Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the two child limit for (a) child tax credits and (b) universal credit on low income families.
Answered by Will Quince
DWP and HMRC produce a joint report with statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children, the latest of which was published in July 2019 and can be found online at:
Providing support for a maximum of two children, or qualifying young persons in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit, ensures fairness between claimants and those taxpayers who support themselves solely through work.
We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family, which is why exceptions have been put in place to protect certain groups. On migration to Universal Credit, families’ existing entitlement will be protected.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to respond to the letter of 2 September 2019 from the hon. member for Glasgow Central addressed to the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work on the issue of work at height.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Minister for Work and Pensions (Lords) responded to the hon. member on Tuesday 8 October 2019.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have been sanctioned in universal credit at (a) Shettleston and (b) Laurieston Jobcentres in each of the last 12 months; and for what reasons.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Universal Credit sanctions statistics by Jobcentre Plus Office and referral reasons are published and can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance for users is available at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
Sanctions are only used in a minority of cases, and that is only when people fail to meet their agreed conditionality requirements without good reason. A Decision Maker will take into account all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or caring responsibilities and any evidence of good reason they have provided, before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the date of a universal credit claim is protected in the contract Citizen's Advice have with her Department to support such claims.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Help To Claim support is not a contract arrangement with Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland. They are funded by a grant agreement to deliver the Help To Claim service that runs alongside the national Jobcentre offer, and provides additional and alternative support for claimants who need help making their first claim. This personalised support helps to ensure that there is no need for a claimant to have their claim backdated to the point of contact. Instead, through either Citizens Advice or DWP, claimants are able to access immediate support to make their claim in a timely manner.
There are some specific, designated circumstances in which the Department has the ability to backdate a claim, for example if someone is taken ill. However, there is not a legal basis whereby a third party, including Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, can ‘protect the date of claim’ for Universal Credit claimants based on first contact. A Universal Credit claim begins when a completed claim is submitted.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 9 May 2019 on Labour Market Policy Update, HCWS1545, whether people currently serving a sanction for a period of over 26 weeks will have that sanction rescinded.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We are planning to reduce the duration of the third escalation of a high-level sanction (currently three years) to six months. We aim for this change to come into force by the end of the year. For those who have completed a three-year sanction in the past, they will not be entitled to recompense because their sanction was made in accordance with the law that was in place at the time.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 9 May 2019 on Labour Market Policy Update, HCWS1545, when the ending of benefit sanctions of over six months will come into force.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We are planning to reduce the duration of the third escalation of a high-level sanction (currently three years) to six months. We aim for this change to come into force by the end of the year. For those who have completed a three-year sanction in the past, they will not be entitled to recompense because their sanction was made in accordance with the law that was in place at the time.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 9 May 2019 on Labour Market Policy Update, HCWS1545, whether claimants previously sanctioned for periods over six months will be entitled to recompense.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We are planning to reduce the duration of the third escalation of a high-level sanction (currently three years) to six months. We aim for this change to come into force by the end of the year. For those who have completed a three-year sanction in the past, they will not be entitled to recompense because their sanction was made in accordance with the law that was in place at the time.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the letter of 10 January 2019 from the hon. Member for Glasgow Central on behalf of her constituent Mr Neil Rothnie.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
My Noble friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Lords) replied to the hon. Member on 27 March 2019.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish an update to the Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children published in April 2018.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We have committed to monitoring the impact of this policy over time. On 28 June 2018, we published the first annual statistics related to the operation of this policy. We intend to continue to publish these statistics annually going forward.
Asked by: Alison Thewliss (Scottish National Party - Glasgow Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training is provided to work coaches on violence against women and girls.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Jobcentre staff undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants.
Specific training and guidance is provided for staff who work with different vulnerable groups, including survivors and those still experiencing domestic abuse. Jobcentre staff will signpost claimants to national and local organisations that provide specialist support and Work Coaches can apply domestic violence easements, switching off all work-related requirements for a period of time.
In addition a national call was held earlier this year to raise awareness and understanding of domestic abuse across the Jobcentre network and a video has been produced to highlight good practice when supporting individuals who have been or are currently in a domestic abuse relationship.