Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will issue national insurance numbers to all asylum seekers when they are granted refugee status.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
For those refugees granted leave to remain as a result of a successful asylum claim, a joint fast track National Insurance Number (NINo) application process operates between DWP and the Home Office. This process has been in place since 2005 but only included the main asylum applicant. This was extended to cover all adult dependants (aged 16 or over) in the refugee’s family from 15 January 2018.
Additionally from this date the NINo is now printed on the reverse of the refugees Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of whether refugees should be required to pass a habitual residence test for benefits after being granted refugee status.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
A right to reside in the UK is one of the eligibility conditions for those claiming income-related benefits. Those that are required to provide evidence of their right to reside are subject to the Habitual Residence Test (HRT). The HRT contains two elements: an assessment of the legal right of residence and an assessment of factual habitual residence. Refugees who provide documentation which confirms their legal right to reside in the UK will satisfy the HRT. Refugees are exempt from the assessment of factual habitual residence if the Home Office have granted them leave to remain in the UK with recourse to public funds.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many former Conservative Members of Parliament who were defeated at the 2017 general election and who now work in her Department were appointed after a publicly advertised and open recruitment process.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
This data is not recorded or stored. Candidates taking up appointment into the Civil Service are required to be impartial and independent of political and other external influence.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit sanctions were appealed on the grounds that a claimant's child had died or been stillborn within the last two years.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The Department does not hold information on the reasons for appeals within its statistical datasets.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance and training is available to work coaches to advise them on the circumstances in which they can temporarily switch off a universal credit claimant's work search and availability (a) in the case of a bereavement and (b) otherwise.
Answered by Damian Hinds
All Work Coaches complete learning designed specifically for their role. This learning combines the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to coach claimants effectively so that they are able to identify for themselves what they need to do to find work and how best to do it.
Work Coaches are expected to recognise and consider the impact of complex circumstances, including emergency situations. By using the guidance available to them, along with their own discretion, Work Coaches are able to adjust the requirements they expect from claimants.
A copy of the Universal Credit Full Service guidance on ‘Switching off work availability and work related activities’ has been placed in the House of Commons library, and is available at the following link: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2017-0556/24_CC-_Switching_off_work_availability_and_work_related_activities.pdf