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Written Question
Natural Gas: Pipelines
Thursday 1st December 2022

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of the safety of steel service pipes in gas distribution networks.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not assess the safety of steel service pipes in gas distribution networks. This is the duty of the Gas Distribution Network Operator.

HSE assesses the content of safety cases submitted by gas network operators. Steel service pipelines are acceptable and safety cases will address the Operators management arrangements for these. HSE must accept the safety case prior to operation and Operators then have a duty to conform with their safety case.


Written Question
Universal Credit
Friday 25th February 2022

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has carried out research on demand for universal credit app-based services.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We have conducted user research with people using the Universal Credit service and have observed both mobile and PC use of the web service. The primary user need is to be able to successfully access the service and use it to achieve their goal. We can meet this need most successfully by utilising open web standards and a “responsive” service which fits any screen size.


Written Question
Universal Credit
Friday 25th February 2022

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the number of universal credit claimants who use online and phone-based services.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Around 98% of claims are maintained online, with the remaining 2% maintained via telephone.


Written Question
Universal Credit
Thursday 24th February 2022

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how her Department monitors (a) feedback and (b) complaints from universal credit claimants.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Feedback from customers, including insight we gather from complaints, is an important source of learning for DWP.

This includes Universal Credit (UC), where claimant feedback is carefully considered in order to continually refine the UC service and ensure it works for all. Our design teams conduct user research with both our claimants and our staff to identify improvements to the service and to test out planned changes with customers before they are implemented.

The Customer Experience Directorate plays a key role in coordinating learning within the Department, and the Department uses this data to inform decision making. More information about how we do this is available in our 2020/21 Annual Report and Accounts:

HC 422 – Department for Work and Pensions – Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

This includes DWP’s Customer Experience Survey, which seeks customer feedback about their experience with DWP. This is a survey of customers who have had recent contact with DWP and includes UC claimants.

The most recent findings from the survey are available here, and the findings from the 2020/21 survey will be published in due course.

DWP claimant service and experience survey 2018 to 2019 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


Written Question
Universal Credit
Thursday 24th February 2022

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how her Department monitors (a) satisfaction and (b) employee retention levels among universal credit staff.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Whilst the department does not directly measure satisfaction, all DWP staff are encouraged to participate in the Annual Civil Service People Survey which does provide us with an Employee Engagement Index to show us how engaged our staff are. The engagement index is designed to show how committed staff are to the department’s goals and values, and how motivated they are in contributing to organisational success.

DWP continually monitors retention in terms of levels of supply against demand across service delivery including Universal Credit staff.


Written Question
Universal Credit
Wednesday 23rd February 2022

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to take steps to improve universal credit service delivery.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Department regularly reviews both the numbers of people working in Universal Credit operations and their performance against service standards, and the effectiveness of staff training. Assessments are made in real time to meet any short-term peaks in demand and are also regularly reviewed for longer term improvements to ensure the service continues to meet customer expectations.

The Department gathers and analyses feedback from our stakeholders, which helps drive improvement to the service we deliver; ensuring welfare payments reach those who need them the most.


Written Question
Employment and Support Allowance: Scotland
Thursday 20th January 2022

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been affected by the underpayment of benefits after transitioning from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance in each Scottish UK parliamentary constituency.

Answered by Chloe Smith

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19th January to question number 104377.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Scotland
Friday 22nd October 2021

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with the Scottish Government on changing the eligibility criteria to access adult disability payment from the current criteria in personal independence payment.

Answered by Chloe Smith

The eligibility criteria for Adult Disability Payment are a matter for the Scottish Government. My Department works closely with the Scottish Government to support its implementation of the social security provisions of the Scotland Act 2016.


Written Question
Cold Weather Payments: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Monday 22nd February 2021

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made with regards to extending the cold weather payments to people on furlough to help with fuel bills.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

People on low incomes, including those who are furloughed, are able to apply for Universal Credit (UC), which is one of the qualifying benefits for Cold Weather Payments (CWP). If they qualify for UC and meet the additional eligibility criteria for CWP, they will be paid automatically.


Written Question
Universal Credit
Wednesday 3rd February 2021

Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant of the Answer of 28 January 2021 to Question 142894 on Universal Credit, for what reason her Department will not publish that data.

Answered by Will Quince

The Department does not currently make estimates of UC take-up rates.