Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the average waiting time for those on Universal Credit to see a work coach for an initial interview.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he (a) has made recent changes to or (b) plans to change his Department's guidance to job centres on the information to be included on signposting slips.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 19 February we introduced a new food charity signposting slip. This does not change DWP signposting policy but improves the signposting slip to better comply with our obligations under GDPR. The new slip provides customers with information on where they might access emergency food locally and how to access wider support.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claims were closed because a claimant failed to accept a claimant commitment that included (a) no work-related, (b) only work preparation and (c) work-focused interview requirements in 2022.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2023, 21,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 2,400 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,200 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2022, 25,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 2,600 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,500 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2021, 17,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 1,200 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,400 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2020, 12,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 730 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 810 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
Note: for couple claims, both claimants must accept their claimant commitment, or the claim will close due to a claimant commitment not being accepted. This means that for some claimants with each work group requirement above, they accepted their claimant commitment, but the other claimant did not.
Legislation sets out the types of requirements that can be applied to claimants depending on the labour market regime/legal conditionality group that applies to them. The requirements any claimant is asked to meet will be clearly set out in their Claimant Commitment.
All claimants regardless of their conditionality group, including those in the ‘No Work-Related Requirements’ regime, must accept a Claimant Commitment as a condition of entitlement. Claimants must accept the commitment within 7 days and failure to do this will result in claim termination.
In exceptional circumstances where a claimant is unable to accept a Claimant Commitment we can remove the requirement to do so. This may include, for example, claimants who have an appointee or someone acting on their behalf, claimants who are incapacitated in hospital and exceptional emergency situations.
Claimants who are in the ‘No Work-Related Requirements’ group are not subject to conditionality. This group includes claimants who are too sick to work, over State Pension Age, have defined caring responsibilities or are earning over their conditionality earnings threshold.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claims were closed because a claimant failed to accept a claimant commitment that included (a) no work-related, (b) only work preparation and (c) work-focused interview requirements in 2023.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2023, 21,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 2,400 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,200 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2022, 25,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 2,600 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,500 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2021, 17,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 1,200 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,400 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2020, 12,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 730 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 810 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
Note: for couple claims, both claimants must accept their claimant commitment, or the claim will close due to a claimant commitment not being accepted. This means that for some claimants with each work group requirement above, they accepted their claimant commitment, but the other claimant did not.
Legislation sets out the types of requirements that can be applied to claimants depending on the labour market regime/legal conditionality group that applies to them. The requirements any claimant is asked to meet will be clearly set out in their Claimant Commitment.
All claimants regardless of their conditionality group, including those in the ‘No Work-Related Requirements’ regime, must accept a Claimant Commitment as a condition of entitlement. Claimants must accept the commitment within 7 days and failure to do this will result in claim termination.
In exceptional circumstances where a claimant is unable to accept a Claimant Commitment we can remove the requirement to do so. This may include, for example, claimants who have an appointee or someone acting on their behalf, claimants who are incapacitated in hospital and exceptional emergency situations.
Claimants who are in the ‘No Work-Related Requirements’ group are not subject to conditionality. This group includes claimants who are too sick to work, over State Pension Age, have defined caring responsibilities or are earning over their conditionality earnings threshold.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claims were closed because a claimant failed to accept a claimant commitment that included (a) no work-related, (b) only work preparation and (c) work-focused interview requirements in 2020.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2023, 21,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 2,400 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,200 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2022, 25,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 2,600 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,500 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2021, 17,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 1,200 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,400 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2020, 12,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 730 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 810 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
Note: for couple claims, both claimants must accept their claimant commitment, or the claim will close due to a claimant commitment not being accepted. This means that for some claimants with each work group requirement above, they accepted their claimant commitment, but the other claimant did not.
Legislation sets out the types of requirements that can be applied to claimants depending on the labour market regime/legal conditionality group that applies to them. The requirements any claimant is asked to meet will be clearly set out in their Claimant Commitment.
All claimants regardless of their conditionality group, including those in the ‘No Work-Related Requirements’ regime, must accept a Claimant Commitment as a condition of entitlement. Claimants must accept the commitment within 7 days and failure to do this will result in claim termination.
In exceptional circumstances where a claimant is unable to accept a Claimant Commitment we can remove the requirement to do so. This may include, for example, claimants who have an appointee or someone acting on their behalf, claimants who are incapacitated in hospital and exceptional emergency situations.
Claimants who are in the ‘No Work-Related Requirements’ group are not subject to conditionality. This group includes claimants who are too sick to work, over State Pension Age, have defined caring responsibilities or are earning over their conditionality earnings threshold.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit claims were closed because a claimant failed to accept a claimant commitment that included (a) no work-related, (b) only work preparation and (c) work-focused interview requirements in 2021.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2023, 21,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 2,400 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,200 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2022, 25,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 2,600 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,500 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2021, 17,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 1,200 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 1,400 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
In 2020, 12,000 claimants with a claimant commitment with 'No work-related requirements', 730 with 'Work preparation' requirements, and 810 with 'Work-focussed interview' requirements were part of a UC claim that closed because a claimant commitment was not accepted.
Note: for couple claims, both claimants must accept their claimant commitment, or the claim will close due to a claimant commitment not being accepted. This means that for some claimants with each work group requirement above, they accepted their claimant commitment, but the other claimant did not.
Legislation sets out the types of requirements that can be applied to claimants depending on the labour market regime/legal conditionality group that applies to them. The requirements any claimant is asked to meet will be clearly set out in their Claimant Commitment.
All claimants regardless of their conditionality group, including those in the ‘No Work-Related Requirements’ regime, must accept a Claimant Commitment as a condition of entitlement. Claimants must accept the commitment within 7 days and failure to do this will result in claim termination.
