Asked by: Liz Kendall (Labour - Leicester West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the number and proportion of tax credit claimants that have closed a claim rather than migrate to Universal Credit in each of the last three years.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The requested information and can be found in Table 2 here: Completing the move to Universal Credit: Statistics related to the move of households claiming TaxCredits and DWP Benefits to Universal Credit: data to end of December 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and in Annex A: Completing the move to Universal Credit: Learning from the Discovery Phase - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Liz Kendall (Labour - Leicester West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Universal Credit claimants have received a budgeting advance in each of the last three years.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Table 1 below provides the number and proportion of Universal Credit households who received a Budgeting Advance in each of the last three years.
Year | Number of Universal Credit households who received a Budgeting Advance | Proportion of Universal Credit households who received a Budgeting Advance |
Dec 2020 - Nov 2021 | 1,045,000 | 18% |
Dec 2021 - Nov 2022 | 1,026,000 | 18% |
Dec 2022 - Nov 2023 | 1,092,000 | 18% |
Notes:
1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 1,000.
2. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.
3. Data up to November 2023 has been provided in line with the latest available UC Household Statistics.
Asked by: Liz Kendall (Labour - Leicester West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraphs 7.16 and 7.17 of the Ministerial Code, on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have informed the Law Officers that they are the defendants in a libel action in (a) their personal capacity, (b) their official position and (c) both since 19 December 2019.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are unable to provide the information requested. As reflected in paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code, ‘The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority’.
The Law Officers’ Convention, reflected in paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code, is a long-standing convention observed by successive governments. It exists to preserve the ability of ministers to seek the advice of the Law Officers and not to be disadvantaged by disclosing when they have done so, and what advice they received.
Asked by: Liz Kendall (Labour - Leicester West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the increase in the maximum repayment period on new budgeting advance loans starts is scheduled for December 2024.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Universal Credit is an iterative system and all changes to the system are carefully planned and scheduled.