Latest news with #WorkandPensions
Wales Online
a day ago
- Business
- Wales Online
DWP confirms the amount in bank accounts that could set off checks
DWP confirms the amount in bank accounts that could set off checks The Department for Work and Pensions said it would start clawing back the benefit from anyone with between £6,000 and £16,000 in savings - and that bank account checks would be carried out Individuals with more than £6,000 in their bank accounts have been cautioned that checks will be conducted on their accounts if they are receiving Universal Credit. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will begin withdrawing the benefit from those with savings between £6,000 and £16,000. To qualify for DWP benefits, claimants typically cannot have more than £16,000 in savings or investments. New checks will be implemented to prevent system abuse. Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, previously said: "We are turning off the tap to criminals who cheat the system and steal law-abiding taxpayers' money. "This means greater consequences for fraudsters who cheat and evade the system, including as a last resort in the most serious cases removing their driving licence. "Backed up by new and important safeguards including reporting mechanisms and independent oversight to ensure the powers are used proportionately and safely." Government rules for Universal Credit eligibility specify that claimants, whether single or living with a partner, must typically have no more than £16,000 in money, savings, and investments. If an individual has between £6,000 and £16,000, their Universal Credit payments will be reduced. For individuals with savings exceeding £6,000, their payments will be incrementally reduced. For every £250 held between £6,000 and £16,000, payments will be cut by £4.35. An additional £4.35 is deducted for any remaining sum that does not amount to a full £250. This approach is based on the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) assumption that each £250 in a person's bank account can generate a monthly income of £4.35. Therefore, if someone has £6,500 in savings, £6,000 will be disregarded, and the remaining £500 will be considered as providing a monthly income of £8.70. This sum is then subtracted from your monthly Universal Credit payment, according to Birmingham Live. For those receiving Job Seekers Allowance or income-related ESA, £1 per week will be deducted from their benefits for every £250 (or part thereof) in savings above £6,000. The same rule applies to income support and housing benefit recipients. These benefits are typically deposited into accounts fortnightly. Recently the DWP provided an update on its intention to scrutinise the bank accounts of benefits claimants. The Labour Party's Fraud, Error and Debt Bill is currently progressing through Parliament and is expected to be enacted later this year. One of these new and contentious powers will allow the DWP to examine the bank accounts of those suspected of having more funds than they declare and to recoup benefit debts. Another provision would enable the department to suspend driving licences. Article continues below The bill received its first reading in the House of Lords in May and an amendment to it was rejected.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
DWP update shows PIP conditions most at risk of benefit cuts
A new DWP analysis has shown which conditions could be the most likely to have claimants who will not qualify under the new PIP eligibility criteria New DWP analysis shows the conditions set to be most likely to have claimants who will not qualify under the new Personal Independence Payments changes. The PIP reforms are set to be implemented in November 2026. With the current Department for Work and Pensions rules, applicants must score at least eight points across 10 questions in the daily living assessment to claim PIP. Under the proposed changes in Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall's welfare reforms, claimants will also need to achieve a minimum of four points in any single question. The latest DWP figures reveal how many current benefit recipients would not meet this requirement, categorised based on what condition they are claiming the benefit for. A total of 79% of people claiming for back pain scored fewer than four points in a single question during their assessment. Similarly, 71% of individuals with chronic pain syndromes would not meet the new criteria. A total of 62% of people with cardiovascular diseases and 55% of those with respiratory diseases could also potentially lose their benefit, according to the Daily Record. The other main condition groups and the number of claimants that do not meet the four-point requirement revealed in the DWP figures include: Regional Musculoskeletal Diseases - 71% Multiple Sclerosis and Neuropathic Diseases - 48% All other conditions - 46% Other neurological diseases - 36% Cerebrovascular diseases - 34% Cancer - 33% Epilepsy - 30% Other psychiatric disorders - 28% Cerebral Palsy and Neurological Muscular Diseases - 24% Psychotic disorders - 23% ADHD/ADD - 19% Autism spectrum disorders - 6% Learning disabilities - 3% Arthritis - 6% The 'all other conditions' category includes ailments that make up a small proportion of PIP claims. For example, visual diseases, skin disease, hearing disorders and autoimmune diseases. Kendall's welfare reform will only impact the daily living component of PIP, officials say. The mobility element, which provides £29.20 for the standard rate and £77.05 for the enhanced rate, is expected to remain unchanged under the reforms. The daily living component does offer higher weekly amounts, at £73.90 for the standard rate and £110.40 for the enhanced rate. Currently, to qualify for the standard rate you need to accumulate a total of eight points in the assessment, and 12 or more to receive the enhanced rate. The assessment concentrates on how safely, effectively and quickly you can perform certain tasks, scoring you based on how much assistance or equipment you require to complete it. The 10 tasks and their maximum available points are as follows: Preparing food - 8 Taking medication - 10 Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition - 8 Washing and bathing - 8 Managing toilet needs or incontinence - 8 Dressing and undressing - 8 Communicating verbally - 12 Reading and understanding symbols and words - 8 Engaging with other people face to face - 8 Making budgeting decisions - 6
South Wales Guardian
6 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Government ‘not going to rule anything out' amid benefit cap pressure
Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have been under pressure to axe the system which restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. The Government's child poverty strategy, which was due to be published in the spring, is now set to come in the autumn so it can be aligned with the Chancellor's budget. Asked if she would scrap the cap, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson – who is leading the Government's child poverty task force alongside the Work and Pensions Secretary – told BBC Breakfast: 'We're certainly looking at it as part of the task force. 'As I say, nothing's off the table but this is not straightforward, the costs are high.' The Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Tuesday that the Government is 'absolutely committed to tackling child poverty'. He later added: 'We've been very clear that we're not going to rule anything out when it comes to tacking child poverty, and the ministerial task force is considering all available levers to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy.' The spokesman said that he would not speculate on the measures that could be included in their plans. Ms Phillipson also told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she has had conversations with charities and others who are campaigning for change on the issues and added: 'What I've said to them is that we hear them. 'We want to make this change happen, and it will be the moral mission of this Labour Government to ensure that fewer children grow up in poverty, and that where you're from does not determine everything that you can go on to achieve in life.' Asked if the Prime Minster endorsed her words, his spokesman told reporters: 'Of course, the Secretary of State is speaking for the Government.' The two-child cap or limit was first announced in 2015 by the Conservatives and came into effect in 2017. It restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. Organisations working in the sector have argued that 109 children across the UK are pulled into poverty by the policy every day. Katie Schmuecker, the principal policy adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said on Tuesday: 'To make sure child poverty falls during this Parliament, the Government must remove the two-child limit. 'With concern about hardship and the cost of living being so high, this would show ministers are serious about making a difference to the lives of low-income families. 'It is the most cost-effective way to lower child poverty.'
