Every parliamentary written question tabled by Steve Darling this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 101–120 of 126 · Department for Work and Pensions
How many and what proportion of pension credit applicants were waiting for their application to be processed in the period between (a) 29 July 2024 and 17 November 2024, (b) 1 April 2024 and 28 July 202
We have provided outstanding Pension Credit claims at the date nearest to the date requested.(a) Outstanding PC claims as at end of w/c 11th November 2024 was 91,200 (including Unregistered and Advanced claims) (b) Outstanding PC claims as at end of w/c 2...
How many people are waiting for their pension credit application to be processed in each constituency.
We do not hold data requested at constituency level, however the total outstanding Pension Credit claims as at the end of week commencing 18th November 2024 was 91,075. This includes 9,343 advanced claims where the application can be started up to 4 month...
How many people in each region are experiencing delays in processing their applications for Access to Work grants.
The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including financial inclusion in the terms of reference of the Child Poverty Taskforce.
‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing our Policy’ describes the Government’s approach to developing the Child Poverty Strategy. This sets out how increasing financial resilience for low-income families is one of the four key themes where the Child Poverty T...
What steps she is taking to increase the number of eligible older people claiming (a) Pension Credit and (b) other pension-aged benefits.
Our communications campaign to promote Pension Credit has been running since September. The latest phase of the campaign takes a new approach targeting friends and family - asking them to tell people they know about Pension Credit, encourage them to check...
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the State Pension.
Our system of state, private, and workplace pensions provides the basis for security in retirement. Our commitment to increase the State Pension by the Triple Lock is helping both today’s pensioners and the pensioners of tomorrow. Over the course of this ...
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of disregarding military compensation payments when calculating pension credit eligibility and awards.
The first £10 of any War Pension payment or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded in Pension Credit. Income is calculated on a weekly basis, so the disregard is £10 per week. Four additions to the W...
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of PIP to support disabled people with the extra cost of disability.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) provides a contribution to the extra costs that may arise from a disability or health condition. There is no objective way of deciding what an adequate level of PIP should be, as everyone has different requirements refl...
What steps she is taking to support British pensioners residing overseas.
UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, based on a person’s National Insurance record, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating...
If she an estimate of the cost of providing all care leavers in England with the over 25 rate of Universal Credit.
No such estimate has been made.
If she will include bespoke support for unemployed care leavers in the Youth Guarantee.
We recognise the challenges care leavers face as they move out of the care system and are working closely with Department for Education to ensure care leavers can access the right skills, opportunities, and wider support, to move towards sustained employm...
If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of an enhanced financial support package for care leavers aged 18 to 25.
We understand the challenges care leavers face and that is why the department continues to provide additional dedicated support through a series of safeguards and easements aimed at simplifying their interaction with the benefit system. This includes supp...
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of benefits sanctions on children in the households of those sanctioned.
Our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is a key priority for this Government. The Child Poverty Taskforce has already started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in Spring 2025 and will continue to explore all available levers to d...
What assessment she has made of the impact of the stronger nudge to pensions guidance on Pension Wise guidance usage by pension savers.
The Stronger Nudge to pension guidance regulations were introduced in June 2022. In the year following this (June 2022 to May 2023) around 124,000 Pension Wise appointments were attended, and in the subsequent year (June 2023 to May 2024) around 119,000 a...
Whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the over-25 rate of universal credit to care leavers.
The Government supports care leavers by offering a series of safeguards and easements aimed at simplifying and improving their interaction with the benefit system. This includes single care leavers qualifying for the more generous one-bedroom Local Housin...
How many full-time civil servants are working on the response to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated
Work is ongoing by civil servants across grades who work both full and part-time. The Ombudsman’s report is detailed and complex. It took around 6 years to complete and the issues it considers span a period of some 30 years. It is not possible to determin...
Whether she has undertaken financial modelling for a potential compensation scheme for issues raised in the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: o
As part of our work on the Ombudsman’s investigation and report, we have been considering the costs of setting up a compensation scheme. The Ombudsman used DWP’s broad estimates in their report published 21 March 2024, stating that “Compensating all women...
If she is will hold discussions with Auditory Verbal UK on tackling barriers to opportunities for deaf children.
There are no current plans to meet. However, I note that my colleague the Minister for Early Education has met with and visited Auditory Verbal UK to understand the work they are doing to improve the lives of deaf children.
With reference to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's report into women’s State Pension age changes, published on 21 March 2024, what recent discussions she has had with the Leader of the H
In the course of conducting the business of her Department, the Secretary of State has many discussions with Cabinet colleagues. As stated on 07 October (Women’s State Pension Age: Compensation - Hansard - UK Parliament.) I am the first Minister in eight ...
What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Universal Support programme; and what steps she is taking to ensure that funding is targeted towards the areas of highest deprivation.
The Universal Support funding has supported the expansion of Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care and additional support through Work and Health Programme Pioneer. For Work and Health Programme Pioneer, between September 2023 and May 2024, the...