Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of universal credit payments and administration in each year since 2014.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The table below shows the cost to the public purse of Universal Credit Payments, this information has been published in the Spring Statement in April 2019 and can also be found via this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2019
| 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 |
Expenditure by benefit, £ million, nominal terms | 6 | 56 | 491 | 1,585 | 3,322 | 8,116 |
The table below shows the estimate of the total cost of Benefit Handling Processes in UC for each financial year from 2014. Benefit Handling Processes are the cost DWP has incurred administering claims to UC and making UC payments.
| 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 |
Benefit Handling Processes, £ million | 10.6 | 75.3 | 142.5 | 261.8 | 272.0 |
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants submitted a DS1500 form during that application process in each year from 2016 to 2018.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to supporting those with health conditions, and ensuring that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care, when making a claim to Universal Credit.
Universal Credit provides enhanced personalised support for all claimants, including those with a terminal illness. We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our own staff or via referrals from local services.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants received universal credit payments through the special rules for terminal illness route in each year from 2016 to 2018.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to supporting those with health conditions, and ensuring that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care, when making a claim to Universal Credit.
Universal Credit provides enhanced personalised support for all claimants, including those with a terminal illness. We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our own staff or via referrals from local services.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants who submitted a DS1500 form met with a work coach during that application process.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to supporting those with health conditions, and ensuring that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care, when making a claim to Universal Credit.
Universal Credit provides enhanced personalised support for all claimants, including those with a terminal illness. We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our own staff or via referrals from local services.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants who applied for universal credit died within six months of having their application rejected in each year from 2016 to 2018.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to supporting those with health conditions, and ensuring that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care, when making a claim to Universal Credit.
Universal Credit provides enhanced personalised support for all claimants, including those with a terminal illness. We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our own staff or via referrals from local services.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants using the standard application route have been rejected and subsequently applied under the special rules for terminal illness route.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to supporting those with health conditions, and ensuring that terminally ill patients are treated with the utmost sensitivity and care, when making a claim to Universal Credit.
Universal Credit provides enhanced personalised support for all claimants, including those with a terminal illness. We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our own staff or via referrals from local services.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of employment support allowance in each year since 2010.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I would like to refer the Hon. Member to the Department’s published benefit expenditure information, which can be found in the public domain:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2019.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of revising her Department's guidance notes for the DS1500 form.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department’s recent work to revise the guidance notes section of the DS1500 was completed through DWP standard processes and incurred no additional costs to the public purse.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether she plans to increase Royal Fleet Auxiliary pay at the same rate as that of the Royal Navy; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary are Civil Servants and are not members of the Armed Forces. Their terms and conditions, including their pay, are subject to civilian rules in the wider public sector. As such, pay is subject to HM Treasury Civil Servant Pay Guidance.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to provide additional aid to alleviate the impending famine in Zambia.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
DFID is following the impact of the drought in Western and Southern Zambia very closely and has visited affected areas to discuss the response with local authorities. The Government of Zambia has not yet declared an emergency but estimates that 1.5 million people will need emergency assistance over the next nine months. We are in contact with the Government’s Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit and with the World Food Programme about how best to distribute food supplies in the event that the Government requests support. We are exploring with the UN the feasibility of emergency cash transfers and responding to a likely increase in acute malnutrition cases. DFID is also a key donor of the START fund, which funds non-governmental organisations responding to localised emergencies.