Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Warwick and Leamington constituency used a foodbank in October (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government takes the issue of food security very seriously and is committed to understanding and addressing food poverty which is why we have published official estimates of foodbank use for the first time in March 2023. The latest available National statistics on both food security and food bank use covering 2021/22 are available here. Statistics are not available at the constituency level.
Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and HM Government does not have any role in their operation. As such, data on trends in the distribution of food parcels in the Warwick and Leamington constituency is not available.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number of people in work in Warwick and Leamington constituency who use a foodbank once a month or more.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This government takes the issue of food security very seriously and is committed to understanding and addressing food poverty which is why we have published official estimates of foodbank use for the first time in March 2023. The latest available National statistics on both food security and food bank use covering 2021/22 are available here. Statistics are not available at the constituency level.
Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and HM Government does not have any role in their operation. As such, data on trends in the distribution of food parcels in the Warwick and Leamington constituency is not available.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to make autumn 2023 cost of living payments available to recipients.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Qualifying dates for the means-tested Cost of Living Payments are being set out in secondary legislation and payment dates for the vast majority of people will be announced on our dedicated page on gov.uk once the relevant regulations have been made.
All Cost of Living Payments will be paid automatically in the same way benefit payments are made, meaning those eligible do not need to apply or take any action in order to receive it.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when will he implement the announcement made by the Government in June 2022 to exempt Lifetime ISAs from Universal Credit capital rules.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department continues to support citizens into homeownership, including those on Universal Credit who currently have access to a generous Help to Save scheme, which tops up their savings by 50 per cent and can be used towards a mortgage.
We are continuing to work on the issue of Lifetime ISAs.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of social housing tenants whose Universal Credit payments cover all of their rent costs.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As of August 2022, 87.5% of social housing tenants in receipt of the Universal Credit Housing Element, had their rent fully covered by their total Universal Credit payment.
Total Universal Credit payments comprise of the Standard Allowance, as well as other elements such as the child, disability, and housing elements. The sum of these elements can be reduced for the final payment for instance, if a household is in receipt of earnings, has beyond a certain level of savings or is subject to the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS). As Universal Credit is administered as one payment, we cannot specifically state the proportion of rent covered by the housing element part of a payment as the majority of reductions are not applied to specific elements.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
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 impact of a seven per cent rise in social rents on the finances of social housing tenants in receipt of Universal Credit.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
At Autumn Statement 2022 the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced plans to cap the maximum social rented sector rent increase in England to 7% in 2023/24. Prior to this, the rent settlement for 2020 to 2025 permitted social housing rents in England to increase by up to CPI plus 1% per annum which would have resulted in increases of up to 11.1% in 2023/24. The 7% cap will therefore restrain the rent increases for renters in social housing.
Households in receipt of the housing element of Universal Credit (UC) in the social rented sector will receive support that will cover the full amount of the 7% rise in their rent unless their award is reduced, for instance because of their income or savings, or limited by the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS). Households with these reductions may need to fund part of the 7% rise from other sources of income.
18% of households in the social rented sector in receipt of the housing element of UC are subject to an RSRS deduction.
Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available for eligible households who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. This includes households impacted by the benefit cap or RSRS. Since 2011 we have provided nearly £1.6 billion in funding to local authorities for DHPs.
More generally a significant support package was announced at Autumn Budget including uprating benefits by 10.1% and extending the Household Support Fund for 2023/24.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants for Personal Independence Payments were initially turned down and were successful on appeal in Warwick and Leamington constituency in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
For Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims in the Warwick and Leamington parliamentary constituency, where the initial decision was made from 1st July 2021 to 30th June 2022 (the latest period for which data is available):
- 380 claims were disallowed at initial clearance post assessment; and
- Of these, 10 claims were then lapsed or overturned at appeal, 3% of initial disallowance decisions.
Please note:
- Figures are rounded to the nearest 10;
- Percentages are rounded to the nearest 1%;
- Figures are unpublished and may be subject to future revisions;
- These figures include initial decisions following assessment for PIP new claims and reassessments from 01 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, the latest date for which published data is available;
- Initial disallowance decisions following a PIP assessment reflect outcomes prior to any Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) and appeal action. They do not include Award Review or Change of Circumstance decisions, or decisions prior to an assessment being completed;
- These figures include appeal decisions up to 30 September 2022, the latest date for which published data is available. Note that more appeals could be made and completed after September 2022, so numbers could go up as it can take some time for an appeal to be lodged and then cleared after the initial decision;
- A lapsed appeal is where DWP changed the decision in the customer’s favour after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at tribunal; and
- The appeal figures will include some decisions which are changed at a Mandatory Reconsideration, where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at appeal.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to raise menopause awareness amongst employers.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
In July 2021, DWP asked members of the 50 PLUS Roundtable on older workers to look at the important issue of menopause and employment given the impact menopause can have on women’s working lives, particularly in the latter stages of their careers. An independent ‘menopause and the workplace’ report was published later in 2021 and the Government’s response was outlined in July 2022.
The Government has again committed, in its response to Recommendation 6 of the Women and Equalities Select Committees report: Menopause and the Workplace, that they will appoint a DWP Menopause Employment Champion. The Menopause Employment Champion will work with the Women’s Health Ambassador on the issue of menopause and employment and drive forward work with employers on menopause workplace issues and spearhead the proposed collaborative employer-led campaign as outlined in the independent report.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the flexibility of the eligibility requirement for Universal Credit for Ukrainian refugees who arrived through the Homes for Ukraine scheme and are continuing their studies remotely.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The core objective of Universal Credit is to support claimants to enter work, earn more or prepare for work in the future, therefore full time students are not usually eligible to claim Universal Credit. There are some exceptions where students may be eligible for Universal Credit such as where they are responsible for a child or are enrolled on a part time course and are seeking employment. Whilst the Department for Work and Pensions has provided immediate access to Universal Credit and jobs support for those arriving in the UK from Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, individuals must still meet the eligibility criteria, in order to receive Universal Credit and other Social Security benefits.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for Access to Work funding applications to be considered in (a) Warwick and Leamington constituency and (b) the UK in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The information requested about Access to Work applications wait times for the Warwick and Leamington constituency is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.