Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the adequacy of benefit rates during the covid-19 outbreak for disabled people on legacy benefits.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Department for Work and Pension Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Treasury officials. We will spend over £55 billion this year (2020/21) on benefits to support people with health conditions and disabilities. This will increase by £1.6 billion to £57 billion in 2021/22.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January to Question 133930, whether the average number of successful prosecutions for fraud following investigation by the Financial Investigation Unit of the Child Maintenance Service since 2014 is fewer than five a year.
Answered by Guy Opperman
For the period July 2020 to date clerical records show there have been in excess of 5 convictions specifically for fraud given by Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
There are also 6 cases awaiting a CPS trial.
Action will be taken with any person who is not paying their Child Maintenance.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Child Maintenance Service’s Financial Investigation Unit since it was established in 2014.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) is equipped with powers to conduct full and in depth investigations in to allegations made against a paying parent’s financial circumstances. They will then determine the most appropriate action to get Child Maintenance Payments flowing to the receiving parent.
Please see available statistics below of actions taken by the FIU. These can be found on Table 12 of the National Tables available on Gov.uk. Table 11.2 also refers.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases the Financial Investigation Unit has investigated since it was established in 2014; and how many and what proportion of those cases resulted in (a) an increase in payment to the receiving parent and (b) a fraud prosecution.
Answered by Guy Opperman
Information relating to the number of cases the Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) has reviewed back to 2017 is available on Gov.uk. These can be found on Table 12 of the National Tables available on Gov.uk which provides information on intake at lines 11, 20, 32 and 42. And line 25 shows volumes of assessments changed. Table 11.2 also refers and this shows applications to court for prosecutions and resulting sanctions applied by the court.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol 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 proportion of personal independence claim awards of the standard rate of care to an applicant previously in receipt of the enhanced rate of care that are increased following a mandatory reconsideration.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The specific information requested on PIP claims moving from an enhanced daily living award to a standard daily living award, and then being awarded an enhanced daily living award again at Mandatory Reconsideration (MRs) or appeal is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol 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 proportion of personal independence claim awards of the standard rate of care to an applicant previously in receipt of the enhanced rate of care that are increased following an appeal to HM Courts and Tribunal Service.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The specific information requested on PIP claims moving from an enhanced daily living award to a standard daily living award, and then being awarded an enhanced daily living award again at Mandatory Reconsideration (MRs) or appeal is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the accuracy of telephone-based personal independence payment assessments compared with face-to-face appointments.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
The department is committed to improving the assessment process and ensuring that claimants receive high quality, objective and accurate assessments, as part of the suite of evidence the department uses to decide entitlement. We are closely monitoring all new assessment processes, including telephone assessments, to ensure they are working well for those claiming Personal Independence Payment, as well as providing the right level of information to allow claims to be assessed.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to consult on changing the 39 week qualifying period for Support for Mortgage Interest loans.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Department has no plans to consult on amending the qualifying period for Support for Mortgage Interest.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2020 to Question 63380, whether her Department collects information on which universal credit claimants have received a payment under the Self-employment Income Support Scheme; and what estimate her Department has made of the cost of publishing that information.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
HMRC owns this information on Self Employed Income Support Scheme. DWP has made no estimate of the cost of undertaking or publishing any analysis of the scheme and its links with Universal Credit.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the effect on the administering of child maintenance of the redeployment of staff from the Child Maintenance Service to help process the increase in claims for universal credit resulting from the covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is making temporary changes to services to continue to ensure we can deliver our priorities to support separated parents and also to help wider efforts to provide essential financial support to more people.
Child Maintenance services can be accessed online with parents urged to make use of this in the first instance, and phone lines remain open for those who need them. The CMS has updated guidance on telephone and online services to encourage parents to report changes online where possible, except where changes must be reported by phone.
Over time the CMS will ensure that everyone pays or receives the right amount of child maintenance. No one will get away with giving false information and those abusing the system could find themselves subject to the full extent of our enforcement powers.