Every parliamentary written question tabled by Patricia Ferguson this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–15 of 15 · Department for Work and Pensions
What steps he is taking to reduce the potential impact of the time taken for his Department to make decisions on the finances of applicants.
The department endeavours to process new claims for benefits and changes of circumstances as quickly as possible after customers have provided all relevant information and evidence relating to their claim.
What progress his Department has made on reducing the time taken for Access to Work applications to be allocated to a case manager.
As set out in the Green Paper, we are reforming Access to Work to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people into and on in work. We are committed to reducing waiting times for claims to the Access to Work Scheme. We also prioritise customers starting a job in four weeks. To support our customers several measures have already been put in place, including streamlining our delivery processes and recruiting additional staff.
What priority his Department gives to responding to MPs' enquiries.
The Department treats enquiries from Members of Parliament as a high priority and has issued clear guidance to staff members.We are committed to improving response times and have taken a number of steps, such as deploying additional resource, to improve the timeliness of responses to MP enquiries. The Department has also published guidance on the W4MP website to ensure MP offices have clear visibility of appropriate contact numbers for each DWP benefit product line.Data on responses to correspondence from MPs is regularly published and can be found here: Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and peers - GOV.UK
What steps he is taking to reduce the length of time taken by his Department to resolve MPs' enquiries.
The Department treats enquiries from Members of Parliament as a high priority and has issued clear guidance to staff members.We are committed to improving response times and have taken a number of steps, such as deploying additional resource, to improve the timeliness of responses to MP enquiries. The Department has also published guidance on the W4MP website to ensure MP offices have clear visibility of appropriate contact numbers for each DWP benefit product line.Data on responses to correspondence from MPs is regularly published and can be found here: Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and peers - GOV.UK
What steps he is taking to monitor the (a) number of, (b) time taken to respond to and (c) urgency of MPs' enquiries to his Department.
The Department treats enquiries from Members of Parliament as a high priority and has issued clear guidance to staff members.We are committed to improving response times and have taken a number of steps, such as deploying additional resource, to improve the timeliness of responses to MP enquiries. The Department has also published guidance on the W4MP website to ensure MP offices have clear visibility of appropriate contact numbers for each DWP benefit product line.Data on responses to correspondence from MPs is regularly published and can be found here: Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and peers - GOV.UK
Whether his Department has issued guidance to staff on the timeframe in which they should respond to MP enquiries.
The Department treats enquiries from Members of Parliament as a high priority and has issued clear guidance to staff members.We are committed to improving response times and have taken a number of steps, such as deploying additional resource, to improve the timeliness of responses to MP enquiries. The Department has also published guidance on the W4MP website to ensure MP offices have clear visibility of appropriate contact numbers for each DWP benefit product line.Data on responses to correspondence from MPs is regularly published and can be found here: Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and peers - GOV.UK
What the average time taken was for his Department to resolve MPs' enquiries in the last year.
The Department treats enquiries from Members of Parliament as a high priority and has issued clear guidance to staff members.We are committed to improving response times and have taken a number of steps, such as deploying additional resource, to improve the timeliness of responses to MP enquiries. The Department has also published guidance on the W4MP website to ensure MP offices have clear visibility of appropriate contact numbers for each DWP benefit product line.Data on responses to correspondence from MPs is regularly published and can be found here: Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and peers - GOV.UK
Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of adjusting in line with inflation the £30,000 threshold over which advice must be sought before a pension is transferred.
The Government is committed to ensuring that pension savers receive clear and essential information, and that pension transfers are conducted on an informed basis. To support this principle, individuals with pensions that include a guarantee remain required to take independent financial advice before converting their pension pot, where the value exceeds £30,000. This requirement is intended to ensure savers are made aware of valuable guarantees that could provide a secure income in retirement, before they choose to relinquish those guarantees through a transfer. The £30,000 threshold aligns to the trivial commutation rules and raising this figure could increase the risk of transfers being made without sufficient understanding. A review of the regulations conducted in 2023 identified potential concerns regarding the cost and availability of independent financial advice and the Government is keen to explore the extent of these issues. As such, the Department for Work and Pensions is working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority, the pensions industry, and His Majesty’s Treasury . We intend to consult on the outcome of this work in the coming months.
