Mel Stride MP: written questions
129 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Winter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10685More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she made a request to the Social Security Advisory Committee to expedite their consideration of the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payments Regulations 2024 before she invoked the urgency provision.
Answer: The urgency procedure was invoked as a means of making the necessary Exchequer savings in the current financial year, as the Regulations needed to come into force on 16 September 2024 (in time for the qualifying week for Winter Fuel Payments this winter)....
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordMembers: CorrespondenceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10684More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the letter from the Chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee entitled The Social Fund Winter Fuel Payments Regulations 2024: letter to the Secretary of State for Work
Answer: We welcome the observations and recommendations in the letter from the chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee, and the decision not to take the Regulations on formal reference. The Secretary of State replied to the SSAC letter and recommendations...
Answered 13 Nov 2024
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10683More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the local government (a) area and (b) ward of individual pensioners who (i) are and (ii) are not in receipt of Pension Credit.
Answer: The department holds information on individual pensioners who do claim Pension Credit broken down geographically by ward, Local Authority, region, country, and also Westminster Parliamentary Constituencies 2010 and 2024. The department does not hold infor...
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 23 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 10682More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department provides information to local authorities on local residents who are (a) above State Pension age and (b) (i) eligible for and (ii) claiming Pension Credit.
Answer: The Department already shares extensive data with local authorities for a variety of purposes. Local authorities have access to DWP data about households in receipt of DWP benefits, including people over State Pension age which includes those receiving Pe...
Answered 29 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordAccess to Work ProgrammeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9705More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to make changes to the Access to Work scheme.
Answer: The Access to Work Scheme provides grant funding for disabled people, and those with a health condition, who are in or about to start work. The grant supports with workplace adjustments that go beyond what would normally be expected from an employer throu...
Answered 23 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordPersonal Independence PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9704More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 6515 on Social Security Benefits: Disability, what steps she plans to take to reform Personal Independence Payments; and what assessment she has mad
Answer: We will be considering our own response to social security in due course, informed by a range of evidence. This Government is committed to championing the rights of disabled people and to the principle of working with them, so that their views and voices ...
Answered 25 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: Disability and HealthDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to implement the policy paper entitled Transforming Support: The Health and Disability White Paper, published on 15 March 2023.
Answer: This government is committed to breaking down the barriers to opportunity for disabled people and people with health conditions, improving our employment and health support offer and tackling rising levels of economic inactivity. We will replace or reform...
Answered 23 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordWork Capability AssessmentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9702More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to implement the changes to the Work Capability Assessment that were announced at the Autumn Statement 2023.
Answer: Labour’s manifesto is clear that we intend to reform the Work Capability Assessment alongside a proper plan to support disabled people to work. We will say more about these plans in the months ahead, including genuine employment support for disabled peopl...
Answered 23 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordSocial Security Benefits: EmploymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9701More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the press notice entitled New Chance to Work Guarantee will remove barriers to work for millions, published on 22 November 2023, what her Department's (a) planned timetable is bringing
Answer: We are committed to delivering on our manifesto pledge to give disabled people the confidence to start working without the fear of an immediate benefit reassessment if it does not work out. We will set out plans for this in due course.
Answered 23 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9700More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Responses to Freedom of Information requests on Equality Impact Assessments produced for targeting Winter Fuel Payment, published on 13 September 2024, for what reason the assessme
Answer: The assessments undertaken by the Department and HM Treasury do not contradict each other. They are on a different basis. HM Treasury analysis is based on Census 2011 data and compares pensioners to the non-pensioner population. Whereas the Department’s a...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordUniversal Support: FinanceDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9699More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding has been allocated to the Universal Support programme for each financial year from 2023-24 onward, broken down by local authority area.
Answer: Universal Support money has been allocated to a new Supported Employment Programme. Figures from the most recent Business Case approved by HMT in October 2024 show a total spend of c.£1.4bn from 2023/24 to 29/30. However funding beyond the current spendin...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordUniversal SupportDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress she has made on the roll-out of the Universal Support Programme.
Answer: My Department continues to work in collaboration with local areas to support their development and delivery of the new employment support programme, shaped around local services and priorities. The programme will primarily help economically inactive disab...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordMedical Certificates and WorkwellDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Oct 2024AnsweredUIN 9697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress she has made on (a) rolling out the WorkWell programme and (b) implementing (i) trailblazers and (ii) other reforms to the fit note process.
