Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 July 2018 to Question 159621 Universal Credit: Housing, how many and what proportion of universal credit claimants with a rent liability received their first payment of housing costs within two months of their date of claim for each month since March 2018.
Answered by Lord Sharma
For claims to UC Full Service that were due a first payment in July 2018 (the most recent month for which data is available), and that were entitled to support for housing costs, 95% of claims received support for housing within 2 months of the date of claim.
Results for March 2018 to July 2018 are shown in the table below:
Month in which first UC payment due | Proportion of claims that were entitled to support for housing costs, which receive support for housing within 2 months of the date of claim |
March 2018 | 90% |
April 2018 | 90% |
May 2018 | 91% |
June 2018 | 93% |
July 2018 | 95% |
Notes:
These results can change retrospectively as further information is received.
There are a number of reasons payments may be delayed including failure by claimants to provide information or attend initial appointments.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
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 universal credit claimants with a rent liability receive their first payment of housing costs within two months of their date of claim.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
For claims to UC that are entitled to support for housing costs and due a first payment in March 2018, which is the most recent month for which internal figures are available, more than 90% of claims (30,000 claims) receive their support for housing within 2 months of the date of claim.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the gross working premium of insurers which was required to fund the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payments Scheme in (a) 2014-15 (b) 2015-16 (c) 2016-17 and (d) 2017-18.
Answered by Sarah Newton
The Diffuse Mesothelioma Payments Scheme levy as a proportion of the employers’ liability gross written premium for the years specified is estimated as follows:
2014/15 - 2.2%
2015/16 - 1.5%
2016/17 - 2.5%
2017/18 - 2.1%.
Note:
The levy year is based on a fiscal year whereas the gross written premium (GWP) is based on the calendar year.
The proportions quoted above use the most recently available GWP data in any one year. Due to the time taken to collect and verify this data, the GWP figure used to calculate the proportion the levy represents will be two years old.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what representations his Department has received on the accelerated roll-out of universal credit.
Answered by Damian Hinds
Officials from DWP have met with a number of national and local organisations ahead of Universal Credit roll out.
The most recent phase of expansion will only take the proportion of the forecast claimant population receiving UC from 8% currently to 10% by the end of January.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help universal credit claimants avoid getting into debt.
Answered by Damian Hinds
By design, Universal Credit is a much simpler system than that it replaces. It is easier for claimants to understand their entitlements and easier to administer. Nonetheless, we recognise that it represents a significant change for claimants, and some will find it challenging. That is why Universal Credit has an unprecedented level of personalised support for each claimant and there are a number of safeguards to support them, especially at the start of the claim. For example advances are available to help people manage until their first payment, this can amount to 50% of their indicative award and is payable straight away.
Furthermore, ‘Universal Support’ is being rolled out alongside Universal Credit and is being delivered via a framework approach to allow third sector organisations and Local Authorities to work with jobcentres to deliver the support needed in their local community. The aim is for claimants to receive integrated tailored support journeys and partners can achieve this through best use of local resources.
Part of this offer is budgeting support to help claimants manage their money on a monthly basis, pay bills on time and take responsibility for housing costs. Advice is offered by external organisations with the relevant expertise, online, by phone or face-to-face. Where claimants need help making a claim online, ‘assisted digital’ support is available as part of the package, alongside telephone and face to face support. And for claimants who cannot manage their money on a monthly basis alternative payment arrangements are available. These can include payment of rent direct to a landlord, paying Universal Credit more frequently or splitting the payment between members of the household.
When debt problems are identified then the claimant can be referred on or signposted to other more specialised debt support services
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to make the universal credit helpline free of charge.
Answered by Damian Hinds
I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 13 July 17 to question 4900.
Asked by: Mike Kane (Labour - Wythenshawe and Sale East)
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 had to wait more than 6 weeks before receiving their first payment since universal credit was introduced.
Answered by Damian Hinds
We are intending to publish further data on payment timeliness in due course, but our latest internal data nationally, suggests around 80% of cases are paid in full at the end of the first assessment period.
For the remaining cases we estimate around a third have not signed up to their claimant commitment so cannot be paid until they have. The other two thirds have an outstanding verification issue, such as providing bank statements, evidence of childcare costs, or proof of rent. Many of these claimants receive a part-payment where elements of the claim have been verified.