Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data his Department holds on the number of people with syndactyly that are in receipt of the Personal Independence Payment.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is based on the needs arising from a long-term health condition or disability, not the health condition or disability itself.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff have been employed in her Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by directorate.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Department for Work and Pensions Full Time Equivalent (FTE) as at the end of each financial year by directorate*
Directorate | Mar-22 |
Central Analysis and Science Directorate | 78 |
Change Group | 1,025 |
Digital Group | 3,945 |
Finance Group | 2,000 |
People, Capability and Place Group | 1,769 |
Private Office | 93 |
Strategic Communications | 117 |
Policy Group | 1,387 |
Service Excellence Group | 21,901 |
Work and Health Services Group | 49,783 |
DWP Total | 82,099 |
Directorate | Mar-21 |
Change | 718 |
Digital | 2,898 |
Finance Group | 1,955 |
People, Capability and Place Group | 1,508 |
Private Office | 85 |
Communications | 227 |
Policy Group | 1,183 |
Service Excellence Group | 19,700 |
Work and Health Services Group | 53,082 |
Not Available | 59 |
DWP Total | 81,415 |
Directorate | Mar-20 |
Central Analysis and Science Directorate | 97 |
Change | 813 |
Digital | 2,673 |
Finance Group | 1,888 |
People and Capability Group | 1,201 |
Private Office | 92 |
Communications | 238 |
Strategy | 1,022 |
Service Excellence Group | 21,504 |
Work and Health Services Group | 39,264 |
Not Available | 1 |
DWP Total | 68,794 |
Directorate | Mar-19 |
Change | 896 |
Digital | 2,720 |
Finance Group | 3,821 |
Human Resources | 524 |
Private Office | 4 |
Communications | 122 |
Policy Group | 1,103 |
Operations | 63,939 |
Not Available | 214 |
DWP Total | 73,341 |
Directorate | Mar-18 |
Change | 1,045 |
Technology | 2,538 |
Finance Group | 3,815 |
Human Resources | 484 |
Private Office | 57 |
Communications | 289 |
Strategy, Policy and Analysis Group | 1,017 |
Operations | 64,834 |
DWP Total | 74,080 |
* FTE is rounded to nearest whole number
** Includes paid employees only
*** The reporting hierarchy and directorate names within DWP has changed over this period as a result of internal restructuring
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department undertook an equality impact assessment on the migration of claimants from legacy benefits to Universal Credit.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Yes, the Department has undertaken an equality assessment to fulfil the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty as set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. As Discovery progresses it is subject to revision as we learn and iterate the processes of managed migration.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, by what means her Department is contacting claimants on legacy benefits who are due to move to Universal Credit; what support is in place to assist claimants in this process; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Everyone who is required to move will receive a managed migration notice informing them that they need to make a claim for Universal Credit. Through our testing and learning we will be able to determine the best way to provide this notification to claimants, but all recipients will have a minimum of three months to make their Universal Credit claim.
As part of this learning process, one of the key things we are seeking to better understand, is what additional support is required for people to make their claim to UC. There will be a wide range of support which is available from the outset, consisting of:
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of how many claimants who are expected to move from legacy benefits to Universal Credit will consequentially receive (a) more and (b) less in benefits between May 2022 and May 2024; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The vast majority of claimants will either be better off, or no worse off. The ‘Completing Move to UC’ publication Completing the move to Universal Credit - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) sets out the departments analysis of the estimated number of claimants expected to be moved to Universal Credit.
The Department is currently focused on the discovery phase of managed migration starting with 250 claimants in Bolton and Medway respectively. We are committed to ensuring the final phase of Universal Credit is rolled out safely and is responsibly delivered by the end of 2024.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value of benefits unclaimed by entitled claimants was in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 24 February 2022 the Department for Work and Pensions published the report “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2019 to 2020”. This provided figures on the value of some unclaimed benefits (Pension Credit and Housing Benefit (for Pensioners) in Great Britain. The full report is available online. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up--2 . Estimates are not currently available for other DWP benefits.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the amount of benefit overpayments due to fraud and error has been in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by (a) official and (b) claimant error.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Estimates of fraud and error levels in the benefit system in Great Britain, including over each of the last 5 financial years, have been published and can be found at:
Fraud and error in the benefit system - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)?
The national statistics of fraud and error in the welfare system in Great Britain in the financial year 2021 to 2022 will be released on 26th May 2022.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has plans to give some officials in her Department greater access to claimants' banking data; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As set out in both our Fighting Fraud Against the Welfare System publication, published on 19 May (link below) and the supporting Written Ministerial Statement, when parliamentary time allows, we will legislate for powers to require the transfer of data from third parties (e.g. banks) to enable the department to identify potential fraud more proactively, such as where claimants might have savings above the capital limit.
We believe this measure is necessary and proportionate to protect taxpayers’ money and prevent crime. We recognise that we must balance this with people’s right to privacy and we will therefore ensure the power is appropriate and no more than necessary to address the problem.
Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has plans to give powers of arrest to some officials in her Department; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As set out in both our Fighting Fraud Against the Welfare System publication, published on 19 May (link below) and the supporting Written Ministerial Statement, when parliamentary time allows, we propose to introduce legislation to take new powers of arrest which will be conferred on a team of suitably trained and experienced criminal investigators. Where appropriate we will continue to work in partnership with the Police.
This legislation would broadly align DWP powers with those already in place in both HMRC and GLAA (Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority)
Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing (a) midwives, (b) allied health professionals, (c) nurse practitioners and (d) other health care professionals to complete fit notes.
Answered by Chloe Smith
In July 2021, the government set out plans to deliver transformation of the fit note including removing the requirement to sign in ink (from April 2022) and committing to amending regulations to allow a wider range of eligible professionals to sign fit notes (planned for Summer 2022).
As part of this ongoing process, in order to assess which healthcare professions are in scope to complete fit notes, we have consulted closely with DHSC and clinical experts. Additionally, as part of the planned policy changes, we will subsequently undertake relevant monitoring.