North Wales Chronicle
6 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Government ‘not going to rule anything out' amid benefit cap pressure
Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have been under pressure to axe the system which restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. The Government's child poverty strategy, which was due to be published in the spring, is now set to come in the autumn so it can be aligned with the Chancellor's budget. Asked if she would scrap the cap, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson – who is leading the Government's child poverty task force alongside the Work and Pensions Secretary – told BBC Breakfast: 'We're certainly looking at it as part of the task force. 'As I say, nothing's off the table but this is not straightforward, the costs are high.' The Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Tuesday that the Government is 'absolutely committed to tackling child poverty'. He later added: 'We've been very clear that we're not going to rule anything out when it comes to tacking child poverty, and the ministerial task force is considering all available levers to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy.' The spokesman said that he would not speculate on the measures that could be included in their plans. Ms Phillipson also told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she has had conversations with charities and others who are campaigning for change on the issues and added: 'What I've said to them is that we hear them. 'We want to make this change happen, and it will be the moral mission of this Labour Government to ensure that fewer children grow up in poverty, and that where you're from does not determine everything that you can go on to achieve in life.' Asked if the Prime Minster endorsed her words, his spokesman told reporters: 'Of course, the Secretary of State is speaking for the Government.' The two-child cap or limit was first announced in 2015 by the Conservatives and came into effect in 2017. It restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. Organisations working in the sector have argued that 109 children across the UK are pulled into poverty by the policy every day. Katie Schmuecker, the principal policy adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said on Tuesday: 'To make sure child poverty falls during this Parliament, the Government must remove the two-child limit. 'With concern about hardship and the cost of living being so high, this would show ministers are serious about making a difference to the lives of low-income families. 'It is the most cost-effective way to lower child poverty.'
Powys County Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Government ‘not going to rule anything out' amid benefit cap pressure
Ministers are 'not going to rule anything out when it comes to tackling child poverty', Downing Street has said, after the Education Secretary suggested that scrapping the two-child benefit cap is 'not off the table'. Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have been under pressure to axe the system which restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. The Government's child poverty strategy, which was due to be published in the spring, is now set to come in the autumn so it can be aligned with the Chancellor's budget. Asked if she would scrap the cap, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson – who is leading the Government's child poverty task force alongside the Work and Pensions Secretary – told BBC Breakfast: 'We're certainly looking at it as part of the task force. 'As I say, nothing's off the table but this is not straightforward, the costs are high.' The Prime Minister's official spokesman said on Tuesday that the Government is 'absolutely committed to tackling child poverty'. He later added: 'We've been very clear that we're not going to rule anything out when it comes to tacking child poverty, and the ministerial task force is considering all available levers to give every child the best start in life as part of our strategy.' The spokesman said that he would not speculate on the measures that could be included in their plans. Ms Phillipson also told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she has had conversations with charities and others who are campaigning for change on the issues and added: 'What I've said to them is that we hear them. 'We want to make this change happen, and it will be the moral mission of this Labour Government to ensure that fewer children grow up in poverty, and that where you're from does not determine everything that you can go on to achieve in life.' Asked if the Prime Minster endorsed her words, his spokesman told reporters: 'Of course, the Secretary of State is speaking for the Government.' The two-child cap or limit was first announced in 2015 by the Conservatives and came into effect in 2017. It restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. Organisations working in the sector have argued that 109 children across the UK are pulled into poverty by the policy every day. Katie Schmuecker, the principal policy adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said on Tuesday: 'To make sure child poverty falls during this Parliament, the Government must remove the two-child limit. 'With concern about hardship and the cost of living being so high, this would show ministers are serious about making a difference to the lives of low-income families. 'It is the most cost-effective way to lower child poverty.'
