Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of personal independence payments whose award was made by a tribunal (a) made a new claim before the end of the award that came into payment with no break in the payment cycle and (b)made a new claim before the end of the award but a decision on the new claim had not been made by her Department before the last day of the previous award in each of the last three years.
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.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether each instance of Jobcentre Plus staff signposting claimants to local food banks is recorded on a claimant's case record.
Answered by Will Quince
Jobcentre staff are not required to keep records of the numbers of claimants signposted to food banks in their local area; however, in line with long-standing national guidance, they may record the issue of signposting slips for authentication purposes at the request of the local food bank.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the signposting of claimants to local food banks is in the form of (a) pieces of paper, (b) other written communication, or (c) verbal communication; and whether any written communication provided is directly transferable at a food bank for food.
Answered by Will Quince
The decision to award a food parcel is a matter for the food bank alone. The Department for Work and Pensions has long-standing guidance in place which allows staff to signpost claimants in writing to a food bank, using a nationally agreed signposting slip, where claimants have asked for information, and if all sources of statutory support have been exhausted.
During the Covid-19 outbreak, Jobcentres have been encouraged to take a flexible and innovative approach in their arrangements for signposting claimants to foodbanks, within the parameters of the existing guidance.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she intends to bring forward legislative proposals to protect the entitlement to Statutory Maternity Pay of people who received Statutory Sick Pay during their qualifying period where (a) they have a shielding letter and (b) their employer declined to use the Job Retention Scheme.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Statutory Sick Pay forms part of the average weekly earnings calculation carried out by employers to determine whether an employee qualifies for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), and if so, at what rate. This is because, for SMP purposes, pay is defined as gross pay due before any deductions. This includes sick pay (and other payments e.g. overtime, bonus payments, arrears of pay).
There are currently no plans to change the way that SSP is treated as part of the average weekly earnings calculation for SMP.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to relax the qualifying conditions for Statutory Sick Pay to enable people contracted for 16 hours per week on the minimum wage to claim that benefit after they have been on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in line with (a) Maternity Allowance, (b) Statutory Maternity Pay, (c) Statutory Paternity Pay, (d) Statutory Adoption Pay, (e) Statutory Shared Parental Pay and (f) Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (Normal Weekly Earnings etc.) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This government has a strong safety net that helps people who are facing hardship and are unable to support themselves financially.
Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria, receive a flat rate of SSP at £95.85 per week irrespective of their wage. Since SSP is paid at a flat rate rather than being earnings-related, the impact on individuals whose salary is paid at a reduced rate under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is not as significant as for the statutory payments covered by those regulations. We will continue to review the situation and take appropriate measures in line with further developments.
SSP is just one part of our welfare safety net and our wider offer to support people in times of need. Many of those on low incomes are already in receipt of benefits. For those on Universal Credit, their award will rise if their income falls. Those who are not already in receipt of benefits may be able to claim Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on their personal circumstances, to support them when they are unable to work. We have ensured that benefits are easily accessible and more supportive for those who need to make a claim which will help millions of people most in need.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants of Carers' Allowance also receive (a) one and (b) more than one means-tested benefit.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Of the 1.3 million Carer’s Allowance claimants, around 470,000 (36%) are also receiving one means-tested benefit and around 280,000 (22%) are also receiving more than one means-tested benefit.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims of carers' allowance have been closed due to the death of the person being cared for in each of the last five years; for how many of those claims was the recipient also in receipt of housing benefit; and how many of those carers allowance claimants received universal credit within (a) three and (b) 12 months of the death of the person whom carers' allowance had been claimed for.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether people self-isolating due to possible covid-19 infection will be exempted from conditionality requirements for means-tested benefits.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
.
Claimants who are self-isolating as a result of Covid-19 will have their mandatory work search and work availability requirements switched off during that period.
Any work-related requirements outside of this will be tailored to take into consideration the claimant’s capability and circumstances, can be conducted over the phone or through digital formats and ensure they are realistic and achievable.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has made to ensure that potential staff shortages due to covid-19 do not delay processing of benefits applications; and if she will make it her policy to backdate benefits for any claimants whose application is delayed due to staff shortages.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP has contingency plans in place that prioritise activities to protect payments to claimants and access to new claims when capacity is compromised.
The ‘date of claim’ will not be affected by capacity inside the Department.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is her Department's policy for Jobcentre staff proactively to inform universal credit claimants that they should make a claim to new-style ESA or new-style JSA if they are likely to be eligible.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to questions 43 and 482 on 21 October.