Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve financial support for people caring full-time for multiple individuals with disabilities and (b) other full-time carers.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers in supporting some of the most vulnerable in society, including pensioners and those with disabilities.
Carer’s Allowance is not means-tested and is not based on National Insurance contributions. Its principal purpose is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time work in order to provide regular care for a severely disabled person. The main qualifying condition is that the carer is providing at least 35 hours of care to somebody in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit, and that no-one else is providing such care to that person.
Carer’s Allowance is therefore not a payment for providing a care service, so only one payment is made even if a carer is caring for more than one severely disabled person.
In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £185.86 per monthly assessment period. The additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £42.75 a week.
Around 550,000 (May 2023 data) carer households on Universal Credit can receive around an additional £2,230 a year through the carer element. The Government has chosen to focus extra support on those carers who need it most.
The Government keeps the qualifying conditions for Carer’s Allowance under review, but has no plans to amend them at this time.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
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 provide additional Carer’s Allowance for people caring for more than one person.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers in supporting some of the most vulnerable in society, including pensioners and those with disabilities.
Carer’s Allowance is not means-tested and is not based on National Insurance contributions. Its principal purpose is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time work in order to provide regular care for a severely disabled person. The main qualifying condition is that the carer is providing at least 35 hours of care to somebody in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit, and that no-one else is providing such care to that person.
Carer’s Allowance is therefore not a payment for providing a care service, so only one payment is made even if a carer is caring for more than one severely disabled person.
In addition to Carer’s Allowance, carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit. These benefits can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element and the additional amount for carers respectively. Currently, the Universal Credit carer element is £185.86 per monthly assessment period. The additional amount for carers in Pension Credit is £42.75 a week.
Around 550,000 (May 2023 data) carer households on Universal Credit can receive around an additional £2,230 a year through the carer element. The Government has chosen to focus extra support on those carers who need it most.
The Government keeps the qualifying conditions for Carer’s Allowance under review, but has no plans to amend them at this time.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will issue guidance to local authorities to prioritise families who rely on non-price capped fuel for the Household Support Fund.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Household Support Fund extension is part of £22 billion we are providing in 2022-23 to help ease cost of living pressures. The additional £500 million we are providing from April to help households with the cost of essentials brings the total funding for this support to
£1 billion. In England, £421 million will be provided to extend the existing Household Support Fund from 1 April to 30 September inclusive and will continue to help people who are struggling to afford energy and water bills, food, and other essentials.
Local Authorities have been issued with the fund guidance and the accompanying grant determination for the extended funding. We know energy bills may be of particular concern to low income households and so the guidance encourages Local Authorities to focus on supporting households with the cost of energy, and to focus all support on those in most need. Within the parameters set by the guidance, it is for Local Authorities, using their local ties and knowledge, to design local schemes that best meet the needs of local people.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will issue guidance to local authorities to prioritise families who rely on non-price capped fuel for the Household Support Fund.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit sanctions were issued in South Staffordshire constituency in each of the last five years.
Answered by Esther McVey - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is shown in the table below.
Number of benefit sanctions applied in South Staffordshire constituency in each of the last five years.
Date | All Benefit Sanctions |
|
|
Oct 2008 to Sept 2009 | 390 |
Oct 2009 to Sept 2010 | 480 |
Oct 2010 to Sept 2011 | 610 |
Oct 2011 to Sept 2012 | 650 |
Oct 2012 to Sept 2013 | 610 |
Source: (JSA and ESA): DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate: Sanctions and Disallowance Decisions Statistics Database.
Source (IS): Income Support Computer System
Notes:
2. The number of benefit sanctions applied is the number of sanction or disallowance referrals where the decision was found against the claimant.
3. Income Support Lone Parents receive a fixed sanction of 20% of the personal allowance rate of a single claimant [not aged less than 25] for each failure to attend/participate in a Work Focused Interview until 10 pence is left in payment. This sanction lasts until the individual attends and participates in a Work Focused Interview. In the case where there is more than one sanction in place the claimant need only attend/participate in one Work Focused Interview in order for all related sanctions to be removed from their benefit.
4. New sanctions rules came into force for JSA and ESA from 22 October 2012 and 3 December 2012. The number of JSA sanctions applied for the new regime is the number of low, intermediate, and high level referrals where the decision was found against the claimant. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobseekers-allowance-overview-of-sanctions-rules
5. The number of JSA sanctions applied for the old regime is the number of fixed length, varied length and entitlement decisions where the decision was found against the claimant.
6. Information on JSA and ESA sanctions is published and available at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in South Staffordshire constituency under the age of 25 years old were in receipt of housing benefit in the most recent period for which figures are available.
Answered by Steve Webb
The number of people in South Staffordshire constituency under the age of 25 in receipt of housing benefit, as at November 2013 is 258.
This information is published and can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Stat-Xplore_User_Guide.htm