Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of how long it will take to process pending applications for settled status from EU citizens.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Figures for EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) applications awaiting a decision as at 30 June 2023 are included in the latest statistical release EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics, September 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) in the Other related data section.
Complete applications under the EUSS are generally processed within a month, if no further information is required, but may take longer in certain circumstances. More information on EUSS processing times is available at: EU Settlement Scheme: current estimated processing times for applications - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
All applications are determined on a case-by-case basis depending on their individual circumstances. Those who have made a valid EUSS application can rely on their Certificate of Application as evidence of their right to live and work in the UK pending the outcome of their application, including any appeal.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the number of households that will be subject to the benefit cap due to (a) increases in the local housing allowance and (b) the uprating of benefits in 2024-25.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No estimate has been made. There are various factors that determine whether a household is brought into scope of the benefit cap.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an estimate of the number of households that will be subject to the benefit cap due to proposed changes to the work capability assessment descriptors in 2025-26.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
No estimate has been made. There are various factors that determine whether a household is brought into scope of the benefit cap.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Sanctioned disengaged claimants management information April 2019 to August 2023, published on 12 December 2023, how many and what proportion of claimants with a universal credit nil award who were disengaged for six months or more were receiving housing benefit as a result of living in (a) temporary accommodation and (b) supported accommodation in August 2023.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
To provide this information would incur disproportionate costs due to linking the data.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department issues to universal credit claimants living in (a) temporary and (b) supported accommodation that receive benefit sanctions.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Customers on work-related benefits are expected to take responsibility for meeting the requirements that they have agreed to with their Work Coach. These requirements will be clearly set out in the Claimant Commitment and tailored to the individual’s circumstances, making them realistic and achievable. The consequences and implications of not meeting a mandatory work-related requirement are clearly set out and explained to the customer. A sanction will only be applied if they fail to meet these requirements without demonstrating good reason.
If a sanction is applied, the customer is issued with a decision notification letter. This letter outlines the sanction reason, the amount and duration of benefit reduction and, where applicable, what action the customer needs to take to bring an open-ended sanction to a conclusion. The letters also contain information on what to do if the customer disagrees with the sanction decision, how to apply for Recoverable Hardship Payments, as well as links to money management advice and other sources of financial support.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department holds data on the (a) outcome and (b) reasoning behind Tribunal verdicts relating to personal independence payment claims; and whether his Department takes steps to use Tribunal verdicts to improve its processes.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service provide a Decision Notice in relation to each tribunal to DWP. This contains the outcome of the tribunal and some information on why the decision was reached. This information is recorded on the PIP computer system.
This data only provides one reason per appeal as to why decisions by DWP decision makers have been overturned at a tribunal hearing, and therefore may not give the full story as there may be other reasons.
We are continuing to learn from decisions overturned at appeal. For example, we gather insight from DWP Presenting Officers who regularly provide feedback from hearings they attend, with a view to learning from overturned decisions.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that NHS providers comply with the Accessible Information Standard.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Crawley on 1 December 2023 to Question 2857.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when NHS England plans to publish the revised Accessible Information Standard.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
NHS England remains committed to publishing the revised Accessible Information Standard (AIS) as soon as possible. Work is underway to ensure that, when published, the AIS and supporting documentation are available in accessible formats.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the impact of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on levels of trade.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) ensures that UK businesses can trade with the EU tariff-and quota-free. The EU remains a vital export destination for British businesses. In the 12 months to June 2023 total exports to the EU were up 21% on pre-pandemic (2018) levels in current prices.
The UK is now more open to the world. We're using our post Brexit-freedoms to unlock fresh export opportunities. We have already secured trade deals with 73 countries plus the EU that accounted for £1.1 trillion of UK bilateral trade last year.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the UK's departure from the EU on businesses.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement is a comprehensive FTA that enables tariff-and quota-free trade in goods for UK businesses with the EU.
This Government is committed to using our post-Brexit freedoms to help businesses expand, create more jobs and grow the UK economy. We have already secured trade deals with 73 countries, plus the EU, that accounted for £1.1 trillion of UK bilateral trade last year. Our total exports to the world increased by 29% in current prices since 2018, whilst our exports to the EU have increased by 21% in current prices.