If she will review the level of the Housing Benefit disregard for young people living in supported accommodation.
It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment. The Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those living in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.Like Universal Credit, Housing Benefit has an income taper. As Housing Benefit may be claimed by those both in work and out of work, there are no rules around the number of hours that someone may work; instead, there are income tapers which apply. 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. However, the treatment of earnings in Housing Benefit is less generous than that of Universal Credit. Therefore, although customers living in Supported Housing are better off working than doing no work at all, they can be financially better off limiting the hours they work to ensure they retain a small amount of Universal Credit entitlement.Changing the current rules would require a fiscal event and funding at a Budget. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context.
If she will reduce the Housing benefit taper rate to 55% for those living in supported accommodation.
It remains the department’s priority to ensure that those who can work are supported to enter the labour market and to sustain employment. The Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those living in Supported Housing and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department will consider the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders.Like Universal Credit, Housing Benefit has an income taper. As Housing Benefit may be claimed by those both in work and out of work, there are no rules around the number of hours that someone may work; instead, there are income tapers which apply. 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. However, the treatment of earnings in Housing Benefit is less generous than that of Universal Credit. Therefore, although customers living in Supported Housing are better off working than doing no work at all, they can be financially better off limiting the hours they work to ensure they retain a small amount of Universal Credit entitlement.Changing the current rules would require a fiscal event and funding at a Budget. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context.
What discussions she has had with the Pensions Ombudsman on the adequacy of the time taken for a complaint to be allocated to an adjudicator.
I met with the Pensions Ombudsman and Chief Operating Officer to discuss the significant increase over a period of several years in complaints received; a trend that is continuing. This increase has impacted on waiting times for cases to be allocated to an adjudication specialist. In response, The Pension Ombudsman has implemented an Operating Model Review (OMR) programme. DWP are working closely with TPO to rigorously monitor the impact the OMR is having on waiting times and case allocation to adjudication specialists.
What discussions she has had with the Pensions Ombudsman on the adequacy of the time taken for complaints to be resolved.
I recently met with the Pensions Ombudsman and Chief Operating Officer to discuss performance of the organisation and significant increases in requests for The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) services. The time taken by TPO to resolve cases is dependent on several factors often external to TPO. For example, the complexity of the complaint, Ombudsman jurisdiction, and response times taken by the industry and the complainant to reply to information gathering requests from TPO. In response to these pressures, TPO have implemented an Operating Model Review (OMR) programme. DWP are working closely with TPO to rigorously monitor the impact the OMR is having on the complaint management and resolution of cases.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the time taken for Access to Work applications to be allocated to a case manager; and what steps she is taking to help reduce this waiting time.
We are committed to reducing waiting times for Access to Work and are considering the best way to deliver that for customers. We have increased the number of staff processing Access to Work claims and applications from customers who are about to start a job or who are renewing are prioritised. The Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to get Britain Working’ Green Paper was published on 18 March. Alongside the Access to Work reform proposals introduced in the Green Paper, we are considering further options to reduce the waiting time for customers
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the time taken for cases to be allocated to a case manager.
The department administers a wide range of benefits, and as such the information you have requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
What guidance her Department has issued on people requiring emergency assistance while they wait for a benefit claim to be assessed.
The Department for Work and Pensions seeks to identify individuals who have complex user needs and/or require additional support to enable them to access our benefit and services; this includes people who are vulnerable and are claiming, or need to claim, Universal Credit. We provide a tailored service that recognises those with complex needs at any point throughout their journey and aims to make appropriate support available quickly. Advances are available to ensure those who need it can receive financial support as soon as possible. Financial support is important so customers are not reliant on high-cost lenders, but may be able instead to get some of their Universal Credit early, interest free, as an advance.