Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to provide an additional Cost of Living Payment to disabled people before April 2023.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The Government announced in the Autumn Statement that it will provide a further Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 in 2023/24 to people in receipt of certain disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This is in addition to the £150 payment already paid during 2022.
The Disability Cost of Living Payment can be received in addition to the other Cost of Living Payments of up to £900 for households on means-tested benefits and £300 for pensioners.
Preliminary guidance on when these Cost of Living Payments will be made have been published on GOV.UK: Cost of Living Payment 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill on asbestos-related legislation; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
The regulatory framework for asbestos is provided by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The Regulations cover all work with asbestos that could give rise to exposure and outline controls which must be in place to prevent exposure occurring.
With the introduction of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) remains focused on ensuring that regulatory frameworks maintain the United Kingdom’s high standards of health and safety protection and continue to reduce burdens for business. HSE’s approach aligns closely with the Government’s pledge to do more for business to help promote growth by removing disproportionate burdens and simplifying the regulatory landscape. Our standards of health and safety protections are among the highest in the world. HSE will continue to review its retained EU Law to seek opportunities to reduce business burdens and promote growth without reducing health and safety standards.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the requirement that Universal Credit claimants applying for a Budgeting Advance must have earned less than a set income threshold in the past six months (a) for what reason that requirement was first put in place and (b) whether she plans to review that requirement in the context of the increases in the cost of living since 2013.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Budgeting Advances are available to help meet intermittent miscellaneous expenses, such as buying essential items like furniture or household equipment advances and ensure that low-income families that have an emergency financial need and do not have access to adequate savings or affordable loans can access funding to meet the emergency.
The earned income limit was put in place as those with income in the past 6 assessment periods could have the necessary means to help pay for these unexpected costs. The maximum advance provided to a claimant is also reduced pound for pound for any capital held in excess of £1,000.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 10 February 2022 to Question 118547 on Universal Credit, how many and what proportion of Universal Credit claimants were undertaking part-time training whilst in receipt of Universal Credit in the last three years; and how many people on Universal Credit took up full time short course training courses, excluding Kickstart, whilst in receipt of Universal Credit in the last three years.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
Data relating to the number and proportion of claimants undertaking part-time and full time training is not centrally held.