Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 May 2020 to Question 43913 on the Independent Case Examiner, how many new Independent Case Examiners were recruited between 1 February 2020 and 31 March 2020 to help reduce the time complaints wait to be brought into investigation.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Funding has been made available in the 2020/21 financial year to allow the Independent Case Examiner’s (ICE) Office to help reduce the time complaints wait to be brought into investigation. Its headcount will increase from 89 to 112. The recruitment of additional Investigation Case Managers commenced in February 2020, but was paused following the introduction of the Coronavirus lockdown measures. That pause has now been lifted and the Office is currently concluding the recruitment exercise.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families who have made a claim for universal credit since 23 March 2020 have three or more children.
Answered by Will Quince
From 23rd March 2020 to 5th May 2020, 57,000, applications made by claimants with children to Universal Credit had three or more children in their family.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2020 to Question 1734 on the Independent Case Examiner, what the average length of time taken was to (a) commence and (b) complete an investigation into a complaint against her Department between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2020.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The cases that reach the ICE Office are the most complex and investigations will not be compromised in order to be completed within certain timescales. Having accepted a complaint for examination, the ICE Office will initially try to broker a solution between the complainant and the relevant department or supplier, without having to request evidence to inform an investigation – this is known as “resolution”. If it’s not possible to resolve the complaint, the evidence will be requested and the case will await allocation to an Investigation Case Manager (ICM). Complainants are kept updated on the progression of their complaint and the vast majority are satisfied with the service they receive.
During the period 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2020, it took the Independent Case Examiner’s Office an average of: 62 weeks to commence an investigation (from the point at which the complaint was accepted for examination); and 18 weeks to complete an investigation (from the point at which it was allocated to an ICM).
The Independent Case Examiner’s Office began the process of recruiting additional ICMs, to help it reduce the time complaints wait to be brought into investigation, prior to the introduction of the Coronavirus lockdown measures. That process will recommence as soon as it is practicable to do so.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to review the policy of benefit sanctions during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are focused on the processing of claims and will not be checking conditionality compliance regarding preparing for, looking for and being available for work until the end of June. This means that claimants won’t receive any new sanctions if they are unable to meet these commitments during this period. We continue to review our policies as the situation evolves.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, further to her Answer of 14 January 2020 to Question 1734 on the Independent Case Examiner, what the average length of time taken was to (a) commence and (b) complete an investigation into a complaint against her Department in (i) July to September 2019 and (ii) October to December 2019.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is provided in the table below. In order to provide some context, we have included details of the number of complaints received and accepted for examination by the Independent Case Examiner’s Office in the last two full reporting years.
We want to make sure people can get the support they are entitled to if they have been treated unfairly and are hiring and training new staff as quickly as we can, clearing more complaints last year than in 2017/18.
The cases that reach the Independent Case Examiner are the most complex and investigations will not be compromised in order to be completed within certain timescales.
We keep people updated about the timings involved with their case and the vast majority of complainants are satisfied with the service they receive.
Year (April to March) | Complaints received | Complaints accepted for examination |
2017/18 | 5,885 | 2,784 |
2018/19 | 4,824 | 1,299 |
Period | Average time taken to commence an investigation (from date complaint accepted for examination) | Average time taken to complete an investigation (from date case allocated to an investigation case manager) |
July - September 2019 | 57 weeks | 20 weeks |
October - December 2019 | 61 weeks | 21 weeks |
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners will see their income reduce as a result of the abolition of the Adult Dependency Increase; and what estimate he has been made of the number of pensioners who are entitled to alternative benefits.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 2007 the then Labour Government decided to end State Pension ADIs as part of a package of reforms included in the Pensions Act 2007. The link to the Act is: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/22/contents - the legislation relating to State Pension ADI changes can be seen at Section 4 of the Act.
This overall reform package, which took account that State Pension ADIs would stop from April 2020, improved the State Pension position for women meaning more women would get a full basic State Pension. The reforms also provided more generous National Insurance credits for carers. Successive Governments of differing political persuasions since 2007 have continued to support this change.
As at May 2019, the latest data available, the number of people in receipt of State Pension Adult Dependency Increases was 10,817. At the same date, 2,274 of these persons were also in receipt of either Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit and may, consequently, be entitled to increases in these benefits.
