Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the proportion of people expected to claim universal credit who have never previously used the internet.

Mr Mark Harper: Over 90% of new claims are being made on line and all of our Jobcentres have computers available for claimants to access the internet and Wi-Fi.As noted in the Government’s statement on assisted digital services in December 2013 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-approach-to-assisted-digital) people will continue to be supported in interacting with the government even if they are unable to access services online, and we offer claimants the option to claim Universal Credit via telephone or in person.

Reeves Urges Public to Back Petition Against Bedroom Tax

More than 100,000 people to date have signed a Labour Party petition against the so-called Bedroom Tax in advance of Opposition efforts to have the measure abolished if it wins a Commons vote. Rachel Reeves, shadow work and pensions secretary, has thrown down the gauntlet to LibDem MPs, urging them to vote against the under-occupation penalty following a debate that will be held in Parliament tomorrow (17 December). A largely symbolic gesture, even should it win the vote, Labour MPs nevertheless hope that a majority in favour of axing the bedroom tax will force the Government’s hand. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

Universal Credit- Parliamentary Written Answer

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether local authorities and voluntary sector partners will receive the level of additional funding and support from his Department for the introduction of universal credit that was available to pathfinders.

Mr Mark Harper: The expansion of Universal Credit during 2015 will allow us to build a secure platform for the introduction of Universal Support by mobilising local partnership agreements.To ensure the right integrated local foundations are established for expansion the Department will put in place Delivery Partnership Agreements (DPA) to make available funded support for those who need extra help.

Benefits Chaos May Cost Taxpayers £1.25BILLION as Universal Credit Bill Soars

The chaos over bringing in Universal Credit could end up costing taxpayers an extra £1.25billion. The new system is ­gradually being rolled out to merge most working age benefits into one by 2017. But its mastermind Iain Duncan Smith is dithering over how entitlements such as free school meals and cold weather payments will work with UC. The Work and Pensions Secretary must decide whether UC claimants will still be eligible for those benefits too. Shadow work and pensions ­secretary Rachel Reeves said: “The failure to decide how Universal Credit will work threatens to cost ­ £1.25billion.” Read more on the Sunday People website.

MPs Vote for Bedroom Tax Changes

MPs have voted in favour of a bill that would exempt large numbers of people from the bedroom tax. A private members bill, tabled by Liberal Democrat backbencher Andrew George would exempt tenants from the bedroom tax if they have not received a reasonable offer of alternative accommodation. MPs voted by 306 votes to 231 in favour of the bill during its second reading in the House of Commons. Rachel Reeves, shadow work and pensions secretary described the vote as ‘an important victory for all those paying today.’ Labour will now seek to amend the bill to scrap the bedroom tax entirely. The bill will now be considered in detail by a public bill committee of MPs. Read more on Inside Housing.

Clegg Must Put His Money Where His Mouth Is and Scrap Bedroom Tax

Labour will this week launch a new bid to scrap the Bedroom Tax – and are challenging Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg to help them. Senior Lib Dem Danny Alexander recently announced the party wants to persuade the Tories to axe the hated levy before next year’s election. But Shadow Work Secretary Rachel Reeves said they should work with Labour to end it now. She said: “Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander need to put their money where their mouth is.” Labour will back a Private Member’s Bill by Lib Dem MP Andrew George to axe the tax for anyone who can’t be found a smaller home. This should ensure the Bill goes to its next stage, when Labour MPs will try to amend it so they can scrap the tax altogether. Read more on the Daily Mirror website.

Bedroom Tax 'Savings' Wiped Out By Housing Benefit Fraud and Error

Housing benefit fraud and error now costs taxpayers three times more than savings from the Bedroom Tax. Iain Duncan Smith has been blamed by his Labour opposite number Rachel Reeves for the waste. She said: “Billions are poured away in housing benefit fraud while the poorest pay the cruel and unfair Bedroom Tax.” She spoke out after it was revealed DWP figures show benefit cheating and claimant mistakes are costing £1.4billion a year. At nearly six per cent of the Housing Benefit bill that’s the highest level ever. And it compares to annual savings of £480million from the bedroom tax. The DWP predicts losses will continue until Universal Credit replaces most ­benefits by 2017. Read more on the Sunday People website.

Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of universal claimants who will be self-employed once universal credit is fully rolled out.

Esther McVey: It is estimated that there will be approximately 600,000 households with at least one individual whose main employment is self-employment entitled to Universal Credit when it is fully rolled out.

Labour Will "Pause" Universal Credit If They Win Power

Rachel Reeves says that Labour will reassess its commitment to Universal Credit if it wins the next election. She told the Sunday Times that the party will pause the project for three months, and call in the National Audit Office for a "warts and all" appraisal.  "We’re not going to go in with a preconceived notion that we are going to proceed at any cost, which seems to be Iain Duncan Smith’s approach,” she added. Read more on the New Statesman website.

