Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January to Question 124104, on Universal Credit, and with reference to the note below paragraph B1026 of her Department's Advice for decision making: staff guide, whether the operational guidance on the splitting of universal credit payments between the couple contains further advice to decision makers.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The operational guidance does not give Decision Makers any additional guidance on split payments in Universal Credit that is not contained within the Decision Makers’ guidance.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what written guidance is available to decision-makers to determine applications on universal credit payments being split between members of the same household.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Department’s guidance for Universal Credit decision makers is contained in “Advice for Decision Making” (“ADM”). Chapter B1 of the ADM, “Payment of UC, PIP, ESA and JSA”, includes guidance on payments to joint claimants including splitting payments between a couple. The relevant guidance is at paragraphs B1024 to B1026. The ADM is also available on www.gov.uk and can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-for-decision-making-staff-guide
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is issued to jobcentre staff on handling requests to split universal credit payments between members of a household.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Jobcentre Plus work coaches undertake a thorough and comprehensive mandatory training programme. This programme includes a module about ‘Alternative Payment Arrangements’ and the role of work coaches in identifying claimant needs.
Work coaches learn about the importance of discussing ‘Personal Budgeting Support’ and financial health with claimants, and which Alternative Payment Arrangements are available for claimants who need additional help. This training helps work coaches to understand when an Alternative Payment Arrangement, such as Split Payments should be considered, and explains how to arrange for Alternative Payment Arrangements to be implemented.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit applicants have applied for payments to be paid to (a) the household and (b) split between adults in the same household to date.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We do not record statistics on the number of applications for split payments.
However, in June 2017, 370,000 households were receiving a payment for Universal Credit.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any applications for universal credit payments to be split between adults in a household have been declined.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The information requested is not collected in a form that would allow it to be aggregated across all cases to provide the information required.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the option to split universal credit payments between adults in a household was decided; and what the process is for deciding how the constituent parts of universal credit are to be allocated to each person.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
In very exceptional circumstances, payment of Universal Credit can be divided between two members of the household. This is an Alternative Payment Arrangement known as a Split Payment. Split Payments are to prevent hardship to the claimant and their family and should only be considered in certain specific situations, such as domestic violence, or where financial abuse occurs and one partner mismanages the Universal Credit payment. Payment Arrangements have always been available in Universal Credit.
Alternative Payment Arrangements can be considered at any point during the Universal Credit claim. They may be identified at the outset by the Jobcentre Plus Work Coach, or during it. They can also be triggered and put in place by information received from the claimant, their representative, their caseworker or their landlord.
The larger percentage of a Split Payment will be allocated to the person with primary caring responsibilities, such as child care. This is to ensure the health and well-being of the majority of the household.
Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/662984/personal-budgeting-support-and-alternative-payment-arrangements.pdf.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the process is for splitting universal credit payments between adults in a household.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
In very exceptional circumstances, payment of Universal Credit can be divided between two members of the household. This is an Alternative Payment Arrangement known as a Split Payment. Split Payments are to prevent hardship to the claimant and their family and should only be considered in certain specific situations, such as domestic violence, or where financial abuse occurs and one partner mismanages the Universal Credit payment. Payment Arrangements have always been available in Universal Credit.
Alternative Payment Arrangements can be considered at any point during the Universal Credit claim. They may be identified at the outset by the Jobcentre Plus Work Coach, or during it. They can also be triggered and put in place by information received from the claimant, their representative, their caseworker or their landlord.
The larger percentage of a Split Payment will be allocated to the person with primary caring responsibilities, such as child care. This is to ensure the health and well-being of the majority of the household.
Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/662984/personal-budgeting-support-and-alternative-payment-arrangements.pdf.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will set out the total sum disbursed on bonuses to staff in his Department in 2017.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
DWP currently operates a number of award schemes; end of year performance awards and in-year reward and recognition.
A total of £41.8m, which is less than 2% of the overall DWP annual pay bill, has been paid between January 2017 and November 2017, this breaks down as follows:
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department makes of a person's cognitive capacity when holding them responsible for ensuring that the financial data relating to them held by his Department is accurate.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Claimants are responsible for the information they provide to the Department. If there is any doubt as to the person’s cognitive capacity at the point that information is, or should be supplied, the Department can, if it is appropriate, initiate its appointeeship process. This involves the Secretary of State appointing a third party to act for the claimant in managing their benefit affairs. Where this happens the claimant themselves is no longer responsible for the accuracy of any information subsequently provided to the Department.
If an appointment is made, any advantageous changes which have not been reported will be considered and potentially could be paid from the date of the change. If the change is disadvantageous and there has been an overpayment of benefit, it can be recovered – the appointeeship will not act retrospectively to preclude this being done.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what processes are in place to protect people with diminishing cognitive capacity from accruing arrears when they have failed to offer updates of any changes to their circumstances that may affect their entitlement to pension credits.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Claimants are responsible for the information they provide to the Department. If there is any doubt as to the person’s cognitive capacity at the point that information is, or should be supplied, the Department can, if it is appropriate, initiate its appointeeship process. This involves the Secretary of State appointing a third party to act for the claimant in managing their benefit affairs. Where this happens the claimant themselves is no longer responsible for the accuracy of any information subsequently provided to the Department.
If an appointment is made, any advantageous changes which have not been reported will be considered and potentially could be paid from the date of the change. If the change is disadvantageous and there has been an overpayment of benefit, it can be recovered – the appointeeship will not act retrospectively to preclude this being done.