The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.

Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.

The UK Government has provided extensive support to Cynon Valley. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes around 197,000 payments delivered in Cynon Valley through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic around 11,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, around £26 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and around £30 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans. The UK Government has also supported innovation within Cynon Valley with over £810,000 awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019.

In addition, Rhondda Cynon Taf, the local authority for the Cynon Valley constituency, is receiving over £45 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This is in addition to the £124,000 awarded to the CANA Resource and Training Centre in Penywaun. Cynon Valley also benefits from the £1.2 billion Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, including the £4.4 million Zip World facility near Hirwaun.

This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.

The information is provided in the attached spreadsheet, which shows the number of Universal Credit households in August 2022 who were subject to one or more deduction by each parliamentary constituency and the mean and median value of deductions by each parliamentary constituency.

Notes accompanying the data provided:

1) The number of households per constituency are rounded to the nearest 100. The mean and median value of deductions has been rounded to the nearest £1. The sum of individual constituencies may not sum to the total figure due to rounding.

2) Household level figures have been provided.

3) Deductions include advance repayments, third party deductions and all other deductions, but exclude sanctions and fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.

4) The ‘unknown' parliamentary constituency equates to 3% of all households and relates to households for which a constituency could not be determined due to incomplete postcode information.

5) August 2022 figures used in line with latest published statistics on Universal Credit Households Statistics.

6) Figures are provisional and subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.

7) The methodology used is different to those used to derive the Official Statistics Household series and therefore, figures may not be comparable.

In August 2022, there were 1,800 Universal Credit households in Cynon Valley with more than one deduction, this accounts for 29% of all households on Universal Credit in Cynon Valley. Table 1, in the attachment, shows the number of Universal Credit households with deductions by deduction type.

In August 2022, there were 3,300 Universal Credit households in Cynon Valley with one or more deductions, this accounts for 52% of all households on Universal Credit in Cynon Valley. Table 1, in the attachment, shows the number of Universal Credit households with deductions by deduction type.

In August 2022, there were 1,800 Universal Credit households in Cynon Valley with more than one deduction, this accounts for 29% of all households on Universal Credit in Cynon Valley. Table 1, in the attachment, shows the number of Universal Credit households with deductions by deduction type.

In August 2022, there were 3,300 Universal Credit households in Cynon Valley with one or more deductions, this accounts for 52% of all households on Universal Credit in Cynon Valley. Table 1, in the attachment, shows the number of Universal Credit households with deductions by deduction type.

In August 2022, the mean value of deductions to Universal Credit payments for households in Cynon Valley was £63 and the median value was £66.

Notes:

1) Monetary amounts have been rounded to the nearest £1.

2) August 2022 figures used in line with latest published statistics on Universal Credit Households Statistics.

3) Household level figures have been provided.

4) Figures are provisional and subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold data (of this type) by constituency.

As such, the information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

DWP’s fraud and error estimates for the 2021/22 financial year, which include estimates of Official Error overpayments, can be found in our annual publication – see link below.

Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold data (of this type) by constituency.

As such, the information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

DWP’s fraud and error estimates for the 2021/22 financial year, which include estimates of Official Error overpayments, can be found in our annual publication – see link below.

Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2021 to 2022 estimates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

We reduced the normal maximum rate of deductions in Universal Credit from 40% to 30% to 25% of a claimant’s Standard Allowance enabling them to retain more of the award. These changes were implemented from October 2019 to April 2021. These positive measures were put in place to support claimants to manage financial difficulties.

Protocols are in place to ensure deductions are manageable and customers can contact DWP Debt Management if they are experiencing financial hardship to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment, or a temporary suspension, depending on financial circumstances. We encourage anyone unable to afford the proposed rate of repayment to contact Debt Management - all notifications advise how to get in touch. We seek to do as much as we are able to support claimants through the recovery of their overpayments.

If a claimant is struggling financially, they can ask for the amount of certain deductions to be reconsidered. Financial hardship decisions are made for any of the following:

• benefit debts,
• Social Fund loan
• rent arrears

Benefit debts and Social Fund loans can see deductions reduced and/or deferred. As the creditor, DWP will always try to ensure that Government debt is recovered effectively without causing undue hardship.

For rent arrears, claimants can ask UC staff to exercise their discretion to fix rent arrears deductions at the lowest rate in legislation – 10% of Standard Allowance. This can be done using the Journal or by phone. However, UC staff would not agree to remove a rent arrears deduction entirely to ensure a claimant is protected from eviction.

For Universal Credit (UC), in November 2021, there were 3,100 UC households in Cynon Valley with a deduction, this accounts for 50% of UC households in Cynon Valley.

The attached spreadsheet shows the number of UC households with deductions by deduction type.

For benefits other than UC, deductions information at constituency level is not held.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

No assessment has been made.

Food banks are independent charitable organisations and there is no consistent and accurate measure of food bank usage at a constituency or national level. Throughout this pandemic, this Government has delivered an unprecedented package of support to protect jobs and businesses alongside injecting billions into the welfare system.

We take the issue of food insecurity seriously, which is why we added internationally used food security questions to the Family Resources Survey in 19/20 and published the data in March this year. Food insecurity data from the Family Resources survey for 20/21 is not yet available. Data is not collected at constituency level.

The Department collected management information on former Remploy disabled employees that gave consent to be tracked during the 18 month People Help and Support Package (PHSP). Although this package ended in August 2015, former Remploy disabled employees that continue to need support can continue to access the specialist employment support that is available for all disabled people including Work Choice and Specialist Employability Support.