In exceptional circumstances where a claimant is unable to accept a Claimant Commitment we can remove the requirement to do so. This may include, for example, claimants who have an appointee or someone acting on their behalf, claimants who are incapacitated in hospital and exceptional emergency situations.
Claimants who are in the ‘No Work-Related Requirements’ group are not subject to conditionality. This group includes claimants who are too sick to work, over State Pension Age, have defined caring responsibilities or are earning over their conditionality earnings threshold.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the median (a) difference between the cost of rent and the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in households where rent exceeds the LHA and (b) deduction of universal credit claims due to (i) universal credit advances, (ii) universal credit overpayments, (iii) tax credit overpayments and (iv) other reasons for people in the private rented sector for whom the LHA does not fully cover their rent.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Government spends around £30bn annually on housing support. In addition, Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates will be increased from April 2024 to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This will mean 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (UC) will gain on average around £800 a year in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024-25. This is at a cost of £7bn over five years.
The Secretary of State has committed to review LHA rates annually. That review includes consideration of current rents, as well as the broader fiscal context. LHA rates are not intended to meet all rents in all areas: instead, it ensures that claimants in similar circumstances and area are treated the same.
For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and require additional support Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.7 billion to local authorities for households who need additional support with their housing costs.
The requested information is provided below
Table 1: Median deduction amount for households where Local Housing Allowance does not cover rent in August 2023. | |
Deduction type | Median deduction amount for the selected deduction type |
Advance Repayments | £43 |
DWP non-fraud overpayments | £49 |
Tax Credit overpayments | £42 |
Other (Not in the above) | £25 |
Table 2: Number of households where Local Housing Allowance does not cover rent in August 2023. | |
Deduction type | Number of Households |
Advance Repayments | 270,000 |
DWP non-fraud overpayments | 140,000 |
Tax Credit overpayments | 90,000 |
Households with any combination of: advance repayments, DWP non-fraud overpayments or tax credit overpayments | 380,000 |
I refer the member to the answer provided on 31 January 2024, that shows the median difference between the cost of rent and the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in households where rent exceeds the LHA, available here: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Notes:
1. Household numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and deduction amounts have been rounded to the nearest £1.
2. Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.
3. "Advances" include all four UC advance types: New Claim, Benefit Transfer, Budgeting and Change of Circumstances.
4. The tables include the number of distinct Universal Credit households subject to a deduction in August 2023.
5. Households could have more than one deduction type so adding claims by deduction type may not sum to the total.
6. The 'other' category in table 1 includes households with a deduction, where the deduction type is not the following: universal credit advances, DWP non-fraud overpayments, tax credit overpayments. The median given is of the sum of all 'other' deductions for each household.
7. It is not possible to separate UC overpayments from other DWP non-fraud overpayments.
8. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claims for which the local housing allowance did not cover rent were subject to deductions for (a) universal credit advances, (b) universal credit overpayments, (c) tax credit overpayments and (d) any combination thereof.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Government spends around £30bn annually on housing support. In addition, Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates will be increased from April 2024 to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This will mean 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (UC) will gain on average around £800 a year in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024-25. This is at a cost of £7bn over five years.
The Secretary of State has committed to review LHA rates annually. That review includes consideration of current rents, as well as the broader fiscal context. LHA rates are not intended to meet all rents in all areas: instead, it ensures that claimants in similar circumstances and area are treated the same.
For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and require additional support Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.7 billion to local authorities for households who need additional support with their housing costs.
The requested information is provided below
Table 1: Median deduction amount for households where Local Housing Allowance does not cover rent in August 2023. | |
Deduction type | Median deduction amount for the selected deduction type |
Advance Repayments | £43 |
DWP non-fraud overpayments | £49 |
Tax Credit overpayments | £42 |
Other (Not in the above) | £25 |
Table 2: Number of households where Local Housing Allowance does not cover rent in August 2023. | |
Deduction type | Number of Households |
Advance Repayments | 270,000 |
DWP non-fraud overpayments | 140,000 |
Tax Credit overpayments | 90,000 |
Households with any combination of: advance repayments, DWP non-fraud overpayments or tax credit overpayments | 380,000 |
I refer the member to the answer provided on 31 January 2024, that shows the median difference between the cost of rent and the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in households where rent exceeds the LHA, available here: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Notes:
1. Household numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and deduction amounts have been rounded to the nearest £1.
2. Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.
3. "Advances" include all four UC advance types: New Claim, Benefit Transfer, Budgeting and Change of Circumstances.
4. The tables include the number of distinct Universal Credit households subject to a deduction in August 2023.
5. Households could have more than one deduction type so adding claims by deduction type may not sum to the total.
6. The 'other' category in table 1 includes households with a deduction, where the deduction type is not the following: universal credit advances, DWP non-fraud overpayments, tax credit overpayments. The median given is of the sum of all 'other' deductions for each household.
7. It is not possible to separate UC overpayments from other DWP non-fraud overpayments.
8. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions Ministers from his Department have attended the Universal Credit Programme Board in each year since 1 January 2018.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In line with best practice in Government Projects, Ministers are not normally members of Project Boards for projects in the GMPP. This is because under the Ministerial Code, SROs have direct accountability for the delivery of their projects progress to Parliament. The Minister for Welfare Delivery attended the UC Programme Board once in 2020 and twice in 2021.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish details of (a) external bodies and (b) other Government departments that are members of the Universal Credit Programme Board.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Membership as of February 2024 include HMRC, HMT, Department for Communities Northern Ireland, Infrastructure & Projects Authority/Cabinet Office, Reigate & Banstead District Council (representing Local Authorities).