Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) applications and (b) successful applications there were to the Access To Work Mental Health Support Service scheme in each year since 2010-11 inclusive.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The information requested on number of applications received is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
However, the Access to Work statistical release includes how many applications results in provision being approved broken down by element type from 2007/08 to 2019/20. Please see Table 2 of the Access to Work statistics.
The latest Access to Work statistical release can be found here: Access to Work statistics: April 2007 to March 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individuals were not accurately transferred from incapacity benefit to income related employment and support allowance in Oxford East constituency.
Answered by Chloe Smith
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Annex 1 of the letter of 24 May 2021 from the Minister for Welfare Delivery to the Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee on Universal Credit Business Case: refreshed costs and savings for 2020/21 and 2021/22, what assumptions her Department has made for the (a) non-take-up in legacy benefits and tax credits in the New Legacy Savings Model mentioned in that Annex and (b) take-up of Universal Credit in that model.
Answered by Will Quince
Under the Legacy system, households had to claim separately for benefits received, for instance an in-work lone parents in rented accommodation would need to claim both Tax Credits and Housing Benefit. However, some households may not have realised they were entitled to, or chosen to claim, all the benefits they were entitled to. As an integrated benefit, Universal Credit automatically increases take-up and we estimate that when fully rolled-out, 700,000 households will benefit from claiming their full entitlement in Universal Credit
In the New Legacy Savings model, we have taken the projections for the number of households on Universal Credit and made an adjustment to take account that fewer benefits would have been claimed under the legacy system, based on the above assessment. This adjustment applies to around 10% of households.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Government's plans are for how shielding people can access benefits after the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ends.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Those who receive a notification that they need to shield will remain eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from their employer, and New Style Employment and Support Allowance, subject to the wider eligibility criteria. Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick and they require further financial support, for example where they are not eligible for SSP, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance has been provided to (a) work coaches and (b) staff of her Department on measures to increase earnings for in-work claimants, including sanctioning for failure to increase earnings beyond the (i) the Administrative Earnings Threshold and (ii) Conditionality Earnings Threshold.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
We are developing our understanding of how best to support people to progress in work, through a programme of research and testing. There is currently no active in-work support offer for in-work claimants in Universal Credit and no work related requirements, meaning there would be no sanctions resulting if these are not completed, and no guidance provided.
Those who are earning very small amounts, below the level of the Administrative Earnings Threshold, are treated as out of work and placed in the intensive regime.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) work coaches and (b) staff in her Department on assessing whether claimants are reaching (i) the Administrative Earnings Threshold and (ii) the Conditionality Earnings Threshold if the claimant is part of a cohabiting couple.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Comprehensive guidance on assessing the Administrative Earnings Threshold and the Conditionality Earnings Threshold is available to all staff. This guidance is published in the Commons library and the Department is committed to refreshing this at regular intervals.
http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2019-0980/71._Labour_Market_regimes_v11.0.pdf
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the intensive work search regime that were (a) in and (b) out of work have been sanctioned in each month in each of the last two years.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
However, the member may find it useful to check the UC Sanction Rates tables published on the Stat-Xplore website at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
Specifically, those available on the intensive work regime that have received a sanction.
Guidance for users is available at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html