Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to assign to an investigator a complaint to the Independent Case Examiner.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The rate at which complaints can be allocated to an investigator is dependent on multiple factors including the volume and complexity of complaints received, as well as available investigative resource.
ICE is a demand led service and continues to receive high complaint intake volumes. It has experienced a 37% increase in referrals since April 2022, with an 18% increase in the 2023/24 operational year. Not all referrals into ICE are accepted for investigation. ICE has experienced an 83% increase in the volume of cases it has accepted since April 2020, with a 9% increase in the 2023/24 operational year.
The ICE office continues to review its process and operating model and continuously seeks opportunities to maximise productivity, ensuring it operates with optimum investigative resource. In the past 20 months (August 2022 – March 2024) resource levels at the ICE office have increased by 18%. The unit is operating at 99.11% of its agreed headcount.
The Office has reduced the volume of cases awaiting allocation to an investigator by 49% over the 2023/24 operational year. The combined number of cases being handled by the ICE Office at the end of March 2024 was 1462, this represents a 33% reduction from March 2023 despite the high intake levels experienced.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data his department holds on the number and proportion of individuals in receipt of housing cost support at the shared accommodation rate with rent costs that (a) exceed and (b) are below the local housing allowance in each (i) rental market area and (ii) local authority area; and what estimate he has made of the median average gap between housing cost support and rent costs for individuals eligible for only the shared accommodation rate per (A) rental market area and (B) local authority area.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)
This information is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
The Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) of the Local Housing Allowance applies to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit claimants who are under 35 years of age, living on their own, and renting privately, they will be entitled to the SAR regardless of the size of property that they rent. These rules reflect the housing expectations of people of a similar age not in receipt of benefits.
LHA rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas.
For 2022/23 we are projected to have spent almost £30 billion to support renters with their housing costs.
In addition, LHA rates, including SAR will be increased from April 2024 to the 30th percentile of local market rents at a cost of £1.2 billion. This will mean 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (UC) will gain on average around £800 a year in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024-25.
For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and require additional support Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.7 billion to local authorities for households who need additional support with their housing costs.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants who were given a negative decision following the suspension of their claim by the Risk Review Team or Enhanced Review Team (a) appealed that decision and (b) had a tribunal allow their appeal in each of the last five years.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Risk Review Team (RRT) has now been incorporated in to a broader and wide-ranging Enhanced Review Team (ERT), aimed at identifying and stopping fraud early.
As the NAO have reported in the Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23. ‘The majority of 2022-23 savings (£650 million) came from the Enhanced Review Team (ERT), which provides a rapid response service for detailed checking of high-risk Universal Credit claims before they go into payment. These estimates also suggest that preventative actions have a much higher level of return than investigating fraud and error after it has occurred.’
Data on how many and what proportion of cases handled by ERT have resulted in suspension is not available to this level for ERT and to produce it would incur disproportionate costs. This is due to large volumes of data being held across different clerical platforms, which would need to be forensically examined.
Likewise, data on cases closed, reinstated, or remaining suspended, cannot be provided within reasonable costs.
We are unable to provide the number of claimants who have appealed decisions on cases closed following RRT/ERT action and the number who have been successful in their appeals over the last five years because ERT only started completing reviews in April 2020.
We are unable to give per year figures since the formation of ERT due to the lengthy dispute process and are also unable to identify which appeals would have previously been suspended, due to this data not being held. However, the cumulative total of cases for RRT and ERT that have been through the dispute process are:
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of benefit claims suspended by the (a) Risk Review Team and (b) Enhanced Review Team in each of the last three years (i) have subsequently been (A) closed and (B) reinstated and (ii) remain suspended.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Risk Review Team (RRT) has now been incorporated in to a broader and wide-ranging Enhanced Review Team (ERT), aimed at identifying and stopping fraud early.
As the NAO have reported in the Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23. ‘The majority of 2022-23 savings (£650 million) came from the Enhanced Review Team (ERT), which provides a rapid response service for detailed checking of high-risk Universal Credit claims before they go into payment. These estimates also suggest that preventative actions have a much higher level of return than investigating fraud and error after it has occurred.’
Data on how many and what proportion of cases handled by ERT have resulted in suspension is not available to this level for ERT and to produce it would incur disproportionate costs. This is due to large volumes of data being held across different clerical platforms, which would need to be forensically examined.
Likewise, data on cases closed, reinstated, or remaining suspended, cannot be provided within reasonable costs.
We are unable to provide the number of claimants who have appealed decisions on cases closed following RRT/ERT action and the number who have been successful in their appeals over the last five years because ERT only started completing reviews in April 2020.
We are unable to give per year figures since the formation of ERT due to the lengthy dispute process and are also unable to identify which appeals would have previously been suspended, due to this data not being held. However, the cumulative total of cases for RRT and ERT that have been through the dispute process are:
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of benefit claims (a) flagged and (b) investigated by the (i) Risk Review Team and (ii) Enhanced Review Team have resulted in the suspension of benefits in each of the last three years.
