Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
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 14 January 2019, Official Report HCWS1249, how many mixed-age couples will be affected by the change to pension credit in (a) Wales and (b) Ogmore.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The mixed age couples change that came in on 15 May 2019 will not affect couples who were entitled to Pension Credit and/or pension age Housing Benefit immediately before May 15, unless their entitlement to both those benefits subsequently ends. Anyone who would be eligible for the pension age benefits under the previous rules but have not claimed before 15 May will have up to 13 August to make a backdated claim to 14 May and we encourage them to do so.
The specific information requested about the number of mixed age couples that are estimated to be affected by the forthcoming changes in (a) Wales and (b) Ogmore is not available.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to her Written Statement of 14 January 2019, Official Report HCWS1249, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on women's incomes of changes to pension credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Pension Credit change was legislated for in the Welfare Reform Act 2012. It was announced on 14 January 2019 that the change would take effect from 15 May 2019. It will not apply to couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners immediately before the 15 May implementation date for as long as they remain entitled to either benefit. Furthermore, couples who would be eligible for the pension age benefits under the previous rules but have not claimed before 15 May will have up to 13 August to make a backdated claim.
There has been ongoing equality analysis of the mixed age couple change, including the publication of a research and analysis paper relating to mixed age couples estimated to be affected by the change in policy on 28 February 2019.
The analysis shows that the vast majority of mixed age couples comprised a male and female partner. There is no indication that the change will have a disproportionate impact on the basis of sex.
The analysis can be viewed here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/mixed-age-couples-benefit-impacts-of-ending-access-to-pension-credit-and-pension-age-housing-benefit
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Wales currently claim pension credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The information is published and available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
Guidance for users is available at: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
The latest data (as at November 2018) shows that in Wales, there are 100,065 people claiming Pension Credit.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of the changes to pension credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The change to the Pension Credit rules was legislated for in the Welfare Reform Act 2012. The Government announced on 14 January that the mixed age couple policy change will come into force on 15 May. Following that announcement, we have implemented comprehensive plans to raise awareness of the change among people who may be affected.
The Department has written directly to mixed age couples who are already in receipt of Pension Credit or Housing Benefit for pensioners to ensure they know about the change and how they could be affected if their circumstances change on or after 15 May. Importantly, the letters explained that the change will not apply to mixed age couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners at the point of change for as long as they remain entitled to either benefit.
This was in addition to providing information on GOV.UK and through existing departmental channels. The Department’s staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres including visiting officers are able to provide information about the change, as are staff in Local Authorities who administer Housing Benefit. The Department has also worked with relevant organisations such as Age UK and Citizens Advice, including providing them with a fact sheet to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek it.
Anyone who would be eligible for the pension age benefits under the previous rules but have not claimed before 15 May will have up to 13 August to make a backdated claim to 14 May and we encourage them to do so.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on providing transitional Severe Disability Payment under the Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Following the High Court Judgment on 3 May, in relation to Universal Credit and these regulations, we are considering our options.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
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 number of benefit claimants of who travel out of area to access a food bank.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department doesn’t maintain records on the number of food bank users. People can be referred to a food bank through a range of local referral partners. Although Jobcentre staff can also signpost claimants in writing to a food bank in line with national guidance, they are not required to maintain records on whether a customer has been issued with a signposting slip. As part of their wider community outreach work, Jobcentre managers can work with food banks in their area if they are invited to do so, to ensure that people are receiving all the support they are entitled to.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
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 whether universal credit adequately covers the cost of living in Wales.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Successive Governments have made decisions about the rates of benefits taking account of the competing demands on public expenditure, mindful of the need to balance poverty alleviation whilst not damaging incentives to work, as all Governments since 1948 have striven to do.
Benefits provide a safety net for people to spend on their individual needs.
Government does not prescribe these, but provides support depending on circumstances such as ability to work and need for childcare.
The applicable amount for Universal Credit is based upon a personal allowance paid according to age and family status, which can be supplemented by flat-rate premiums for groups recognised as having additional needs, such as disabled people and carers.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants received an underpayment of universal credit (a) as their first payment and (b) in further payments in (a) Ogmore and (b) Wales in 2018.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is not held by the Department.
Our latest published data shows that consistently around 85% of new claimants are being paid in full and on time. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provisions are being made for severe disability premium (SDP) claimants who were moved on to universal credit before the transitional SDP amount came into force.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 249942.
Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timescale is for her Department (a) to identify all claimants who are eligible for a transitional severe disability premium and (b) when that payment will be awarded to eligible claimants.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 249942.