Results 2381–2400 of 4713 for speaker:Alok Sharma

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Universal Credit: Domestic Violence ( 2 Jul 2018)

Alok Sharma: We do not require formal disclosure of abuse to establish split payments for Universal Credit claimants, and we do not ask for any evidence relating to the abuse. An individual can be accompanied by a representative from a third party organisation to provide expert support when disclosing domestic abuse to a work coach. All personal information is treated in confidence, and we do not disclose...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Department for Work and Pensions: Training ( 2 Jul 2018)

Alok Sharma: In April 2018 we updated our Universal Credit learning products to include additional information on domestic abuse, covering physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, and financial abuse, and controlling and coercive behaviour. These products are regularly reviewed. Our jobcentre staff undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Universal Credit ( 2 Jul 2018)

Alok Sharma: We have always said that there will be transitional protection for those claimants with existing premiums whose overall Universal Credit entitlement would be less than under the old system, provided that their circumstances remain the same. We are bringing forward regulations in the Autumn which make provision for this and we have recently announced that we will introduce additional...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Universal Credit ( 2 Jul 2018)

Alok Sharma: The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Social Security Benefits: Undocumented Migrants (29 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: The Department has regular discussions with other Government Departments in the context of ensuring that the benefit system is fair to British citizens, those who settle here and those who migrate to the UK. DWP officials work closely with the Home Office and other Government bodies to help individuals to confirm their residency in the UK and ensure that they receive the support to which they...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Universal Credit: Domestic Violence (29 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: In supporting victims of domestic violence, DWP offers a range of support open to survivors and those still experiencing domestic abuse. Jobcentre staff delivering Universal Credit undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants. Specific training and guidance is provided for...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Social Security Benefits: Children (29 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: The policy to provide additional Universal Credit support for a maximum of two children encourages families who receive benefits to make the same financial decisions as those families who support themselves solely through work. Exceptions are an important part of the policy and we have always been clear they will be delivered in the most effective, compassionate way, with the right...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Social Security Benefits: Disqualification (28 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: The Department has not made a direct comparative assessment. Sanctions are only used in a minority of cases, when people fail to meet their conditionality requirements without good reason. When a sanction is applied, hardship payments are available as a safeguard if a claimant demonstrates that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs, including accommodation, heating, food...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Children: Day Care (28 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: DWP continues to make changes to improve the Universal Credit experience for claimants and ensure that up front childcare costs do not have a financial effect on Universal Credit households with a low income. For example, we have introduced measures to reduce the waiting time for the reimbursement of upfront childcare costs. Since February 2018, Universal Credit claimants have been able to...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Unemployment: Dudley (28 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: The level of unemployment in Dudley, using the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Annual Population Survey (APS), was estimated to be 8,300 in the year to December 2017. The unemployment rate was 5.6%, in the year to December 2017, and is estimated to have fallen by almost half (46%) since the year ending December 2010. Data from the ONS Labour Force Survey shows that since the 2010...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Unemployment: Dudley (28 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: In addition to national initiatives available such as the Work and Health Programme and the Enhanced Support Offer, there are currently 67 local partners available to support unemployed people in Dudley. These are in a variety of sectors and include educational, voluntary and charitable organisations. We also support employers with their redundancy programmes. To date in 2018, support has...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Unemployment: Dudley (28 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: Since February 2018, over £100,000 of flexible support funding has been used to support unemployed people in Dudley. Additional support can also be allocated to purchase training for customers either on an individual basis or for groups of customers with similar needs at a local level. Funding from national programmes such as the New Enterprise Allowance, Specialist Employability Support...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Unemployed People: Voluntary Work (28 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: A volunteer is defined as a person: 1. who is engaged in voluntary work for someone who is not a relative; and 2. where the only payment that person receives or is due to be paid to that person is in respect of expenses they have reasonably incurred in connection with that work. Source: Advice for Decision Makers Guide (Chapter R2) -...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Universal Credit: Scotland (28 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: We continue to work closely with the Scottish Government on the transfer of welfare powers covered by the Scotland Act 2016, including split payments, on which we hope to see progress. As this is currently the subject of on-going policy development between DWP and the Scottish Government, the Department is not in a position to share correspondence.

Written Ministerial Statements — Department for Work and Pensions: Jobseeker’s (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013 (28 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: I am today laying a proposed draft Remedial Order to amend the Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013. The proposed draft Remedial Order ensures the right to a fair hearing for a small group of job seekers who had a live appeal against a sanction decision made under the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Employment, Skills and Enterprise Schemes) Regulations 2011 (“the ESE Regulations”) when...

Written Ministerial Statements — Department for Work and Pensions: Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) 21st June 2018, Luxembourg (28 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council met on the 21th June 2018 in Luxembourg. The Deputy Permanent Representative to the European Union, Katrina Williams, represented the UK. Three legislative proposals achieved general approach at the Council. These were the proposed Revision of Regulations on coordination of social security systems (883/04 and 987/09); the...

Previous Business – Commons: Select Committee ()

Work and Pensions: Benefit Sanctions. 9:30 am; The Wilson Room, Portcullis House
Witnesses: Alok Sharma MP, Minister of State for Employment, Department of Work and Pensions Neil Couling CBE, Director Universal Credit Programme Iain Walsh, Director of Labour Market Strategy & International Affairs Colin Stewart, Universal Credit Operations Area Director (North)

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Universal Credit (26 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: Through our Universal Support programme, the Department provides support for claimants with budgeting, or with using digital services. Support is delivered through local partners, and we also work with a range of stakeholders to ensure claimants can access other forms of support including housing, debt advice, low energy tariffs and passported benefits. We also have a freephone helpline...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Universal Credit (26 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: Interviews for the Universal Credit Full Service survey were conducted with claimants between March 2017 and September 2017. Since then, in response to evidence and feedback, DWP continues to make changes to improve the experience to claimants. For example, since 28th February 2018, Universal Credit claimants have been able to upload digital copies of their childcare cost receipts or...

Written Answers — Department for Work and Pensions: Universal Credit: Blackburn (26 Jun 2018)

Alok Sharma: The Department’s data on Universal Credit payment timeliness is not currently available for publication by area or region. Our latest research shows that nationally, around 80% of new claims are paid in full and on time. The Department’s internal data shows that for those cases where full payment has not been made, around a sixth have not signed their Claimant Commitment or passed...


Create an alert

Advanced search

Find this exact word or phrase

You can also do this from the main search box by putting exact words in quotes: like "cycling" or "hutton report"

By default, we show words related to your search term, like “cycle” and “cycles” in a search for cycling. Putting the word in quotes, like "cycling", will stop this.

Excluding these words

You can also do this from the main search box by putting a minus sign before words you don’t want: like hunting -fox

We also support a bunch of boolean search modifiers, like AND and NEAR, for precise searching.

Date range

to

You can give a start date, an end date, or both to restrict results to a particular date range. A missing end date implies the current date, and a missing start date implies the oldest date we have in the system. Dates can be entered in any format you wish, e.g. 3rd March 2007 or 17/10/1989

Person

Enter a name here to restrict results to contributions only by that person.

Section

Restrict results to a particular parliament or assembly that we cover (e.g. the Scottish Parliament), or a particular type of data within an institution, such as Commons Written Answers.

Column

If you know the actual Hansard column number of the information you are interested in (perhaps you’re looking up a paper reference), you can restrict results to that; you can also use column:123 in the main search box.