Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the number of DWP assessors (a) challenging or (b) overturning clinical judgements made by medical professionals about a claimant's terminal illness.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The DWP currently provides a balanced and compassionate approach to supporting those approaching the end of their lives. The approach is based on clinical judgement and evidence provided by a relevant clinician like GPs or Specialist Nurses.
A claim made under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness is in most cases supported by evidence from the claimant’s clinician submitted in a DS1500 form. These contain information relating to diagnosis, clinical features and past or current treatment. While they have never been a requirement for a claim under the terminal illness rules, they remain the quickest and most appropriate route to gather evidence to support entitlement in these cases.
Providers use healthcare professionals to provide advice to DWP decision makers about benefit entitlement. They may contact clinicians to obtain clinical information if either a claim has been made under the SRTI but no DS1500 has been provided or for clarification of information provided in the DS1500. The provider healthcare professional will review all available evidence before making a recommendation to DWP decision makers about eligibility.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 October 2021 to Question 60405, on Universal Credit, what proportion of Government debt resulting in deductions taken from universal credit entitlements is as a result of advances.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
To clarify, Advances are not Government debt. They are a claimant’s benefit entitlement paid early, allowing claimants to access 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. They ensure nobody has to wait for a payment in Universal Credit and those who need it are able to receive financial support as soon as possible. Claimants can receive up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit award if required, resulting in 25 payments over a 24-month period.
For Universal Credit claims with a payment due during May 2021:
1) Government debt includes: DWP Benefit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Tax Credit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Housing Benefit Overpayment (fraud and non-fraud), Social Fund Loan, Recoverable Hardship Payment, Administrative Penalty, Civil Penalty, Eligible Loan Deductions, Integration Loan.
2) Claims may have a deduction for both a Government debt and a repayment of an advance.
3) The above figures exclude deductions for Third Party debt; they also exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.
4) Data for May 2021 has been provided in line with the latest available Universal Credit Household Statistics.
5) Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.
As noted in PQ 60405, on average, claimants with these deductions paid 15% of their Standard Allowance towards them. We have reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 30% to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance, enabling claimants to take home more of the award.
Customers can contact the Department if they are experiencing financial hardship to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment, depending on their financial circumstances, whilst work coaches can also signpost claimants to other financial support.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants have had deductions made from their universal credit entitlement as a result of an advance or other Government debt in each of the last 12 months for which data is available.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The information requested is provided in the attached spreadsheet.
We reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 40% to 30% to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance enabling them to retain more of the award. These changes were implemented from October 2019 to April 2021. These positive measures were put in place to support claimants to manage financial difficulties. Processes are in place to ensure deductions are manageable and customers can contact DWP Debt Management if they are experiencing financial hardship to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment, or a temporary suspension, depending on financial circumstances.
From 3rd April 2020, deductions from Universal Credit for some government debt, such as Tax Credits, benefit overpayments and Social Fund Loans were suspended for 3 months, which resulted in many claimants seeing an increase in the amount they received, while allowing staff to prioritise processing the unprecedented number of new benefits claims. They restarted in a phased approach from July 2020.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants are being deducted the maximum amount of 25 per cent of their standard allowance from their entitlement as a result of an advance or other Government debt.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
For Universal Credit claims with a payment due during May 2021, 506,000 (10% of all claims) had a deduction of 25% of their standard allowance as a result of an Advance or Government debt.
We reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 40% to 30% to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance enabling them to retain more of the award. These changes were implemented from October 2019 to April 2021. These positive measures were put in place to support claimants to manage financial difficulties. Protocols are in place to ensure deductions are manageable and customers can contact DWP Debt Management if they are experiencing financial hardship to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment, or a temporary suspension, depending on financial circumstances.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July 2021 to Question 32383 on universal credit, whether a gender impact assessment was subsequently made on the removal of the uplift to the standard allowance of universal credit.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department has not completed an impact assessment of the removal of the Universal Credit temporary uplift as it was introduced as a temporary measure.
The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a COVID support package worth a total of £407 billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced. With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that our focus is on helping people back into work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty.
Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; we have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job; and introduced Restart which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to Universal Credit claimants who are unemployed for a year. Our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people
This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continues to do so through many measures, including by spending over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22. This government is continuing to take action to support living standards by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 effective from April 1st 2022, as well as reducing the taper rate in Universal Credit from 63% to 55% and increasing the value of work allowances by £500 per year, meaning Universal Credit claimants will be able to keep more of their benefit payments when they increase their earnings.
