Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on how they support veterans at risk of homelessness.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
DLUHC Ministers and officials engage regularly with their counterparts in the devolved administrations to discuss a range of issues, including tackling all forms of homelessness.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what financial support his Department is providing to help veterans with the cost of living.
Answered by Johnny Mercer - Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
This Government has successfully reduced inflation by more than half, which will make the cost of living more affordable for veterans along with every other resident in the UK. We’re also getting support directly to those who need it, with the £104 billion Cost of Living package worth an average £3,800 per household.
Veterans’ employment is at an all-time high, with 89% of those leaving service finding employment within six months, but we're determined to go further. That is why we recently launched OP PROSPER, our dedicated employment pathway for veterans, alongside introducing a 12-month National Insurance relief to eligible employers recruiting veterans in their first civilian role after service.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many veterans received the Council Tax Reduction in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Simon Hoare - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The information requested is not held centrally.
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, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the number of veterans living in garrison towns that claim (a) PIP and (b) Universal Credit.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As the hon. Member is aware, the department already collects information on those members of the armed forces community, including veterans, receiving Universal Credit. This information is not required and is provided voluntarily by the claimants.
On Personal Independence Payment, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 March 2024 to question UIN 16600.
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 received Housing Benefit in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
As previously stated, veteran status is supplied voluntarily by claimants therefore the information requested is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many veterans were on social housing waiting lists in 2022-23.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The department does not collect this data centrally.
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 received Carer’s Allowance in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not collected and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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, whether his Department is taking steps to reduce the number of veterans receiving PIP.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is intended to provide a contribution towards the extra costs of people with long-term health conditions and disabilities and is available irrespective of their past or current employment. The benefit is non means–tested, non-contributory and thus paid regardless of any income or savings. It can be paid at one of eight rates depending on the level of the individual’s needs.
Entitlement to PIP is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Individuals can be affected in different ways by the same condition and so the outcome of a PIP claim depends very much on individual circumstances. Where a claimant’s needs change they may see a higher or lower award or lose entitlement altogether.
As PIP is needs-based and paid in the terms outlined above, we have no initiatives which are targeted at veterans.
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 were PIP claimants in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The information requested is not collected and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by The Earl of Minto on 19 March (HL3052), to what extent they take into account (1) the age of nuclear test veterans, and (2) the public interest, when prioritising ministerial diary engagements.
Answered by Earl of Minto - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We are grateful to all Service personnel who participated in the British nuclear testing programme and contributed to keeping our nation secure. Ministerial diaries are prioritised across a broad range of issues in accordance with departmental need and parliamentary engagements.