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Written Question
Universal Credit
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit Migration Notice letters he plans to send to people in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency and (b) the UK by 31 March 2025.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department plans to send Migration Notices to over 1 million households by 31 March 2025.

We intend to publish constituency level data at a future date.


Written Question
Sick Leave: Stress
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) stress and (b) burnout on the rate of absence due to sickness.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

We have not made an assessment of the potential impact of a) stress and b) burnout on the rate of absence due to sickness.

The ONS publish annual statistics on sickness absence in the UK labour market, which includes the reasons for sickness absence. However, neither stress or burnout are listed as reasons given for sickness absences in this data.

The latest statistics for sickness absence in the UK labour market can be found here.


Written Question
Food Poverty
Friday 19th January 2024

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the report entitled Without access to justice published by Feeding Liverpool and the University of Liverpool School of Law and Social Justice in January 2024.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

No assessment has been made. The Department continues to monitor the impact of its policies and keeps them under review.


Written Question
Household Support Fund
Thursday 30th November 2023

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's oral answer of 22 November 2023, Official Report column 348, when he plans to provide details of the (a) determination and (b) grant conditions of the household support fund.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ3412.


Written Question
Age Addition
Thursday 30th November 2023

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of the age additions to the State Pension.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

No such assessment has been made.

There is a range of support for pensioners aged over 80. These include Pension Credit which can top up a pensioner’s income to a minimum of £201.05 a week for single pensioners and £306.85 for couples and provides a gateway to other benefits that help with rent, council tax reduction schemes, heating costs and, for the over 75s, a free television license. Households with people aged 80 and over receive a Winter Fuel Payment of £300 instead of the standard £200 for households with pensioners below that age. Additionally, in April 2023 the basic State Pension saw its biggest ever rise of 10.1% to £156.20 per week.

The age addition is not part of the new State Pension for those who reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016.


Written Question
Department for Work and Pensions: Early Retirement
Tuesday 28th November 2023

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials in his Department in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency and (b) the UK have been awarded (i) upper and (ii) lower tier level ill-health retirement when applying as a result of long covid in each of the last three years.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP does not request nor obtain evidence to assess applications for ill health retirement due to long covid.

The Department does monitor levels and trends in short- and long-term sickness absence across all types of sickness absence recorded on DWP’s own HR data system, including short- and long-term sickness absence generally that may be attributed to Covid, but we do not receive any personal data that will help assess IHR applications.


Written Question
Department for Work and Pensions: Early Retirement
Tuesday 28th November 2023

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials in his Department in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency and (b) the UK have applied for ill-health retirement as a result of long covid in each of the last three years.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP does not request nor obtain evidence to assess applications for ill health retirement due to long covid.

The Department does monitor levels and trends in short- and long-term sickness absence across all types of sickness absence recorded on DWP’s own HR data system, including short- and long-term sickness absence generally that may be attributed to Covid, but we do not receive any personal data that will help assess IHR applications.


Written Question
Early Retirement: Long Covid
Tuesday 28th November 2023

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what evidence his Department requests in order to assess applications for ill health retirement due to long covid.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP does not request nor obtain evidence to assess applications for ill health retirement due to long covid.

The Department does monitor levels and trends in short- and long-term sickness absence across all types of sickness absence recorded on DWP’s own HR data system, including short- and long-term sickness absence generally that may be attributed to Covid, but we do not receive any personal data that will help assess IHR applications.


Written Question
State Retirement Pensions
Monday 27th November 2023

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the level of the over 80 pension.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

No such assessment has been made.

In April 2023 the over 80, Category D, non-contributory State Pension, saw its biggest ever rise of 10.1%. The full weekly Category D State Pension is now £93.60 per week.  In addition, a range of other measures and benefits are available to pensioners aged 80 and over. These include Pension Credit which can top up a pensioner’s income to a minimum of £201.05 a week for single pensioners and £306.85 for couples and provide access to a range of other benefits such as help with rent and council tax. Moreover, households with a person aged 80 or over receive a Winter Fuel Payment of £300, which is more than the standard Winter Fuel Payment of £200 for pensioners below that age.


Written Question
Carer's Allowance: Cost of Living Payments
Thursday 19th October 2023

Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing Cost of Living Payments to recipients of Carer's Allowance.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers every day in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends, including pensioners and those with disabilities.

Depending on personal circumstances, carers may be eligible for means-tested benefits, including Universal Credit and Pension Credit. Means-tested benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the Carer Element in Universal Credit and the additional amounts for carers in other benefits respectively.

We would encourage anyone who is providing unpaid care, and who is not already in receipt of a means-tested benefit, to check on GOV.UK to confirm whether there are other benefits they may be entitled to. Advice can also be sought from organisations such as Carers UK and Citizens Advice. Means-tested benefits can provide extra weekly income and trigger extra support with the cost of living.

Nearly 60% of carers on low incomes who are of working age and on Carer’s Allowance claim an income-related means-tested benefit. More than 8 million households on means-tested benefits received Cost of Living Payments of up to £650 in 2022, and more than 8 million households will receive up to £900 in Cost of Living Payments in 2023/24. All pensioner households will also receive the £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment. Carers who are themselves disabled may have also received the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment in Spring 2023, as will the people for whom they provide care.

Overall, the Government is providing total support of over £94 billion over 2022-23 and 2023-24 to help households and individuals with the rising cost of bills. For people who require additional support the Household Support Fund will continue until March 2024. This year-long extension allow’s local authorities in England to continue to provide discretionary support with the significantly rising cost of living to those most in need. The Devolved Administrations will receive consequential funding.