#DWP no longer produce data for Hardship Fund – WHY? | jaynelinney
Today in daily updates from whatdotheyknow, another DWP response caught my eye, a FOI request enquiring about a statement from #Cameron re the Hardship Fund for claimant facing financial difficulties. The request asks several questions including what the Hardship fund is, the criteria for application and the number of applicants, both successful and rejected. The DWP’s response did explain what and how but… regarding the numbers, the response intrigued me:
“Data on JSA awards was last published in September 2012 which stated “the number of hardship awards made between April 2011 and March 2012 was about 64,000“; it continued with “A commitment was made to publish updated figures in May 2015 during the Work and Pensions Select Committee review of sanctions in February 2015.”
Now I may be a little cynical here but if these figures were to be published last month – Where Are They? I’ve been unable to find them, and also tried to think of reasons for a delay, but in the end could only arrive at the conclusion the DWP are hoping the data update announcement will by forgotten.
Therefore as I’d like to know just how many claims and refusals have been made for Hardship Funds since March 2012, mostly because I think its highly likely there will be substantial growth in these claims? And also because this promise to publish data in the future, has been used numerous times before, including queries regarding the number of Benefit related deaths; I’ve submitted my own FOI
Source: #DWP no longer produce data for Hardship Fund – WHY? | jaynelinney
Good on you,Mike.Something stinks in the DWP.Sounds really dysfunctional and not fit for purpose.All those shannigans and all that misery.
Thanks Mike – hoping the response does not duplicate your situation xx
Why?!
IMO the DWP are slowly dismantling the department, data has not been collected, because more than likely the IT systems that collect this and other data have been binned to make way for their bright shiny new UC systems. A lot of old DWP systems are not compatible with UC.
The DWP are hoping that UC will be the “Phoenix rising from the ashes”.
WORK TIL YOUDIE OR STARVE IF YOU CAN’T
Somewhere out in the blogosphere I came across all the hits that Universal Credit will do when (or if) it is ever nationally rolled out.
One of them are permanent sanctions to both the unemployed and part time workers.
UC will absorb working tax credits.
UC intend to change the Hardship Payments from a benefit to a recoverable loan.
The recoverable loan will be direct deductions from your future wages or benefits by court order.
So even if you got back the sancitoned benefit or got a job, you would still lose all that food money.
In effect, the Hardship Payment would be a toxic loan to burden you.
Ergo, permanent sancitons forever.
UC at the moment, in its pilot, denies payout of Pension credit, if either of a couple are below the raised retirement age. Most likely to be the wife, from the rise from 60 to 66 for women since 2013.
The flat rate pension abolishes Pension Credit (savings) forever more.
Pension Credit guarantee credit will become more complex to apply for, and even do complex means testing to over 75s.
The flat rate official forecasts for those retiring on and from 6 April next year are starting to be returned. £66 per week. £55 per week. £44 per week. £38 per week. And even £8.39 per week. After decades in work, well over the raised requirement needed of 35 years in work.
Not all those in work ever had the chance of a works and / or private pension in life.
Auto enrolment to this day still excludes the poorest paid part timers.
See end of my petition, in my WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT section, who loses out the most at:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/state-pension-at-60-now