Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to publicise the changes to pension credit entitlement which come into force on 15 May 2019 to (a) couples who will no longer receive that entitlement because one partner is not of state pension age and (b) other people.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The mixed age couple policy was legislated for in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and then the commencement order was that the mixed age couple policy change will come into force on 15 May 2019, which was announced on 14 January 2019. Following the announcement we are implementing comprehensive plans to raise awareness of the change among people who may be affected.
The Department has written directly to mixed-age couples who are already in receipt of Pension Credit or Housing Benefit for pensioners to inform them of the changes and encourage them to find out what it could mean for them. Importantly the letters explain that mixed age couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners immediately before 15 May will not be affected for as long as they remain in receipt of either benefit after that date, and that their State Pension will not be affected.
This is in addition to providing information on gov.uk and through existing departmental channels. The Department’s staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres are able to provide help and advice about the change, as will staff in local authorities who administer Housing Benefit.
The Department has also worked with relevant organisations, including providing them with a fact sheet to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has written to people who will be affected by the changes to pension credit entitlement which come into force on 15 May 2019 to inform them that they will no longer be entitled to claim pension credit if their partner is not of state pension age.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The mixed age couple policy was legislated for in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and then the commencement order was that the mixed age couple policy change will come into force on 15 May 2019, which was announced on 14 January 2019. Following the announcement we are implementing comprehensive plans to raise awareness of the change among people who may be affected.
The Department has written directly to mixed-age couples who are already in receipt of Pension Credit or Housing Benefit for pensioners to inform them of the changes and encourage them to find out what it could mean for them. Importantly the letters explain that mixed age couples already claiming Pension Credit and/or Housing Benefit for pensioners immediately before 15 May will not be affected for as long as they remain in receipt of either benefit after that date, and that their State Pension will not be affected.
This is in addition to providing information on gov.uk and through existing departmental channels. The Department’s staff in Pension Centres and Jobcentres are able to provide help and advice about the change, as will staff in local authorities who administer Housing Benefit.
The Department has also worked with relevant organisations, including providing them with a fact sheet to ensure that accurate information is available in the places where people are most likely to seek information.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK EU citizens have been refused universal credit on the basis that they do not have a right to reside in each month since January 2017.
Answered by Lord Sharma
The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Comprehensive guidance outlining eligibility for Universal Credit for EEA Nationals and the habitual residency test is available to all staff across the Jobcentre network. Universal Credit guidance is published in the House of Commons Library and the Department is committed to refreshing this at regular intervals.
Eligibility for income-related (means-tested) social security benefits depends on a person’s immigration status in the UK. Claimants must be exercising a legal right to reside and be habitually resident before they are eligible to claim income related benefit. This is assessed through the Habitual Residence Test (HRT). DWP does not automatically provide other Government departments with information regarding an individual’s benefit claim. The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 and immigration decisions are the responsibility of the Home Office.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost was of (a) electricity and (b) natural gas used by (i) her Department, (ii) the Health and Safety Executive, (iii) the Pensions Advisory Service and (iv) the Pensions Regulator in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Please see below electricity & gas cost for 2015/16, 2016/17 & 2017/18.
(i) DWP
Please note that 6 day opening began in 2017/18 in some areas, but has not yet been fully rolled out. To date, 6 day opening does not seem to have had a major impact on consumption or cost of energy per FTE.
DWP energy figures are based on total consumption taken from the invoices that DWP is responsible for paying. Consumption and cost figures have then been divided by total FTE figures for the estate in each year. Please note that no adjustment has been made for recharging where there are sub-tenants within buildings DWP occupies, or for buildings at which DWP is recharged, and we do not have the facility to make that adjustment at present.
Year | Electricity £ / FTE | Gas £ / FTE | FTE Total |
2015-16 | £ 256 | £ 79 | 75742 |
2016-17 | £ 257 | £ 78 | 75590 |
2017-18 | £ 256 | £ 78 | 75065 |
(ii) HSE
Data based on HSE’s 28 offices, including HSE’s laboratory in Buxton. Where HSE does not know specific consumption from some of its Landlords /Holding Departments, and where HSE has government tenants whose consumption is not separately sub-metered, figures are estimated.
Year | Electricity £ | Gas £ |
2015-16 | £1,381,532 | £443,071 |
2016-17 | £1,373,438 | £369,236 |
2017-18 | £1,339,724 | £349,858 |
(iii) The Pensions Advisory Service
In a shared building, where costs are estimated
Year | Electricity £ | Gas £ |
2015-16 | £21,000 | £8,000 |
2016-17 | £17,000 | £6,500 |
2017-18 | £16,000 | £7,800 |
(iv) The Pensions Regulator
Year | Electricity | Gas £ |
2015-16 | £125,318 | £7,337 |
2016-17 | £133,383 | £5,485 |
2017-18 | £133,961 | £5,434 |
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the quantity was of (a) electricity and (b) natural gas used by (i) her Department, (ii) the Health and Safety Executive, (iii) the Pensions Advisory Service and (iv) the Pensions Regulator in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson
Please see below electricity & gas usage for 2015/16, 2016/17 & 2017/18.
(i) DWP
Please note that 6 day opening began in 2017/18 in some areas, but has not yet been fully rolled out. To date, 6 day opening does not seem to have had a major impact on consumption or cost of energy per FTE.
DWP energy figures are based on total consumption taken from the invoices that DWP is responsible for paying. Consumption and cost figures have then been divided by total FTE figures for the estate in each year. Please note that no adjustment has been made for recharging where there are sub-tenants within buildings DWP occupies, or for buildings at which DWP is recharged, and we do not have the facility to make that adjustment at present.
Year | Electricity kWh / FTE | Gas kWh / FTE | FTE Total |
2015-16 | 1867 | 2308 | 75742 |
2016-17 | 1832 | 2452 | 75590 |
2017-18 | 1806 | 2459 | 75065 |
(i) Health and Safety Executive
Data based on HSE’s 28 offices, including HSE’s laboratory in Buxton. Where HSE does not know specific consumption from some of its Landlords /Holding Departments, and where HSE has government tenants whose consumption is not separately sub-metered, figures are estimated.
Year | Electricity kWh | Gas kWh |
2015-16 | 12,051,317 | 13,138,923 |
2016-17 | 12,337,288 | 13,896,081 |
2017-18 | 11,763,810 | 13,849,043 |
(ii) The Pensions Advisory Service
In a shared building, where they share the service charge & payments are made centrally.
Year | Electricity kWh | Gas kWh |
2015-16 | No information held | No information held. |
2016-17 | No information held. | No information held. |
2017-18 | No information held. | No information held. |
(iii) The Pensions Regulator
Year | Electricity £ | Gas £ |
2015-16 | Not available at this time | Not available at this time |
2016-17 | Not available at this time | Not available at this time |
2017-18 | Not available at this time | Not available at this time |
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's target time is for processing applications for alternative payment arrangements under universal credit.
Answered by Lord Sharma
DWP have no targets for processing applications for Alternative Payment Arrangements (APA). All APA cases are dealt with urgently and are considered on a case by case basis by dedicated teams.