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 fax machines are in use in (a) her Department and (b) its executive agencies.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
DWP has 1303 multifunction devices deployed across the estate which primarily act as printers. In addition, they also have the capability to send and receive fax messages.
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 set out a timetable for ensuring that all fax machines in (a) her Department and (b) its executive agencies are replaced with secure email.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
DWP does not currently have a set timetable in place to reduce/remove the ability to send and receive fax messages.
However alternative, wider digital channels of communication will become available to customers & DWP colleagues that will naturally reduce the need to utilise faxes by viewing and sharing data information at source, under secure measures.
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 publish the changes in a claimant's circumstances that would result in natural migration from legacy benefits to universal credit.
Answered by Lord Sharma
Currently people only move to Universal Credit 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.
Claimant circumstances within the legacy system are diverse and interact with a range of benefits in different ways. Eligibility for Universal Credit is dependent on individuals’ circumstances, the specific nature of the change and rules for access to legacy benefits.
Therefore, it is not possible to give a definitive list as each will depend on the individual circumstances of the claimants involved and the specific nature of the change.
However, some specific examples of changes which would cause a claimant to move on to Universal Credit are:
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 Lord Sharma
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 Lord Sharma
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 Lord Sharma
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
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
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
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.