Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with mental illness will be moved to universal credit under the managed migration regulations.
Answered by Lord Sharma
All claimants will eventually move onto Universal Credit. However, managed migration will begin in 2019 with small-scale testing to ensure that the process works well. No more than 10,000 people will be migrated in 2019, before we take on larger volumes from 2020 onwards, completing the process in 2023.
We are aware that some claimants will have a mental illness: some we will know about through an ESA claim, for example, whilst others may not have shared the information. That is why we are co-designing our migration processes with partner organisations and stakeholders, to ensure that we create the best possible processes for all of our claimants.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether tenants living in supported housing will have their housing benefit replaced with universal credit as a result of the roll-out of universal credit.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
In October 2017 we consulted on proposals to achieve a sustainable funding provision for supported housing. This included a ring fenced local authority grant for short-term provision and an enhanced regulatory regime for sheltered and extra care housing (“Sheltered Rent”).
We took note of all the consultation responses and opinions, in particular listening to views expressed by the sector throughout the process, working closely with providers and others.
As a result, on 9th August, we announced that we will maintain all of supported housing in Housing Benefit. This decision reflects our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable people in our society.
At present, there are no plans to replace housing benefit for those in supported accommodation and claiming universal credit, as a result of universal credit roll-out. .
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria mental health supported housing must meet to qualify as exempt accommodation in relation to occupants in receipt of (a) housing benefit and (b) universal credit.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
For mental health supported housing to qualify for exempt accommodation
(a) the accommodation must be provided by:
(b) But only if (in each of the above) care, support and supervision are provided to the claimant.
The above applies to occupants receiving housing benefit and universal credit. Claimants in exempt accommodation can get housing benefit even if they are on universal credit.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to include the state pension in the pensions dashboard system.
Answered by Guy Opperman
I published a written statement providing an update on pensions including the pension’s dashboard. (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-09-04/HCWS933/)
People can access the online ‘Check your State Pension’ service through GOV.UK to get a forecast of their State Pension, where they can get information about how they may be able to improve it, as well as view their National Insurance contribution record. Check Your State Pension has provided more than ten million online estimates since its introduction in 2016. As part of our feasibility work we have been considering whether State Pension data should be available alongside private pension information. We will shortly report on the findings from the feasibility study.