Those who are already receiving Income Related Benefits (such as Pension Credit or Housing Benefit) should have their entitlement reassessed once their State Pension Adult Dependency Increase ends. We are encouraging those who are not currently getting an Income Related Benefit to check out if they are now entitled.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to review the effect on pensioner poverty of the requirement that pensioners make a claim for universal credit on retirement and not pension credit because their partner has not yet reached pension age.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We spend around £100 billion on the State Pension in 2019/20, and as a result of the triple lock, from April 2020 (subject to Parliamentary approval), the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension will be around £700 higher than if it had just been up-rated by earnings since April 2010. There are 100,000 fewer pensioners in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than in 2009/10. Rates of material deprivation for pensioners are also at a record low: since 2009/10 material deprivation for pensioners has fallen from 10% to 7% in 2017/18. Entitlement to the State Pension, and eligibility to claim it, are unaffected by the changes made to support for people on low incomes through the system of income-related benefits.
This change does not apply to couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners on 14 May 2019 for as long as they remain entitled to either benefit.
In regard to encouraging people below State Pension age to remain in the labour market and continue saving for their own retirement, the Government believes this is important both for individuals and wider society. We do not therefore believe it is right that different labour-market conditions should apply to people below State Pension age based on the age of their partner.
This change in the way support is provided to couples where one partner is below State Pension age will ensure that the same incentives to work and save for retirement apply to the younger partner as apply to other people of the same age. Unlike Pension Credit, which in most cases allows a couple to retain only £10 a week of earned income, Universal Credit provides clear incentives for people to find and progress in work.
The younger partner in a mixed-age couple claiming Universal Credit will get the personalised support provided by Work Coaches to help them find and progress in work where appropriate. If the younger partner is unable to work because of disability or caring requirements, additional amounts may be payable and conditionality requirements adjusted. No work-related requirements will be applied to the older partner. The Government is committed to action that helps to alleviate levels of pensioner poverty.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the net saving that will be made by the public purse from the abolition of the Adult Dependency Increase for pensioners from April 2020.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In 2007 the then Labour Government decided to end State Pension ADIs as part of a package of reforms included in the Pensions Act 2007. This overall reform package, which took account that State Pension ADIs would stop from April 2020, improved the State Pension position for women meaning more women would get a full basic State Pension. The reforms also provided more generous National Insurance credits for carers. Successive Governments of differing political persuasions since 2007 have continued to support this change.
The savings from ending the provision of State Pension Adult Dependency Increases are estimated to be £125m between 2020/21 and 2024/25, based on analysis from 2018. This only reflects savings on Adult Dependency Increases expenditure and does not take into account any offsetting impacts on other benefits.
We have not made an estimate of the net saving once offsetting impacts on other benefits are taken into account. As at May 2019, total annual expenditure on State Pension Adult Dependency Increases in 2019/20 for people in receipt of both Adult Dependency Increases and at least one of Pension Credit or Housing Benefit was estimated at £7m.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners have been required to make a claim for universal credit rather than pension credit because their partner has not yet reached pension age.
Answered by Will Quince
In 2012, Parliament voted to modernise the welfare system to ensure that couples, where one person is of working age and the other person is over State Pension age, access support, where it is needed, through the working age benefit regime. This replaces the previous system whereby the household could access either Pension Credit and pension-age Housing Benefit, or working-age benefits.
Pension Credit is designed to provide long-term support for pensioner households who are no longer economically active. It is not designed to support working age claimants. This change will ensure that the same work incentives apply to the younger partner as apply to other people of the same age, and taxpayer support is directed where it is needed most.
Between 15 May 2019, when the mixed age couples policy was implemented, and mid
August 2019, there were 1,800 new claims to Universal Credit where one member of the couple was above State Pension age and the other below (a “mixed age couple”).
Notes:
1. This is the number of couples/new claims (rounded to nearest 100) and not the number of people.
2. The data is up to mid-August as this is the latest available data.
3. The data is from the DWP management information which has been collected for internal departmental use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.
Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2020 to Question 1733, on the Independent Case Examiner (ICE), if she will request that the ICE's annual report for 2019-20 includes data on the average number of weeks taken to complete a determination from the date of (a) the complaint and (b) commencement of the investigation.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As explained in response to Question 1733, the Independent Case Examiner (ICE) is an Office Holder, appointed under contract to review complaints about DWP and its contracted service providers, and identify wider system issues associated with service failures. Decisions on what information to include in their Annual Report rest with the Office holder, however, your suggestion has been shared with them, to inform future considerations.