We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 July 2021 to Question 32384 on Universal Credit, whether any ethnicity impact assessment was subsequently made on removing the uplift to the standard allowance in Universal Credit.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department has not completed an impact assessment of the removal of the Universal Credit temporary uplift as it was introduced as a temporary measure.
The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a COVID support package worth a total of £407 billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced. With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that our focus is on helping people back into work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty.
Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; we have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job; and introduced Restart which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to Universal Credit claimants who are unemployed for a year. Our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people
This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continues to do so through many measures, including by spending over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22. This government is continuing to take action to support living standards by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 effective from April 1st 2022, as well as reducing the taper rate in Universal Credit from 63% to 55% and increasing the value of work allowances by £500 per year, meaning Universal Credit claimants will be able to keep more of their benefit payments when they increase their earnings.
We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2021 to Question 33908 on Universal Credit, whether any assessment was subsequently made on the impact of removing the uplift to the standard allowance in Universal Credit on the financial security of young claimants.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Department has not completed an impact assessment of the removal of the Universal Credit temporary uplift as it was introduced as a temporary measure.
The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a COVID support package worth a total of £407 billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced. With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that our focus is on helping people back into work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty.
Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; we have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job; and introduced Restart which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to Universal Credit claimants who are unemployed for a year. Our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people
This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continues to do so through many measures, including by spending over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22. This government is continuing to take action to support living standards by increasing the National Living Wage to £9.50 effective from April 1st 2022, as well as reducing the taper rate in Universal Credit from 63% to 55% and increasing the value of work allowances by £500 per year, meaning Universal Credit claimants will be able to keep more of their benefit payments when they increase their earnings.
We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many internal process reviews have been (a) started and (b) completed on cases of death or serious harm since the Answer of 28 June 2021 to Question 21211 on Social Security Benefits.
Answered by Chloe Smith
Internal Process Reviews (IPRs) are internal retrospective investigations, focussed on organisational learning. They are not designed to identify or apportion blame (where engaged, a Coroner has responsibility for concluding the cause of death).
IPRs are conducted when:
o there is a suggestion or allegation that the Department’s actions or omissions may have negatively contributed to the customer’s circumstances, or cases in which the department may be able to learn about the operation of its processes, AND a customer has suffered serious harm, has died (including by suicide), or where we have reason to believe there has been an attempted suicide.
o the Department is asked to participate in a Safeguarding Adults Board, or is named as an Interested Party at an Inquest. An Internal Process Review will be conducted - regardless of whether there is an allegation against the Department.
Of those IPRs that have been started since 28 June 2021, those relevant to the question’s criteria are as follows:
Death* | 12 |
Serious Harm** | 4 |
Of those IPRs that have been completed since 28 June 2021, those relevant to the question’s criteria are as follows:
Death* | 12 |
Serious Harm** | 1 |
* Death includes the categories death, alleged suicide and confirmed suicide.
** Serious Harm includes the categories self-harm, serious harm, attempted suicide and ‘other’.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will reduce the number of benefits assessments for terminally ill people by extending the length of awards under the Special Rules for Terminal Illnesses.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Department provides fast-track access to benefits for people who are nearing the end of their lives through the Special Rules for Terminal Illness (SRTI). The Special Rules provide access to benefit without waiting periods. Awards are made on the basis of a paper-based assessment and claimants usually receive the highest rates of benefit. For the majority of cases made under the Special Rules for Terminal Illness, people are given three year awards. This approach is based on a recommendation from an expert advisory group, initially for Disability Living Allowance, but later adopted in other benefits. The three year awards given to SRTI claims strikes a balance that recognises making a prognosis is not an exact science. The majority of claims made under the Special Rules sadly do not reach three years but for those that do, we want to ensure that people continue to receive the right level of support. Any further claims would also likely be made under the Special Rules, avoiding the need for [face to face] assessment.
Asked by: Jonathan Reynolds (Labour (Co-op) - Stalybridge and Hyde)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessments her Department has made on the equity of requiring people diagnosed with a terminal condition and whose symptoms are clear to complete a work capability assessment.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The Department provides fast-track access to Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Universal Credit and Employment Support Allowance for people who are nearing the end of their lives through the Special Rules for Terminal Illness. The Special Rules provide access to benefit without waiting periods. Awards are made on the basis of a paper-based assessment and claimants usually receive the highest rates of benefit. On 8th July 2021, following an extensive evaluation into how the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their lives, the Department announced its intention to replace the current 6-month rule with a 12-month, end of life definition.
We also sought views in Shaping Future Support: The Health and Disability Green Paper on how best to support people with severe and lifelong conditions to access ESA, the additional health-related element of UC and Personal Independence Payment. Responses will inform a White Paper to be published next year.