Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what digital support will be available to universal credit claimants in maintaining their claim.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Currently, claimants who are in need of digital support can access this through Universal Support. Earlier this month, we announced a new partnership with Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland to deliver a new approach to Universal Support, initially up to March 2020. Our new partnership will ensure that all those who need to make a claim and need extra support can access it.
Additionally, jobcentres across the country have free Wi-Fi, and there are more than 8,000 computers available to support customers who need help with making and maintaining their claim digitally.
DWP work coaches are available to assist anyone who needs help with their claim and we also have a free phone helpline available for people cannot get online. Non-digital support is also available for vulnerable claimants, who cannot use the online service, through other channels such as telephony, face to face or through home visits to ensure they can maintain their claim. Our recently published Universal Credit Claimant Survey found that 98 per cent of claimants did claim online and the majority of those said they found the claim process overall to be easy.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people have had their right to reside overturned in an application for universal credit.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discretion is available to decision-maker if a claimant of universal credit reports that (a) deductions and (b) recoveries are causing financial detriment.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Universal Credit provides an unprecedented level of personalised support. People receive tailored support, based on their individual requirements, including financial support.
Repayment of Universal Credit advances are included in the 40% cap on deductions that can be made from a claimant’s award. The maximum rate of deduction for an advance cannot exceed 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance.
These deductions are taken when it is in the best interest of the claimant. In determining this, the Decision Maker will take into account the claimant’s circumstances.
To protect vulnerable claimants from being made homeless or having their fuel disconnected, deductions in excess of the 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance can be taken in some circumstances. This is only for ‘last resort’ deductions , such as for arrears of service charges, rent, gas and electricity and on-going monthly costs of gas and electricity.
If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions, where it relates to benefit debt, a social fund loan or rent arrears, they can request that a reduction be considered.
If a claimant is having difficulty repaying a benefit overpayment they can request a reconsideration of the amount that is being taken. Any reduction will be based on the individual circumstances of the claimant rather than the amount of the overpayment, which helps to ensure that a sustainable repayment plan based on affordability is put in place.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) evidence is required to be produced by decision-makers and (b) claimant consent is required in determining that it is in a universal credit claimant’s best interest that more than 40 per cent of a claimants' standard allowance should be taken in repayments.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Universal Credit provides an unprecedented level of personalised support. People receive tailored support, based on their individual requirements, including financial support.
Repayment of Universal Credit advances are included in the 40% cap on deductions that can be made from a claimant’s award. The maximum rate of deduction for an advance cannot exceed 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance.
These deductions are taken when it is in the best interest of the claimant. In determining this, the Decision Maker will take into account the claimant’s circumstances.
To protect vulnerable claimants from being made homeless or having their fuel disconnected, deductions in excess of the 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance can be taken in some circumstances. This is only for ‘last resort’ deductions , such as for arrears of service charges, rent, gas and electricity and on-going monthly costs of gas and electricity.
If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions, where it relates to benefit debt, a social fund loan or rent arrears, they can request that a reduction be considered.
If a claimant is having difficulty repaying a benefit overpayment they can request a reconsideration of the amount that is being taken. Any reduction will be based on the individual circumstances of the claimant rather than the amount of the overpayment, which helps to ensure that a sustainable repayment plan based on affordability is put in place.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there is a requirement on the part of decision-makers to take into account a claimant's wider financial situation when deductions and recoveries are taken from universal credit claimants in part 4 of their monthly award letter.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Universal Credit provides an unprecedented level of personalised support. People receive tailored support, based on their individual requirements, including financial support.
Repayment of Universal Credit advances are included in the 40% cap on deductions that can be made from a claimant’s award. The maximum rate of deduction for an advance cannot exceed 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance.
These deductions are taken when it is in the best interest of the claimant. In determining this, the Decision Maker will take into account the claimant’s circumstances.
To protect vulnerable claimants from being made homeless or having their fuel disconnected, deductions in excess of the 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance can be taken in some circumstances. This is only for ‘last resort’ deductions , such as for arrears of service charges, rent, gas and electricity and on-going monthly costs of gas and electricity.
If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions, where it relates to benefit debt, a social fund loan or rent arrears, they can request that a reduction be considered.
If a claimant is having difficulty repaying a benefit overpayment they can request a reconsideration of the amount that is being taken. Any reduction will be based on the individual circumstances of the claimant rather than the amount of the overpayment, which helps to ensure that a sustainable repayment plan based on affordability is put in place.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the repayment of advances is included in the 40 per cent cap on what can be deducted from universal credit claimants’ monthly awards.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Universal Credit provides an unprecedented level of personalised support. People receive tailored support, based on their individual requirements, including financial support.
Repayment of Universal Credit advances are included in the 40% cap on deductions that can be made from a claimant’s award. The maximum rate of deduction for an advance cannot exceed 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance.
These deductions are taken when it is in the best interest of the claimant. In determining this, the Decision Maker will take into account the claimant’s circumstances.
To protect vulnerable claimants from being made homeless or having their fuel disconnected, deductions in excess of the 40% of the claimant’s standard allowance can be taken in some circumstances. This is only for ‘last resort’ deductions , such as for arrears of service charges, rent, gas and electricity and on-going monthly costs of gas and electricity.
If a claimant is in financial difficulty as a result of the level of deductions, where it relates to benefit debt, a social fund loan or rent arrears, they can request that a reduction be considered.
If a claimant is having difficulty repaying a benefit overpayment they can request a reconsideration of the amount that is being taken. Any reduction will be based on the individual circumstances of the claimant rather than the amount of the overpayment, which helps to ensure that a sustainable repayment plan based on affordability is put in place.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit claimants who have deductions in their standard allowance in Part 4 of their monthly award letters, excluding managed payments to landlords, how many and what proportion of claimants of universal credit have been subject to a deduction in their standard allowance in each of the past twelve months.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit claimants who have deductions in their standard allowance in Part 4 of their monthly award letters, excluding managed payments to landlords, how many and what proportion of claimants of monthly awards for universal credit have had greater than 40 per cent of the standard allowance taken in deductions and recoveries during the last 12 months for which information is available.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit claimants who have deductions in their standard allowance in Part 4 of their monthly award letters, excluding managed payments to landlords, how many and what proportion of claimants have had 40 per cent or more of their standard allowance deducted in (a) one and (b) more than one month, in the last 12 months for which information is available.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to universal credit claimants who have deductions in their standard allowance in Part 4 of their monthly award letters, excluding managed payments to landlords, how many and what proportion of claimants have had (a) 20 per cent and (b) more than 20 per cent of their standard allowance taken off in (i) one and (ii) more than one month in the last 12 months for which information is available.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.