Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) removing sanctions on Universal Credit and (b) ensuring sanctions are used only in exceptional circumstances.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and moving away from the current one-size-fits-all approach. We are creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers.
The core objective of Universal Credit is to support customers to prepare for work, to enter work, or to earn more, and it is right that there are obligations in place in return for financial support through the benefit system.
Legislation sets out the types of requirements that can be applied to a customer dependant on the conditionality group they are in. To ensure these requirements are realistic and achievable, they are set in discussion with the customer and tailored to their capabilities and circumstances.
A sanction – which is a reduction in the amount of Universal Credit paid – is only applicable where a customer does not carry out their agreed requirements without good reason.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help protect people with (a) multiple mental and physical health disabilities and (b) chronic health conditions from financial hardship.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The social security system will always be there for those who can’t work. As part of making changes to the rates in Universal Credit, we will ensure that the incomes of those with the most severe, lifelong conditions who will never be able to work have their incomes protected. We will also guarantee that for both new and existing claims, those in this group will not need to be reassessed in future.
We are also taking action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits as set out in the Green Paper. This includes exploring ways to improve PIP assessments through digitalising transfer of medical information, using evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce the need for people with very severe health conditions to undergo functional assessments and improving communication with people receiving awards who are expected to remain on disability benefits for life.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase the take-up of means-tested benefits in households with children in poverty.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department provides extensive information on Universal Credit including on GOV.UK that supports customers to identify what support may be available. Additionally, we signpost potential customers to external benefit calculators where they can identify what they are likely to be eligible for. We also work closely with Citizens Advice who provide Help to Claim support by phone and on-line for customers to apply for Universal Credit.
Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government. The Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy looking at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what fiscal steps her Department is taking to support pensioners with the cost of living in (a) Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is honouring its commitment to the Triple Lock with a recent 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension, the new State Pension, and the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit. Over this Parliament (2029/30), the OBR forecasts that the Government spending on the State Pension will rise by over £31 billion.
Pension Credit provides extra money to help with living costs for people over State Pension age and on a low income. The Government is taking significant steps to raise awareness and maximise take-up. We want to ensure as many people as possible have access to this support and urge pensioners to check their eligibility. Pension Credit will passport them to receive other benefits – including help with rent, council tax, fuel bills and a free TV licence for those over 75. Our drive to increase Pension Credit take up has successfully boosted applications with the Department receiving around 235,000 Pension Credit applications in the 30 weeks since July 2024 and making 117,800 new Pension Credit awards over the same period, a 64% increase or 45,800 extra awards compared to the same period in the previous year.
Low-income pensioners and others struggling with the cost of living should contact their local council to see what further support may be available to them. They may be able to receive support from energy support programmes or through the Household Support Fund, a scheme providing discretionary support to those most in need towards the cost of essentials, such as food, energy and water.
The Government has extended the Household Support Fund in England by a further year, (until 31 March 2026) – with funding of £742 million provided to enable this extension in England, plus additional funding for the devolved Governments to be spent at their discretion, as usual.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help support (a) unpaid and (b) disabled carers in the context of her proposed changes to Personal Independence Payments.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Our recent Pathways to Work Green Paper announced a broad package of reforms which included changes to Personal Independence Payment. We will focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, ensuring that those who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them, still get support.
For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes to disability benefits, including for linked entitlements such as Carer’s Allowance, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that unpaid carers are adequately supported during the transition to the new disability benefits system.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Our recent Pathways to Work Green Paper announced a broad package of reforms which included changes to Personal Independence Payment. We will focus PIP more on those with the greatest needs, ensuring that those who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them, still get support.
For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes to disability benefits, including for linked entitlements such as Carer’s Allowance, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will take steps to (a) update the basic rate of Universal Credit annually inline with inflation and (b) introduce an essentials guarantee to reflect the cost of living.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We will bring in a permanent, above inflation, rise to the standard allowance in Universal Credit for the first time ever by raising the standard allowance above inflation from 2026/27 until 2029/30. This is in stark contrast to a freeze between 2016/17 and 2019/20 and crucially, this is a permanent increase so we can give families certainty. To the lowest income and working families up and down the country this will be crucial.
We have also uprated benefit rates for 2025/26 in line with inflation and are introducing a new Fair Repayment Rate, allowing 1.2 million households to keep more of their Universal Credit.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Work and Pensions Select Committee report entitled Defined benefit pension schemes, published on 26 March 2024, HC 144, whether her Department plans to implement pre-1997 indexation for members of the (a) Financial Assistance Scheme and (b) Pension Protection Fund.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The PPF and FAS rules on indexation have been the subject of much discussion. I am aware of the concerns surrounding the matter and understand the problems experienced by Defined Benefit pension scheme members adjusting to an income in retirement which may be less than they were expecting. I will continue to consider this issue, and the valuable report referred to (by the Work and Pensions Select Committee) and will respond fully to its recommendations in the coming months.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help tackle poverty experienced by older people, in the context of changes to the eligibility criteria for the winter fuel payment.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government is honouring our commitment to the Triple Lock with a 4.1% increase to the basic State Pension and the new State Pension; and we are also increasing the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit by 4.1%. As such, according to the latest OBR projections, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,900 over the course of this parliament whilst the full yearly amount of the basic State Pension is forecast to increase by around £1,500.
The Government also offers an array of support to ensure pensioners remain comfortable and safe in the winter months. This includes direct financial help to low-income pensioners through Pension Credit, Cold Weather Payments and the Warm Home Discount (in England & Wales).
We know there are low-income pensioners who aren’t claiming Pension Credit. We want to ensure as many people as possible have access to this support and urge pensioners to check their eligibility. Pension Credit will passport them to receive Winter Fuel Payments in future, alongside other benefits – hundreds of pounds that could really help them. Our take-up campaign has been successful in boosting applications by 145% since July.
The Warm Home Discount scheme provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their winter energy bill. This winter, we expect over 3 million households, including over 1 million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.
The Government and industry have worked together to deliver a £500 million Winter Support Commitment for customers, which will help customers most in need by providing credit on bills, enhanced debt write-off schemes, and increased funding for charity partners to target hard to reach customers.
Low-income pensioners and others struggling with the cost of living should contact their local council to see what support may be available to them, as they may be able to receive support from the Household Support Fund, Council Tax Reduction, or through energy support programmes such as the Homes Upgrade Grant and Energy Company Obligation.
We are also supporting consumers, including pensioners, through the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan – which will transform homes across the country, making them cleaner and cheaper to run. We've committed £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency. This includes £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes, helping over 225,000 households reduce their energy bills by over £200.
Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives and reducing pressures on the NHS.
The difficult decisions we have made, such as targeting the Winter Fuel Payment, mean the Government is able to provide additional investment in the NHS, which benefits everyone including all pensioners who rely on these services. We have committed to returning NHS waiting times – including those for A&E and ambulances - to the standards set out in the NHS constitution that patients rightly expect.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of Universal Credit rules for young people living in supported housing on their ability to find work.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
People on a low income living in supported housing, can claim Universal Credit for help with their daily living costs and Housing Benefit for help with their housing costs. Customers living in supported housing are also able to access more housing support through Housing Benefit due to an exemption from the Benefit Cap.
The income taper in Housing Benefit ensures people in work are better off than someone wholly reliant on benefits. In addition to any financial advantage, there are important non-financial benefits of working. These benefits include learning new skills, improved confidence and independence as well as a positive effect on an individual's mental and physical health.
Notwithstanding these positive outcomes from work, the department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those residing in Supported Housing and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit and will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.