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 comparative assessment she has made of the rate of sanctions in areas where universal credit (a) has been and (b) has not been rolled out.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
No comparative assessment has been made between Universal Credit (UC) sanction rates and sanction rates for legacy benefits.
There are differences between sanctions policy in UC and other benefits (such as Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)) which means that sanction rates across benefits are not directly comparable. For example, a JSA claimant would have their claim closed (rather than be sanctioned) if they failed to attend a meeting with their Work Coach, and did not make contact within five days. In UC, the same claimant would remain on the benefit and be referred for a sanction. If a sanction was applied, they would continue to receive the UC elements to which they remained entitled, such as those for housing or child costs. UC is designed to provide continuous support to claimants, ensuring that all payment does not cease while we investigate the reasons for loss of contact with a claimant.
The Department publishes sanction rates quarterly for UC, JSA and Employment & Support Allowance, the latest statistics can be found at the link below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-sanctions-statistics-to-april-2019
The roll out of Universal Credit is now complete and is available in every Jobcentre across the country. By 2023, all existing legacy claimants will be moved to Universal Credit.
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 assessment she has made of the ability of universal credit claimants to access passported benefits.
Answered by Will Quince
Claimants may currently be entitled to a number of other benefits because they are in receipt of Universal Credit. These are known as passported benefits, which include free school meals and free prescriptions. The eligibility criteria for each passported benefit remain the responsibility of the Departments and Devolved Administrations that own them.
Government Departments and Devolved Administrations continue to work closely together to look at how to reduce the complexity of the current passported benefits system and put in place arrangements for Universal Credit, as it expands, that will continue to target available support at those who need it most.
The Department currently signposts Universal Credit households to other financial support via their online account/payment statement, as well as on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/other-financial-support
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 assessment she has made of the effect of the restriction on earned income for eligibility for support for mortgage interest under universal credit on the incentive to work.
Answered by Will Quince
The earned income rule for help with mortgage interest on Universal Credit ensures that owner occupier claimants have the right incentives to move into work and increase their hours of work over time where possible.
Universal Credit’s income taper, along with work allowances for qualifying claimants, ensure a strong work incentive is maintained. For certain owner occupiers, the withdrawal of support for mortgage interest means they qualify for the higher work allowance, and so they could earn up to £503 before there is any effect on their Universal Credit award.
My Department has made no formal assessment of the effect of the rule on work incentives.
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 claimants of universal credit were (a) employed and (b) unemployed as at 15 August 2019.
Answered by Will Quince
The latest available information as at July 2019 on the number of people on Universal Credit by Employment Indicator is published and can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/.
Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
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 assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the rate of the carer’s allowance to match the rate of jobseeker’s allowance.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers in supporting some of the most vulnerable in society.
The information requested on the cost to the public purse of increasing the rate of Carer’s Allowance to that of Jobseeker’s Allowance is not available but an indicative cost can be calculated using data published on StatXplore and gov.uk.
The current rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance for those aged 25 and over is £73.10. The difference between this and the rate of Carer’s Allowance (currently £66.15 a week) is £6.95. As of November 2018, there were approximately 780,000 claimants receiving Carer’s Allowance in England and Wales. Thus, paying an additional £6.95 a week to carers in England and Wales would cost in the region of £280m a year. Carer’s Allowance has been devolved to the Scottish Government since September 2018 and is delivered in Scotland by DWP for an interim period under an Agency Agreement.
The Government also provides targeted financial support for carers on low incomes through income-related benefits such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Income Support. In April 2019, the additional amount for carers in receipt of Pension Credit and Income Support increased to £36.85 a week. The Universal Credit carer element increased to £160.20 per monthly assessment period. Universal Credit also adjusts to fluctuating earnings and periods when paid employment is not feasible, for example due to caring responsibilities. The Government is committed to helping carers balance providing care with their own paid employment where this is possible, as indicated in the Carers Action Plan.
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 estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of increasing carer's allowance to the same level as jobseeker’s allowance.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
This Government recognises and values the vital contribution made by carers in supporting some of the most vulnerable in society.
The information requested on the cost to the public purse of increasing the rate of Carer’s Allowance to that of Jobseeker’s Allowance is not available but an indicative cost can be calculated using data published on StatXplore and gov.uk.
The current rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance for those aged 25 and over is £73.10. The difference between this and the rate of Carer’s Allowance (currently £66.15 a week) is £6.95. As of November 2018, there were approximately 780,000 claimants receiving Carer’s Allowance in England and Wales. Thus, paying an additional £6.95 a week to carers in England and Wales would cost in the region of £280m a year. Carer’s Allowance has been devolved to the Scottish Government since September 2018 and is delivered in Scotland by DWP for an interim period under an Agency Agreement.
The Government also provides targeted financial support for carers on low incomes through income-related benefits such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Income Support. In April 2019, the additional amount for carers in receipt of Pension Credit and Income Support increased to £36.85 a week. The Universal Credit carer element increased to £160.20 per monthly assessment period. Universal Credit also adjusts to fluctuating earnings and periods when paid employment is not feasible, for example due to caring responsibilities. The Government is committed to helping carers balance providing care with their own paid employment where this is possible, as indicated in the Carers Action Plan.
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, if she will place in the Library, a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between her Department and HMRC in relation to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Answered by Lord Sharma
Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) regarding the EU Settlement Scheme have set out the information sharing arrangements between the Home Office and DWP, and separately, between the Home Office and HMRC. These are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/eu-settlement-scheme-uk-tax-and-benefits-records-automated-check. Each department has direct arrangements with the Home Office, therefore there is no requirement for an MOU between DWP and HMRC.
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 assessment she has made of the effect of the (a) Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, (b) Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 and (c) Social Security (Income-related Benefits) (Updating and Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 on the right of people with pre-settled status to access public funds.
Answered by Lord Sharma
The Government has always been clear that EU, EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members granted status through the EU Settlement Scheme will be able to continue their lives in the UK much as before, with the same entitlements as now to access benefits, social housing and homelessness assistance services. Those granted pre-settled status under the scheme will not have any change in their entitlement to access benefits and services.
A consultation has not been carried out as these regulations do not reflect a change in the existing rules or government policy and therefore will not have any adverse effects. These regulations provide legal clarity to claimants, applicants, decision makers and local authorities, delivering continuity and ensuring that the existing rules are applied fairly.
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 discussions she had with stakeholder groups representing EEA citizens on the (a) Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, (b) Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 and (c) Social Security (Income-related Benefits) (Updating and Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
Answered by Lord Sharma
The Government has always been clear that EU, EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members granted status through the EU Settlement Scheme will be able to continue their lives in the UK much as before, with the same entitlements as now to access benefits, social housing and homelessness assistance services. Those granted pre-settled status under the scheme will not have any change in their entitlement to access benefits and services.
A consultation has not been carried out as these regulations do not reflect a change in the existing rules or government policy and therefore will not have any adverse effects. These regulations provide legal clarity to claimants, applicants, decision makers and local authorities, delivering continuity and ensuring that the existing rules are applied fairly.