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Written Question
Independent Case Examiner
Wednesday 19th April 2023

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Independent Case Examiner is taking steps to reduce the time between a complaint being accepted and the allocation of that complaint to an investigator.

Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The ICE process has several stages. When a referral is received the team initially considers whether, without undertaking a detailed examination of the evidence, a resolution can be brokered with the relevant department or its supplier. If resolution cannot be achieved, and the complaint is accepted, the case awaits allocation to an investigator who, following a review of the evidence, will first consider if settlement is appropriate. This requires the relevant department or its supplier to agree action with the complainant. Full investigation reports of detailed findings and any recommendations for redress are based on a thorough examination of case evidence.

The ICE office continues to review its internal processes and structures to make the most efficient use of its investigative resource. Between 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023, the office has recruited an additional 18 Investigators and is seeking to recruit up to its agreed headcount.


Written Question
Carer's Allowance
Thursday 2nd February 2023

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling the Carer’s Allowance to be treated as earnings for the work allowance element of the calculation of Universal Credit.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There are no plans to change the way that Carer’s Allowance is treated in Universal Credit.

In recognition of the support provided by carers for relatives, partners and friends who may be ill, frail or disabled, there is an additional amount of benefit payable in Universal Credit to support carers who provide care of 35 hours or more each week for a severely disabled person. For claimants who meets these requirements an additional amount for caring, £168.81 per month, is included in their Universal Credit entitlement.

Carer’s Allowance is a benefit paid by the State and so is classed as unearned income.


Written Question
Social Security Benefits: Married People
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

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 potential impact of the benefit cap on couples where one partner is in receipt of state pension and the other is a Universal Credit applicant.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

No assessment has been made.


Written Question
Social Security Benefits: Married People
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the benefit cap for couples where one partner is in receipt of state pension and the other is a Universal Credit applicant.

Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

No assessment has been made.


Written Question
Pension Credit: Married People
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of altering pension credit eligibility to award pension credit for couples where one partner is in receipt of state pension and the other is under state pension age.

Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Since May 2019, both members of a couple need to have reached State Pension age in order to be eligible for Pension Credit. This policy ensures that the same incentives to work and save apply to the younger partner as apply to other people of the same age. Pension Credit is intended to provide long term support for pensioner households who are no longer economically active due to age. It is not intended to support people of working age.

We have no plans to change this policy.


Written Question
Cost of Living Payments
Monday 17th October 2022

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure all outstanding cost of living payments due to be paid are paid in full by the end of October 2022.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The first £326 Cost of Living Payment and the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment have been paid automatically to those, who at the time, were eligible to receive it. However, there will continue to be cases where eligibility to a Cost of Living Payment has yet to be established due to an outstanding appeal decision for example. We will periodically make payments to people who have later been found to be eligible and have not yet received a payment. The payments will continue to be made automatically in the same way the qualifying benefit or tax credit is paid.

The second £324 Cost of Living Payment will be paid between the 8 and 23 November 2022 to those, who at the time, are eligible to receive it. The £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment will be paid with the normal Winter Fuel Payments from November 2022. The timetable for when Cost of Living Payments are made is published here: Cost of Living Payment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Department for Work and Pensions has published management information on the total number of means-tested benefit and Disability Cost of Living Payments made. As of 8 September 2022, 8,400,000 means-tested benefits Cost of Living Payments, first payment, had been made. As of 30 September 2022, 6,000,000 Disability Cost of Living Payments had been made. The information which will be updated as new payments are made can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-living-payment-management-information


Written Question
Cost of Living Payments
Monday 17th October 2022

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cost of living payments are outstanding and are due to be paid throughout October 2022.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The Department for Work and Pensions has published management information on the total number of means-tested benefit Cost of Living Payments made and disability Cost of Living Payments made. As of 8 September 2022, 8,400,000 means-tested benefits Cost of Living payments, first payment, had been made. As of 30 September 2022, 6,000,000 disability Cost of Living payments, first payment, had been made.

The information which will be updated as new payments can be found here:

Cost of Living Payment management information – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The timetable for when cost of living payments are made is published here: Cost of Living Payment – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

It is not possible to determine how many people are due a Cost of Living Payment, as entitlement may not have been established at the time the payments were made. We will periodically make payments to people who have later been found to be eligible and have not yet received a payment. The payments will continue to be made automatically in the same way the qualifying benefit or tax credit is paid.


Written Question
Cost of Living Payments
Monday 17th October 2022

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

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 number of Cost-of-Living payments that have been missed and have resulted in mop-up payments having to be made.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The As of 8 September 2022, 8,400,000 means-tested benefits Cost of Living payments had been made. As of 30 September 2022, 6,000,000 Disability Cost of Living Payments had been made. The information which will be updated as new payments are made can be found here:

Cost of Living Payment management information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The timetable for when cost of living payments are made is published here: Cost of Living Payment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

It is not possible to determine how many people are due a Cost-of-Living Payment, as entitlement may not have been established at the time the payments were made. We will periodically make payments to people who have later been found to be eligible and have not yet received a payment. The payments will continue to be made automatically in the same way the qualifying benefit or tax credit is paid.


Written Question
Jobcentres: Kirkcaldy
Tuesday 11th October 2022

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants were assigned from (a) KY6 and (b) KY7 postcodes to the temporary Jobcentre in Kirkcaldy as part of her Department's Rapid Estate Expansion Programme in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

Ahead of the temporary Jobcentre in Kirkcaldy opening in March 2022, there were 240 Universal Credit claimants assigned from the KY7 postcode, and none from the KY6 postcode. Current information about the assignment of claimants from these postcodes is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.


Written Question
Hazardous Substances: Planning Authorities
Tuesday 11th October 2022

Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that responses to Hazardous Substance Consent enquiries from planning authorities are delivered on time.

Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a statutory consultee for Hazardous Substances Consent Applications. The assessments undertaken by HSE for each Hazardous Substance Consent Application are complex and underpin HSE’s statutory advice to Hazardous Substances Authorities. This advice is aimed at mitigating the effects of a major accident on the population around a major hazard site. In July 2012, as part of the government’s response to the Penfold Review, HSE agreed to deliver its Hazardous Substance Consent statutory advice to Hazardous Substance Authorities within 13-26 weeks of receiving a valid application. HSE continues to work to these agreed timeframes, which reflect the detailed assessment work needed.

HSE processes between 60 and 80 Hazardous Substance Consent applications a year. In 2020/21 (the last full year where data is available) HSE provided advice for 67% of the 61 Hazardous Substance Consent applications received within the 26 week deadline.

HSE meets regularly with Hazardous Substances Consent policy leads from England, Scotland and Wales. HSE understands that there are no current plans for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) or Devolved Administrations to amend Hazardous Substance Consent legislation to reflect the timescales agreed through the Penfold Review, however HSE will be publishing information on its website to advise applicants on the timescales involved. HSE has also produced a smart form to aid the submission of valid applications and is also recruiting to maintain its current numbers of specialist risk assessors, who undertake this expert assessment work.