Baroness Stedman-Scott: The level of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates is reviewed annually by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and a decision will be announced in due course. LHA rates were increased in April 2020 to the 30th percentile of local rents, an investment costing nearly £1 billion and providing 1.5 million households with an average of £600 more housing support than they would otherwise...
Baroness Stedman-Scott: The latest published winter fuel payment statistics for 2019/20 show that 8.2 million households in Great Britain received a winter fuel payment. The overall cost was £2bn. The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold details of individuals’ taxable income therefore we cannot calculate how much the cost of the payment would have been reduced if it had been subject to income tax (1)...
Baroness Stedman-Scott: Cold Weather Payments help vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits to meet the additional costs of heating during periods of severe cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. We keep all policies, including Cold Weather Payment, under constant review.
Baroness Stedman-Scott: No formal assessment has been made from the data. However, the Cabinet Office are leading on a cross-government exercise on inland water safety.
Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Secretary of State has a statutory annual obligation to review state pensions and benefits including Universal Credit. His review will commence following the publication of the relevant indices by the Office for National Statistics and his decisions will be announced to Parliament shortly.
Baroness Stedman-Scott: There is no consistent and accurate measure of foodbank usage at a constituency or national level, including any assessment on foodbank resilience. The Department for Work and Pensions introduced a set of questions into the Family Resources Survey (FRS) to measure and track foodbank usage in April 2021. The first results of these questions are due to be published in March 2023 subject to...
Baroness Stedman-Scott: DWP are working with DHSC to make data available by the end of 2022.
Baroness Stedman-Scott: The answer to that question is that I will need to write to the noble Baroness. She raised it in our meeting and I have asked my officials to prepare me a written answer so that I get it correct. I will write to the noble Baroness and place a copy in the Library. All noble Lords who have taken part today have asked a number of justifiable and understandable questions. I will make sure with my...
Baroness Stedman-Scott: I think I have emphasised the value of regular meetings, updating people and giving them the opportunity to advise us of things they are worried about and things that have gone wrong. I have given my word here. I know our Secretary of State—
Baroness Stedman-Scott: The noble Baroness, Lady Lister, saves the best line till last. I have no doubt that we want to take people with us; we want to know what does not work, and we want to amend it. I give noble Lords my word and the Government’s word that we will have that interface. The point the noble Baroness raises about the people who will be better off and those who will not—they will not be any worse...
Baroness Stedman-Scott: I have no intention of talking as if that is the answer and nothing will be wrong after that. I understand that it has a fixed life. Our job is to work with these people, and I understand the vulnerabilities. I understand the barriers people face when work coaches are trying to find them extra hours they can do, taking into account the things that are stopping them now. The relationship with...
Baroness Stedman-Scott: I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Sherlock, for raising this Motion, and noble Lords for their contributions. I would also like to thank representatives of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee and members of the Social Security Advisory Committee for their detailed scrutiny of these regulations and for reports relating to their assessment of the impact of these regulations. We have...
Baroness Stedman-Scott: We will set out our learnings and observations from the first phase of discovery process in due course.
Baroness Stedman-Scott: We will set out our learnings and observations from the first phase of discovery process in due course.
Baroness Stedman-Scott: There were a total of 1.2 million households in receipt of Tax Credits in April 2022 who we estimated to be in scope for Moving to UC. Of these 880,000 were in receipt of Child Tax Credits. We do not have a current estimate of how many children were living in those families at that time.
Baroness Stedman-Scott: The Minister for Equalities’ role represents all aspects of the women and equalities portfolio in Cabinet. The portfolio has not changed and includes all areas of his predecessor’s portfolio. This was confirmed by the Prime Minister’s spokesperson shortly after the appointment of the Minister for Equalities and has been reflected on GOV.UK. The Cabinet role will be supported by the...
Baroness Stedman-Scott: I do not know when an impact assessment will be available, but I am sure one will be. On the whole question of having “women” in the title, the designation of job titles is way above my pay grade. I cover all aspects of the portfolio in the Lords, and I would rather be defined by what we do and not what we are called.
Baroness Stedman-Scott: I will be very happy to take it up.
Baroness Stedman-Scott: I think that is a very important intervention and the noble Baroness can see from the House’s response that people agree with it. I have my first meeting with Nadhim Zahawi next week and I will put that on the agenda.
Baroness Stedman-Scott: One at a time, please. As far as I am concerned, I agree completely with the noble Baroness and will try to ensure that that happens.