Answered by Paul Maynard
The Risk Review Team (RRT) has now been incorporated in to a broader and wide-ranging Enhanced Review Team (ERT), aimed at identifying and stopping fraud early.
As the NAO have reported in the Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23. ‘The majority of 2022-23 savings (£650 million) came from the Enhanced Review Team (ERT), which provides a rapid response service for detailed checking of high-risk Universal Credit claims before they go into payment. These estimates also suggest that preventative actions have a much higher level of return than investigating fraud and error after it has occurred.’
Data on how many and what proportion of cases handled by ERT have resulted in suspension is not available to this level for ERT and to produce it would incur disproportionate costs. This is due to large volumes of data being held across different clerical platforms, which would need to be forensically examined.
Likewise, data on cases closed, reinstated, or remaining suspended, cannot be provided within reasonable costs.
We are unable to provide the number of claimants who have appealed decisions on cases closed following RRT/ERT action and the number who have been successful in their appeals over the last five years because ERT only started completing reviews in April 2020.
We are unable to give per year figures since the formation of ERT due to the lengthy dispute process and are also unable to identify which appeals would have previously been suspended, due to this data not being held. However, the cumulative total of cases for RRT and ERT that have been through the dispute process are:
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to the (a) risk review team and (b) enhanced review team on suspension and termination.
Answered by Paul Maynard
All members of ERT are provided with full training and with guidance which is clear about how case suspensions and terminations (closures) should be handled.
If a suspension is put in place on a claim, the claimant is made fully aware of any actions they need to take and information they need to provide in order to progress the review of their case.
A clear explanation is also provided to the claimant about the potential consequences should they fail to fully comply with these requirements within the required timescales. The guidance also ensures that ERT team members consider potential customer vulnerability throughout the duration of any intervention.
As the NAO have reported in the Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23, ‘The majority of 2022-23 savings (£650 million) came from the Enhanced Review Team (ERT), which provides a rapid response service for detailed checking of high-risk Universal Credit claims before they go into payment. These estimates also suggest that preventative actions have a much higher level of return than investigating fraud and error after it has occurred.’
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a disability certificate that includes details of a named accompanying person.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
While some disabled people may welcome a card or certificate that acts as a proof of disability, we are aware that some disabled people would not wish to carry a card or certificate which confirms their disability or impairment. Some people who may meet the criteria for the Equality Act 2010 definition of disability do not identify as disabled, although they may require reasonable adjustments, and introducing a certificate or card scheme could exclude these persons.
The Equality Act 2010 places a duty on businesses and service providers to make reasonable adjustments to improve disabled people’s access to goods and services, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. This reasonable adjustment duty is an anticipatory duty, meaning that those who provide goods, facilities and services to members of the public are expected to anticipate the reasonable adjustments that disabled customers may require. There is no need for a person to actively prove their disability to be protected by the Equality Act.
There are a number of optional schemes and cards in the UK that have been created to meet particular needs and which people may use if they wish. These include the Hidden Disability Sunflower Scheme which discreetly identifies where additional support may be needed and which is gaining widespread recognition, and Nimbus Disability’s Access Card which can help when communicating with a business about the types of support or reasonable adjustments that might be needed to access their services.
Naming an accompanying person could prove restrictive. A disabled person may have more than one accompanying person or may be accompanied by different people on different occasions.
There are therefore no plans to introduce a disability ID card or certificate at this time.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was for the Pensions Ombudsman to respond to enquiries in the latest period for which data is available; and if he will set a timetable for reducing those waiting times.
Answered by Laura Trott - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) has seen a consistent increase in demand for its services in recent years and has worked to improve and streamline processes. In 2022/23 TPO resolved around 99% of its general enquiries within 28 days of being logged on TPO’s system, compared to a target of 90%. In the same year, TPO closed almost 70% of pension complaints within 12 months, against a target of 55%.
TPO recently experienced a cyber incident which temporarily impacted its ability to respond to enquiries and progress pension complaints. The organisation is currently assessing the effect on waiting times and developing plans to reduce these.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2023 to Question 190908 on Universal Credit: Childcare, whether the introduction of upfront payments for childcare costs for people on Universal Credit will apply to claimants who are already in work and do not increase their hours.
Answered by Guy Opperman
For those UC claimants who are already in work, the amount they can claim back has significantly increased by more than £300 a month for one child, from £646.35 to £950.92, and by more than £500 a month for two or more children, from £1,108.04 to £1,630.15.
Universal Credit (UC) claimants who are already in work and not increasing their working hours will not be eligible for the upfront childcare costs support.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2023 to Question 186268 on Universal Credit: Childcare, whether he plans for proposed changes to the Universal Credit childcare element to be introduced to all Universal Credit recipients.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The UC childcare element is available to all eligible lone parents and couples, regardless of the number of hours they work. For couples, both parents need to be in paid work to be eligible, unless one of the allowable exceptions is met.
UC claimants with dependent children that wish to take on more hours, move into work or those that have high childcare costs, can benefit from one or both of the changes.