Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The duty does not require us to maintain a comprehensive list of policies within scope of the duty.
The duty applies to all policies made from 1 November 2023, whether developed by a central department or an arm’s length body, which are:
The environmental principles policy statement provides further information on what is considered policy in scope of the duty. Examples include strategies and frameworks.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on the Household Support Fund for 2024-25.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ3412.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
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 potential impact of proposed changes to the Work Capability Assessment criteria related to mobility on people with (a) Parkinson’s and (b) other conditions which significantly affect movement.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
We have published our response to the consultation on changes to the Work Capability Assessment criteria having carefully considered feedback from disabled people and people with health conditions, as well as the organisations that represent and support them.
From 2025, we will make changes to the WCA that continue to protect those with the most severe conditions, while ensuring those that can work are supported in doing so. Most existing claimants that have already been assessed without work-related requirements, will be able to benefit from our Chance to Work Guarantee. This change will in effect abolish the WCA for the vast majority of this group, and they will be able to move towards work without fear of reassessment.
As part of the Autumn Statement, the Government has also announced an expansion in tailored support for disabled people and people with health conditions, including Universal Support and NHS Talking Therapies.
The OBR have said that they expect these changes to mean that 371,000 fewer people will be declared as having Limited Capability for Work Related Activity by 2028/29 than otherwise would be the case. HMT have published the impacts in their policy costing note that accompanies the Autumn Statement.
Estimates are not based on specific conditions because the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) considers the impact that a person’s disability or health condition has on their ability to work, not the condition itself.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the Carers UK's publication entitled State of Caring Survey 2023, published 17 October 2023; and if he will make it his policy to (a) raise the level of and (b) widen the eligibility criteria for the Caring Allowance.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
I am grateful to Carers UK for its publication. It is important that unpaid carers should receive all the financial support that is available to them, including from the benefit system through Universal Credit for those on the lowest incomes, and through Carer’s Allowance. We keep this support under continual review, reflecting a wide range of data and evidence, including from key stakeholders such as Carers UK, to see whether it is meeting its policy objectives.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people on Universal Credit have been sanctioned while awaiting a work capability assessment; and of those, how many have been subsequently assessed as having (a) limited capability for work and (b) limited capability for work related activity in each of the last 12 months for which data is available; and if he will make it his policy not to subject people awaiting (i) a work capability assessment and (ii) the outcome of work capability assessment to conditionality.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Conditionality supported by sanctions has been a longstanding feature of welfare benefit entitlements in the UK since the formation of the welfare state. Access to earnings replacement benefits, for example, is traditionally conditional on recipients being involuntarily unemployed and subject to reasonable work-related requirements.
We will not expect a claimant to take up a job while they have suitable medical evidence, until the outcome of a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). Any work-related requirements are agreed in discussion between the work coach and claimant. These should always be tailored to reflect the impact of the claimant’s health condition, disability, and wider circumstances, ensuring they are realistic and achievable
We exempt people with more serious medical conditions and disabilities, and those who are terminally ill, from any form of conditionality and sanctions. This includes those who have been found to have Limited Capability for Work or Work-Related Activity following their WCA.
In particular circumstances, work coaches can exempt claimants from usual availability and work search requirements for a temporary period by applying discretionary or compulsory easements. These circumstances include temporary periods of sickness.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in receipt of Universal Credit faced a (a) lowest, (b) low, (c) medium and (d) highest level sanction concurrently with deductions to their Standard Allowance of (i) up to five per cent, (ii) between six and 10 per cent, (iii) between 11 and 15 per cent, (iv) between 16 and 20 per cent, (v) between 21 and 25 per cent and (vi) more than 25 per cent in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Claimants must meet certain requirements to receive their UC payment. These will be based on individual and household information and will take account of health, earnings, caring responsibilities, alongside any ongoing work or volunteering. All requirements are set in discussion with the claimant and tailored to their capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been subject to (a) benefit deductions and (b) sanctions at the same time in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Sanctions are only ever applied if a claimant has failed to undertake their agreed requirements without good reason.
All requirements are set in discussion with the claimant and tailored to their capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable.
If a claimant currently has a sanction in place, any outstanding deductions cannot be applied until the sanction has concluded.
We have a well-established system of hardship payments, available as a safeguard if a claimant demonstrates that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs, including accommodation, heating, food and hygiene, as a result of their sanction.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to (a) provide a multi-year funding settlement for the Household Support Fund beyond March 2024 and (b) publish a long-term strategy for local crisis support in England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Household Support Fund currently runs to March 2024. As with all policies, this is kept under continuous review and any extension will be a matter for the Treasury.
DWP has no current plans to publish a long-term strategy for local welfare assistance. Local authorities in England are funded through the local government finance settlement, from the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, to deliver local welfare provision using their existing powers.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will amend the Cold Weather Payment scheme so that payments are provided every time extreme cold is forecast for the following day; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Laura Trott - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
There are currently no plans to change the Cold Weather Payment scheme.
A £25 payment is made when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0ºC or below over seven days at the weather station linked to the eligible customer's postcode. The seven consecutive days is a clear and reasonable measure of a sustained period of cold weather. A payment is made automatically within 14 working days of a trigger to ensure claimants receive payments at the time of need.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 May 2023 to Question 185575 Universal Credit: Self-employed, how many and what proportion of (a) households with a self-employed Universal Credit claimant and (b) people living in households with a self-employed Universal Credit claimant were subject to the Minimum Income Floor from March 2022 to February 2023 in Brighton and Hove in the same period; what assessment he has made of the impact of the Minimum Income Floor on the ability of self-employed people whose earnings fall below that level to afford essential costs of living; if he will make it his policy to remove the Minimum Income Floor; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Guy Opperman
No assessment of this issue, as raised, has been made.
There is no intention to reconsider this policy to remove the Minimum Income Floor. The Minimum Income Floor plays an important role in encouraging self-employed claimants to increase their earnings to a sustainable level through developing their self-employment, or to consider other ways to achieve financial self-sufficiency such as through paid employment.
The table below shows the number and proportion of (a) households with a self-employed Universal Credit claimant and (b) people living in households with a self-employed Universal Credit claimant subject to the Minimum Income Floor in Brighton and Hove from March 2022 to February 2023.
| Households with one or more self-employed claimants | Individuals in households with one or more self-employed claimants | ||
| Number subject to the MIF | Proportion subject to the MIF | Number subject to the MIF | Proportion subject to the MIF |
Mar-22 | 170 | 5% | 250 | 6% |
Apr-22 | 210 | 6% | 300 | 7% |
May-22 | 220 | 7% | 320 | 8% |
Jun-22 | 220 | 7% | 320 | 8% |
Jul-22 | 240 | 7% | 340 | 8% |
Aug-22 | 250 | 7% | 350 | 8% |
Sep-22 | 260 | 8% | 360 | 8% |
Oct-22 | 290 | 9% | 410 | 10% |
Nov-22 | 330 | 10% | 460 | 11% |
Dec-22 | 350 | 10% | 490 | 12% |
Jan-23 | 400 | 12% | 570 | 13% |
Feb-23 | 450 | 14% | 640 | 15% |
Notes:
1. Numbers of households and individuals are rounded to the nearest 10.
2. Households with a UC award of zero but whose claims have not yet closed are not included.
3. Claimants are counted as subject to the Minimum Income Floor if they are gainfully self-employed, not in a start-up period, and do not have temporary easement under which the MIF is not applied.
4. During the period shown there has been a large increase in numbers and proportions subject to the Minimum Income Floor as 12 month start-up periods come to an end for the large volume of claimants assessed in the period following the re-introduction of the MIF in August 2021.