Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what level of training is offered to decision-makers in his Department on better understanding the mental health situation of claimants.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The DWP provides role specific training which allows decision makers to reach decisions using a wide range of evidence, and in accordance with the relevant law. They work closely with Health Care Professionals, who undertake medical assessments and supply medical information and evidence to enable a decision to be reached.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
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 banks and building societies that utilise a clawback feature on their occupational pensions.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government does not currently collect this data. Information on the number of banks and building societies that utilise a pension integration or “clawback” feature on their occupational pension is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
No estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of the longstanding practice of private pensions operating integrated pension scheme arrangements.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
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 cost to the public purse of any additional state benefits claimed by HSBC/Midland Bank pensioners as a result of the clawback of their occupational pension.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government does not currently collect this data. Information on the number of banks and building societies that utilise a pension integration or “clawback” feature on their occupational pension is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.
No estimate has been made of the cost to the public purse of the longstanding practice of private pensions operating integrated pension scheme arrangements.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of unemployment in the Sheffield City Region of the Government's decision to pause the Early Integrated Employment Support pilot.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Following developments within the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, in particular some constituent members signalling that they no longer support the deal, the Government believes that the most sensible approach is to pause our work on the innovation pilot. This, we hope, will give further time for local issues to be considered and resolved, giving greater clarity on the future of the partnership and the extent of continuing local support for the pilot from all constituent members of the Combined Authority.
Despite taking the decision to pause this work, the Government remains fully committed to the Sheffield City Region devolution deal. Our main ambition is to work collaboratively to realise all elements of the devolution deal and to deliver the innovation pilot as soon as possible, once all partners have been able to recommit to the agreement.
We will keep this situation under close review with the hope that work on the innovation pilot can continue at the earliest viable opportunity.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for how long he expects the Sheffield City Region's Early Integrated Employment Support pilot to be paused.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Following developments within the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, in particular some constituent members signalling that they no longer support the deal, the Government believes that the most sensible approach is to pause our work on the innovation pilot. This, we hope, will give further time for local issues to be considered and resolved, giving greater clarity on the future of the partnership and the extent of continuing local support for the pilot from all constituent members of the Combined Authority.
Despite taking the decision to pause this work, the Government remains fully committed to the Sheffield City Region devolution deal. Our main ambition is to work collaboratively to realise all elements of the devolution deal and to deliver the innovation pilot as soon as possible, once all partners have been able to recommit to the agreement.
We will keep this situation under close review with the hope that work on the innovation pilot can continue at the earliest viable opportunity.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons there are differences between the timelines of his Department's Universal Credit Transition Roll-Out Schedules published in (a) November 2016 and (b) November 2017.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
As announced by the Secretary of State in his Oral Statement, to accommodate the changes in the scope of Universal Credit announced in the Budget, it has been necessary to make changes to the rollout plan.
We have carefully revised the rollout plan to ensure we continue safely and gradually to rollout this important welfare reform, and this will mean a slight change in date for when Universal Credit Full Service will be rolled out in some Jobcentres.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the annual savings to the public purse of including employment and support allowance claimants in the support mortgage interest changes due to take place in April 2018.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Including Employment and Support Allowance claimants in changes to SMI will save around £65 million in benefit expenditure each year.
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the (a) Support Group and (b) working group of employment support allowance claim Support Mortgage Interest.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Estimates of ESA claimants in receipt of SMI, by conditionality group, are as follows:
ESA Conditionality Group | Caseload |
Assessment Phase | 3,000 |
Work Related Activity Group | 9,000 |
Support Group | 38,000 |
Asked by: Jared O'Mara (Independent - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications of universal credit being paid into one person's account when the claim is in the name of a couple; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
If a couple is living together in a household, Universal Credit (UC) normally makes a single award to that household. It is for the couple in the household to determine where their single award is paid. This could be either a joint account or an individual account held by one member of the couple. Within UC it is possible for a payment to be divided between two members of the household. This is known as a Split Payment and it is designed to prevent hardship to the claimant and their family. It is considered in certain specific situations such as domestic violence or where financial abuse occurs and one partner mismanages the UC payment. Our approach is based on the evidence that suggests that only 7% of cohabiting couples and only 2% of married couples keep their finances completely separate.