Asked by: Angela Eagle (Labour - Wallasey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has (a) spent on and (b) reduced its expenditure due to the expansion of targeted case reviews.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Targeted Case Review (TCR) is currently scaling at pace to strengthen the department’s response to fraud and error within Universal Credit.
We are investing £443 million to save £6.6 billion by March 2028.
Investment in TCR for 2022-23 was £19.6 million. As set out in the DWP Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) 2022-23, TCR delivered DWP £39 million of savings, of which £14 million related to 2022-23 expenditure.
We expect the majority of savings to occur in the final years of the project when Targeted Case Review is fully operational.
The Annual Report and Accounts for the financial year 23/24 is expected to be published Summer 2024. This will include Targeted Case Review spend and expenditure. The Fraud and Error National Statistics will be published on 16 May 2024.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
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 adjusting the minimum income floor for Universal Credit for (a) farmers and (b) other people whose income and expenditure varies during the year.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department does not intend to assess the potential merits of adjusting the Minimum Income Floor (MIF). Relaxing or removing the MIF risks trapping customers indefinitely in very low-earning self-employment and dependency on the welfare system - a situation that is unfair to the taxpayer, and unhelpful for customers and their families.
We are working with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) to ensure a smooth transition from the old legacy benefits to Universal Credit, as well as providing transitional protection when applicable.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many veterans have been identified as Universal Credit claimants since the introduction of the new DWP marker.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) started collecting data on the Armed Forces status of Universal Credit (UC) claimants in Great Britain (GB) in April 2021. At first only new claimants were asked about their Armed Forces status. From June 2021 onwards, other UC claimants reporting changes in their work and earnings have also been able to report their status. From July 2021 onwards, UC agents have also been able to record claimants’ Armed Forces status if they are told about this via other means such as journal messages, face-to-face meetings or by telephone.
It should be noted that Armed forces status is self-reported by claimants and is not verified by the Ministry of Defence or Office for Veterans’ Affairs. A claimant’s status can be recorded as “currently serving”, “served in the past”, “not served” or “prefer not to say”.
By 14th March 2024, an armed forces status of “served in the past” had been recorded for approximately 110,000 claimants with UC claims for which a statement had been generated. This figure includes some people who are no longer on the UC caseload, some who had a nil payment claim and some who subsequently reported a different armed forces status, e.g. “currently serving”. It should be noted that the available data does not allow a comprehensive estimate of the total number of UC claimants who are, or have been, veterans.
Notes:
1. The figure provided is for Great Britain. Data is not collected on the Armed Forces status of UC claimants in Northern Ireland.
2. The figure provided has been rounded to the nearest ten thousand.
Written Evidence Apr. 25 2024
Inquiry: Devolution of employment supportFound: for Work and Pensions (DWP) programmes. oPerformed well compared with other DWP provision.
Written Evidence Apr. 25 2024
Inquiry: Devolution of employment supportFound: DES0025 - Devolution of employment support Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and South Yorkshire
Written Evidence Apr. 25 2024
Inquiry: Devolution of employment supportFound: currently contracted by DWP [the Department for Work and Pensions].”
Mentions:
1: Robert Buckland (Con - South Swindon) my thanks to Stephen Lismore and the team of civil servants in the Department for Work and Pensions, - Speech Link
2: Robert Buckland (Con - South Swindon) If the adjustment passport and the Access to Work Plus pilots being run by Department for Work and Pensions - Speech Link
3: Stephen Timms (Lab - East Ham) and Pensions Committee called unanimously, on a cross-party basis, for that target to be reinstated. - Speech Link
4: Mims Davies (Con - Mid Sussex) The design we are working on for universal support and engagement with the Department for Education, - Speech Link
5: Robert Buckland (Con - South Swindon) the sort of approach that I have presaged in my speech and which the Chair of the Work and Pensions - Speech Link
Correspondence Apr. 24 2024
Committee: Work and Pensions Committee (Department: Department for Work and Pensions)Found: Correspondence with DWP officials relating to Universal Credit managed migration readiness criteria Correspondence
Correspondence Apr. 24 2024
Committee: Work and Pensions Committee (Department: Department for Work and Pensions)Found: Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP Chair, Work and Pensions Select Committee House of Commons
Found: Preparations to extend early years entitlement for working parents in England