Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
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 ensure that pension providers simplify, expedite and ensure the security of transfer between providers.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
I strongly support the principle of more efficient transfers between pension schemes. This will give consumers greater choice and flexibility. Whilst many members experience pension transfers in fewer than 20 days, I am aware that transfer practice is not uniformly good – some schemes are making the process unnecessarily complex, and some transfers are taking longer than they should. I continue to monitor options to improve this.
The Pensions Regulator has issued guidance for schemes on standards, including how transfers can be processed promptly and accurately without exposing savers to a greater risk of pension scams – this includes the use of electronic platforms and standardised documentation wherever it is practical to do so. The Regulator is continuing to monitor performance, and aims to set out further guidance about its expectations later in the Spring.
In addition, my Department and the Financial Conduct Authority have given pension schemes and providers a statutory duty to report on the promptness and accuracy with which they carry out certain core financial transactions, including transfers.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons are for there being a difference in the level of entitlement depending on date of claim for existing employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants entitled to the former work-related activity group rate and the new ESA claimants who will receive a reduced rate.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The ESA work-related activity component, as detailed in the 2006 Green Paper “A New Deal for Welfare: Empowering People to Work”, was designed to act as an incentive to encourage people to participate in work-related activity, and therefore return to work more quickly, but with only 1 in 100 ESA claimants in the Work-Related Activity Group (WRAG) leaving the benefit each month it clearly is not working.
Our reforms to ESA are about making sure that we provide the right support for those who are unable to work. That support is not limited to just money; for people in the WRAG we are offering more assistance to move closer to the labour market and, when they are ready, into work. This includes guaranteed places on the new Work and Health Programme or Work Choice, and additional places on the Specialist Employability Support programme.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the difference in levels of income between employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants who are entitled to the former work-related activity group rate and new ESA claimants who will receive a reduced rate.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
There will be no cash losers among those who are already in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and we have laid regulations to protect existing ESA claimants, including those who temporarily leave the benefit to try out work and then return to ESA.
The Government published its assessment of the impacts of the change to the work-related activity component on 20 July 2015. http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006B.pdf
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2017 to Question 66433, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of employment and support allowance work-related activity group claimants who will only be entitled to a reduced rate who will fall below the poverty line as a result of changes in support for that group.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
There will be no cash losers among those who are already in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and we have laid regulations to protect existing ESA claimants, including those who temporarily leave the benefit to try out work and then return to ESA.
The Government published its assessment of the impacts of the change to the work-related activity component on 20 July 2015. http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006B.pdf
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
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 number of widowed parent's allowance claimants who would fall below the poverty line as a result of recent changes to that allowance.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Current recipients of Widowed Parent’s Allowance will continue to receive that benefit for the natural lifetime of their award. There will be no change in payments of Widowed Parent’s Allowance to these claimants.
The new Bereavement Support Payment will replace Widowed Parent’s Allowance and other bereavement benefits for those whose spouse or civil partner dies on or after 6 April 2017. Lower income households will benefit from this reform as, unlike the bereavement benefits it replaces, Bereavement Support Payment will be paid in full in addition to any income replacement benefits that they are entitled to. This will ensure that the least well off families are not disadvantaged.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
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 number of employment and support allowance claimants who will fall below the poverty line as a result of recent changes in support to the work-related activity group.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
There will be no cash losers among those who are already in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and we aim to protect existing ESA claimants who temporarily leave the benefit to try out work and then return to ESA.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February to Question 64628, what assessment the Government has made of whether the current Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments scheme is sufficient to prevent funeral poverty among bereaved parents; and how the level of support given to such parents is decided.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments provide help towards the cost of arranging a funeral, including the funeral of a child, for people claiming eligible benefits. They make a significant contribution to the costs of a simple funeral. The amount that an applicant will receive will vary depending on the type of funeral chosen.
Funeral Expenses Payments cover reasonable costs for the following:
In addition, Funeral Expenses Payments can provide up to £700 as a contribution to other funeral expenses.
Details of specific payments and conditions of entitlement can be found in Chapter 39 of the Decision Makers Guide: Social Fund Payments at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/572416/dmgch39.pdf.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of universal credit claimants who have been threatened with eviction because of the six-week waiting period to receive a payment.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested is not available.
The Universal Credit assessment period and payment structure is a fundamental part of the design; it helps reduce welfare dependency by mirroring the world of work, where 75% of people are paid monthly. We have a number of safeguards in place to help claimants transition to Universal Credit including Advances and Budgeting Support.
We continue to work closely with landlords, Local Authorities and other organisations to ensure claimants are supported.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government plans to carry out an assessment or reconsideration of the six-week waiting period for universal credit claimants to receive payments.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested is not available.
The Universal Credit assessment period and payment structure is a fundamental part of the design; it helps reduce welfare dependency by mirroring the world of work, where 75% of people are paid monthly. We have a number of safeguards in place to help claimants transition to Universal Credit including Advances and Budgeting Support.
We continue to work closely with landlords, Local Authorities and other organisations to ensure claimants are supported.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government plans to take steps to tackle funeral poverty among bereaved parents.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Government recognises that the period following a death will have emotional, social and financial impacts for the bereaved and people may need to draw on a wide range of support at that difficult time.
It is for that reason that the Department for Work and Pensions operates the Social Fund Funeral Expenses Payments scheme, which makes a significant contribution towards a funeral, for families claiming eligible benefits.