wide range of existing support services, we will include new provision for providing training and guidance for Health Visitors to recognise and respond to the signs of relationship distress, and the launching of a new pilot to test the inclusion of relationship education in peri-natal classes in 8 areas of the country.
In conjunction we will also be offering a 6 month extension to all of the 16 Help and Support for Separated Families Innovation Fund pilots, which focus on helping parents going through separation to resolve conflict and work together in the interests of their children.
This support comes alongside the government’s wider commitment to families through the introduction of the Family Test and the Troubled Families programme which aims to turn around the lives of 120,000 of the most troubled families in England by the end of this Parliament.