Cuts May Undermine Work Incentives in Universal Credit

A cross-party review of universal credit is being launched amid new evidence that funding for the project has been cut so severely that its original aim to provide incentives for people to get into work could be undermined. Technology flaws, implementation delays and Whitehall infighting have led to deep cynicism about the scheme, which is due to be fully implemented in 2017-18 covering as many as 8 million households. Many critics claim the scheme is dead, but although Labour has been fiercely critical of the way in which universal credit has been implemented, the shadow work and pensions secretary, Rachel Reeves, has not yet said she would scrap the reforms. The expert review, to be chaired by the welfare expert Nicholas Timmins, is being launched by the Resolution Foundation and will focus on structural redesigns that may be required to restore work incentives. Read more on the Resolution Foundation website.

Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many couple claims have been made for universal credit. 

Esther McVey: New claims for universal credit will be made available for couples for the first time, from this summer.

Housing Benefit Bill for Working Families Soaring By £1.1billion

The housing benefit bill for working families is set to soar by £1billion, new research reveals. Ministers have repeatedly pledged to get welfare spending under control and have announced curbs on help with rent. But the cost of subsidising tenants in homes where someone works will rise from £5.1billion this year to £6.2billion in real terms over the next four years. The figures from the House of Commons library are a damning indictment of the Government inaction, Labour’s Rachel Reeves said. Ministers have repeatedly pledged to make work pay and provide enough affordable homes but they have failed on both fronts. Read more on the Daily Mirror website.

Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect on the time taken to receive universal credit of a claimant (a) moving to live in an area where universal credit is not being piloted, (b) forming a new relationship and being re-classified as part of a couple and (c) having a child. 

Esther McVey: No estimate of this has been made. Providing the claimant reports all details of the change promptly, payment of universal credit would continue without any delay.

Nearly £500million Overpaid In Housing Benefit under Coalition

Nearly £500million housing benefit has been wrongly paid out and not recovered since the Coalition was formed, official figures show. The Government said that the "cumulative amount of outstanding housing benefit overpayments" have increased from £843million to £1.32billion between April 2010 and September 2013.Rachel Reeves, Labour’s shadow Work and Pensions secretary, said: “It’s staggering that when families are facing a cost-of-living crisis, the amount of Housing Benefit which is overpaid has gone up under David Cameron’s government to £1.3billion.”Labour also claimed that the number of government fraud investigators had fallen by five cent despite the rising figures. Read more on the Daily Telegraph website.

Universal Credit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his written statement of 5 December 2013, Official Report, columns 65-6WS, on universal credit, what budget he has allocated to the new digital service for universal credit. 

Esther McVey: Costs for the future development of the digital service remain subject to on-going commercial discussions.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on the existing universal credit pathfinder sites. 

Esther McVey: The most recent estimate of the cost of existing universal credit pathfinder sites is set out in the NAO report Universal Credit: Early progress, HC 621, published on 5 September 2013.

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the freezing of universal credit work allowances will save.

Esther McVey: Disregards in existing income based benefits are generally not uprated year on year. The £5 earnings disregard in Income Support has been at this level for at least 25 years. In universal credit, new work allowances will improve financial work incentives for many people. For example, in 2018-19, the work allowance for a single person over 25, without children, is projected to be £25.60 per week as compared to the current JSA disregard of £5 per week (2013-14 prices). The work allowance rates will be fixed for the first three years, to uprate them by 1% for those three years would lead to an additional cost in the region of £300 million in 2018-19 (2013-14 prices).

Rachel Reeves Vows to Scrap Bedroom Tax on Her First Day in Power

Rachel Reeves knows what she will do first on May 8, 2015 – scrap the Bedroom Tax. That’s the date she will walk into Iain Duncan Smith’s Whitehall office as Work and Pensions Secretary if Labour wins the election the day before. She promises: “In the first few days of a Labour government the Bedroom Tax will be gone.” That’s if IDS cannot be forced to abandon it first, she said. The pressure will be on him on Tuesday when MPs get their first chance to vote on his hated benefit money grab. A Government defeat is unlikely , but a significant rebellion would leave the tax in tatters. Read more on the Daily Mirror website.

Protests Planned To Coincide With Bedroom Tax Debate

Tenants and disabled people’s groups will be protesting at parliament next Tuesday (12 November) as MPs debate abolishing the bedroom tax. The abolition of the bedroom tax will be discussed as the Opposition Day Debate in the Main Chamber.  Individuals and groups are encouraged to write to MPs and to protest at parliament from 10am. The group also plans to discuss with Rachel Reeves, shadow minister for welfare, and other Labour MPs, at a pre-meeting in the Boothroyd Room in Portcullis House, Victoria Embankment. The protest will take place outside parliament from 11am. Read more on Inside Housing.