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 unsuccessful claims for universal credit there were in Alyn and Deeside constituency in each of the last five years.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The requested information is not available.
The Department supports claimants to make a successful claim to Universal Credit where they wish to do so. For example, those claimants who are unable to access or use our digital services, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. Face-to-face support is also available in Jobcentres. In exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim.
From 1 April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland are delivering the new ‘Help to Claim’ support to claimants making a new Universal Credit (UC) claim or moving from a legacy benefit to UC because of a change of circumstances. The Citizens Advice Help to Claim offers tailored, practical support to help people make a UC claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time. It is available online, through web-chat, through a Freephone number and face to face through local Citizens Advice services.
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 proportion of unsuccessful claims for universal credit were as a result of (a) a claimant's lack of digital skills and (b) inadequate support for that claimant.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Data on the proportion of unsuccessful claims to Universal Credit which were a result of (a) a claimant's lack of digital skills and (b) inadequate support for that claimant is not gathered by the Department.
The Universal Credit Full Service Claimant Survey found that 98 per cent of claimants claimed online. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-service-claimant-survey
For those claimants who are unable to access or use our digital services, there is assistance available to make and maintain their claim using the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. Face-to-face support is also available in all Jobcentres. In exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim.
Running alongside the national Jobcentre offer from 1 April 2019 is the Citizens Advice Help to Claim which support claimants in making a new Universal Credit claim or moving from a legacy benefit to Universal Credit because of a change of circumstances. Help to Claim offers tailored, practical support to help people make their claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time. It is widely available online, through a Freephone number and face to face through local Citizens Advice services.
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 natural migrations to universal credit from legacy benefits were as a result of (a) a trigger for natural migration, (b) claimant error, (c) official error, (d) incorrect advice from staff or contractors and (e) inadequate advice from third party advisers.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The requested information is not available.
Currently people only move to Universal Credit (UC) because they have had a significant change in their circumstances which would previously have led them to make a new claim to a legacy benefit. It has always been the case that in such circumstances, new claims would be assessed based upon their new circumstances and under the rules of the new benefit.
Claimant circumstances within the legacy system are diverse and interact with a range of benefits in different ways. Eligibility for UC is dependent on individuals’ circumstances, the specific nature of the change and rules for access to legacy benefits.
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 applications by mixed-age couples for Pension Credit have been rejected since 15 May 2019.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
From 15 May 2019 both members of a couple need to have reached State Pension age in order to be eligible for Pension Credit. However, mixed age couples who would be eligible for Pension Credit under the previous rules have up to 13 August to make a backdated claim. Couples not eligible for Pension Credit are advised that they may be eligible for Universal Credit and signposted accordingly.
The specific Information regarding the number of unsuccessful claims to Pension Credit by mixed age couples since 15 May is not available.
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 people who are part of a mixed-age couple have been advised by CAPITA call centre staff not to make a claim for Pension Credit.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
G4S now provide the initial call service facility for Pension Credit. The contract with CAPITA ended in September 2018.
Mixed age couples not eligible for Pension Credit are advised by call centre staff that they may be eligible for Universal Credit and signposted accordingly.
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 training her Department has provided to (a) her Department's and (b) CAPITA call centre staff on the rules for backdating pension credit claims for mixed-age couples.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
G4S now provide the initial call service facility for Pension Credit. The contract with CAPITA ended in September 2018.
The Department has provided a comprehensive package of training material regarding the mixed age couple policy change to Pension Credit claim processing agents and call centre staff, who provide the initial Pension Credit ‘triage’ function. The training material specifically includes guidance on handling backdated claims to Pension Credit for mixed age couples, including highlighting the deadline of 13 August to potential claimants for making a backdated claim.
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, for what reasons maternity allowance and statutory maternity pay are classified differently under the universal credit rules.
Answered by Will Quince
Universal Credit is a means tested system of support. Where claimants have income available to meet their everyday living costs, such as maternity allowance, it is right that their entitlement to UC is adjusted accordingly (as currently is the case with other DWP legacy means tested working age benefits).
Statutory maternity pay is paid by an employer and is therefore a form of earnings subject to the work allowance and tapering within Universal Credit, as are other earnings.
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 assessment she has made of the effect of the deduction of maternity allowance from universal credit as unearned income on the (a) affordability for new mothers of (i) housing costs, (ii) nappies and (iii) and other baby essentials and (b) children of those mothers in respect of the principle set out in section 1(1) of the Children Act 1989.
Answered by Will Quince
Universal Credit is a means tested system of support. Where claimants have income available to meet their everyday living costs, such as maternity allowance, it is right that their entitlement to UC is adjusted accordingly (as currently is the case with other DWP legacy means tested working age benefits).
Statutory maternity pay is paid by an employer and is therefore a form of earnings subject to the work allowance and tapering within Universal Credit, as are other earnings.
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 people living in Flintshire who previously received disability living allowance care component at the (a) lower, (b) middle and (c) higher rate received no personal independence payment daily living component after being invited to apply for that payment in each of the last five years.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Table 1(a) below shows the level of Care component a Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimant in the Flintshire Local Authority area received prior to them being reassessed onto Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and being awarded Nil Daily Living. This data is split by calendar year from the first PIP reassessment clearances in 2014 to 31st October 2018, the latest date for which data is available.
For additional context, Tables 1(b) and 1(c) show the level of DLA Care Component in the Flintshire Local Authority area received prior to being reassessed onto PIP and being awarded the Standard Daily Living component and the Enhanced Daily Living component respectively over the period 2014 – 31st October 2018. For reference, 2,760 claimants in Flintshire were given a PIP award on reassessment from DLA over this time period.
Table 1(a): DLA Care Component Award for claimants who were awarded Nil PIP Daily Living1 at reassessment from DLA to PIP
| Year |
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DLA Care Award Type | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 20182 | Total |
Highest | 10 | 20 | 30 | 30 | 20 | 120 |
Middle | 20 | 30 | 60 | 70 | 50 | 240 |
Lowest | 20 | 40 | 90 | 100 | 40 | 290 |
Total | 50 | 100 | 180 | 200 | 110 | 640 |
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| Year |
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DLA Care Award Type | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 20182 | Total |
Highest | 20 | 30 | 60 | 70 | 60 | 240 |
Middle | 30 | 50 | 110 | 100 | 60 | 340 |
Lowest | 60 | 80 | 120 | 130 | 90 | 470 |
Total | 100 | 160 | 290 | 300 | 210 | 1,050 |
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Table 1(c) DLA Care Component Award for claimants who were awarded the enhanced level of the PIP Daily Living Component at reassessment from DLA to PIP |
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| Year |
| ||||
DLA Care Award Type | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 20182 | Total |
Highest | 70 | 80 | 150 | 140 | 120 | 570 |
Middle | 50 | 90 | 130 | 120 | 70 | 460 |
Lowest | 70 | 100 | 70 | 60 | 40 | 340 |
Total | 190 | 270 | 350 | 320 | 230 | 1,370 |
Source: PIP ADS, DLA Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study claimant data and Customer Information System data.
Notes:
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 estimate she has made of the volume of (a) benefits and (b) pensions incorrectly refused to Windrush generation claimants.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Department does not hold this information and to produce it would incur disproportionate cost. DWP has helped over 400 Windrush generation claimants to resolve issues with benefit entitlement.
DWP staff continue to support people of the Windrush generation with their benefits and pensions claims and are also working closely with other Government bodies to assist those who apply to the Home Office’s Windrush Compensation Scheme. This scheme will take into account loss of income, such as barriers to employment and/or access to benefits and pensions.