Answer: The WorkWell pilot areas began to go live from October 1st. The majority of the 15 pilot areas are now taking referrals, with the remaining areas expected to begin over the coming weeks. We launched a Call for Evidence to seek views on how the current fit...
Answered 22 Oct 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4195More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 12 August 2024, to Question HL421 on Employment, whether a strengthened equality impact assessment has been produced for the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024.
Answer: An equality analysis was produced as part of the Government’s decision-making process in line with the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duties.
Answered 12 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4194More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024, whether (a) a regulatory impact assessment, (b) an equality impact assessment, (c) an environmental principles assessment and (d)
Answer: A regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this legislation because the effect is on individuals and private households rather than businesses or voluntary sector organisations. A Family Test assessment, an environmental principles assessmen...
Answered 12 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 4 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 4193More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Explanatory Memorandum on the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024, what was the (a) evidential basis was and (b) methodological process used to ascertain there will be
Answer: A full Impact Assessment has not been prepared for the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024 because there is no significant new impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies beyond their existing obligations, because they are out of scope ...
Answered 12 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordPensionersCabinet OfficeTabled 3 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 3966More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) people are and (b) households include someone above State Pension age in each parliamentary constituency.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman Parliamentary Question of (03/09) is attached.
Answered 11 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 3965More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) people and (b) households are (i) in receipt of and (ii) entitled to Pension Credit in each parliamentary constituency.
Answer: Statistics showing how many households are in receipt of Pension credit in each Parliamentary constituency can be obtained from the published data on Stat Xplore here: Pension Credit – Data from May 2018. Please note that the published Pension Credit figu...
Answered 11 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 3964More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people previously entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment in winter 2024-25 will not receive one due to the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024.
Answer: Around an estimated 10 million people in Great Britain previously entitled to Winter Fuel Payment will not receive it due to the policy reform. These are based on the 22/23 Winter Fuel Payment statistics and Feb-24 Pension Credit statistics (sources shown...
Answered 12 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordPensioners: Household Support FundDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 3963More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) data and (b) other information her Department provides to local authorities to identify pensioner households which could be eligible for support from the Household Support Fund.
Answer: DWP provides Authorities with a variety of data to assist in the identification of vulnerable pensioner households, which they may use in their targeting of the Household Support Fund. This includes, but is not limited to:the National Insurance number, na...
Answered 10 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 3962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the (a) proportion and (b) value of savings from limiting entitlement to Winter Fuel Payments by pensioner income decile.
Answer: Pension Credit recipients can be used as an indicator of those pensioners who will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments following the change to Winter Fuel Payment entitlement. Information on pensioners’ income bands based on whether they are in receipt o...
Answered 11 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 3961More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners receive the State Pension as their only income and are not (a) in receipt of and (b) eligible for Pension Credit.
Answer: The number of pensioners in receipt of state pension only is too small for robust analysis. Any pensioners in receipt of low amounts of State Pension would likely be eligible for other state support, subject to their individual financial and personal circ...
Answered 11 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 3960More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of pensioners have an annual State Pension income which exceeds the income threshold for eligibility for the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit; and what estimate sh
Answer: The income threshold for eligibility for the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit is dependent on personal circumstances. Therefore it is not possible to produce a robust estimate of how many pensioners exceed this due to State Pension income.
Answered 11 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentTreasuryTabled 3 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 3959More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to p.9 of the policy document entitled Fixing the Foundations, published on 29 July 2024, what discussions her Department had with the Office for Budget Responsibility before estimating the savings to
Answer: The Chancellor’s statement of 29 July made hard choices to reduce immediate spending pressures . It was not a fiscal event and was not accompanied by an economic and fiscal forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The Chancellor commissio...
Answered 10 Sept 2024
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 3 Sept 2024AnsweredUIN 3958More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Table 2 of the policy paper published on 29 July 2024 entitled Fixing the foundations: public spending audit 2024-25, whether the savings from targeting Winter Fuel Payments at recipie
Answer: The savings were estimated in Fixing the Foundations as Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) Winter Fuel Payments (WFP) savings of £1.4bn, for 2024/2025, for Great Britain. These included an assumption about increased take-up of Pension Credit which is in l...
Answered 9 Sept 2024
Original Parliament record
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