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1660254

registered interest
date	12/09/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Economic Situation: Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to tackle the potential impact of poor health outcomes on economic activity.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	199192
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/09/2023 answer text <p>Long-term sickness is now the most common reason for economic inactivity among the working age population. To step up our focus on tackling rising economic inactivity due to long-term sickness, we announced a further wide-reaching package at the Spring Budget to support disabled people and people with health conditions to work.</p><p> </p><p>New investment includes:</p><p>o Expanding additional work coach support, an existing programme to provide disabled people and people with health conditions with increased one-to-one personalised support from their work coach to help them move towards, and into, work.</p><p>o Introducing Universal Support, a new supported employment programme for eligible inactive people (disabled people and people with health conditions and additional barriers to employment), matching participants with open market jobs and funding support and training.</p><p>o Piloting the WorkWell Partnerships Programme to provide integrated work and health support for disabled people and people with health conditions who want help to remain in, return to, or take up, work. The programme will be locally led, bringing together the NHS, local authorities and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres.</p><p>o Launching two Occupational Health consultations – one focused on occupational health tax incentives and one on ways to boost UK occupational health coverage.</p><p>o Introducing employment advisors in Musculoskeletal Conditions (MSK) services in England, helping individuals with MSK conditions to return to, or remain in, employment.</p><p> </p><p>These initiatives build on wider announcements at the 2023 Spring Budget, including the publication of the Health and Disability White Paper and greater investment in mental health and musculoskeletal condition services which are the two leading causes of economic inactivity due to long term sickness.</p><p> </p><p>The Government already has a range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in, work. These include increasing Work Coach support in Jobcentres; Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres; the Work and Health Programme and Intensive Personalised Employment Support; Access to Work grants; Disability Confident; the Support with Employee Health and Disability Service; and work to further join up employment and health systems, including Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 19/09/2023 14:03:27 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1660256

registered interest
date	12/09/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Statutory Sick Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to increase statutory sick pay this autumn.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	199193
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2023 answer text <p>The Government has already increased Statutory Sick Pay this year as part of the annual uprating exercise in April 2023. This was in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which has been the default inflation measure for the Government’s statutory annual review of benefits since 2011.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State is required by law to undertake a review of benefits and pensions annually. This review will commence shortly and the outcome will be announced in the Autumn in the usual way.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 18/09/2023 14:38:20 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1657344

registered interest
date	01/09/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Children: Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2022 to Question 101751 on Children: Maintenance, whether his Department (a) has launched and (b) plans to launch a review into using gross income to calculate child maintenance.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	196964
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2023 answer text <p>The Government’s response to the Independent Review of CMS’s handling of domestic abuse cases announced our intentions to look again at the child maintenance calculation to ensure it is fit for purpose and fair for both parents in light of societal changes since it was last looked at. The review is ongoing, and any changes would require changes to primary legislation and will be brought forward in the usual way. Any changes will always be made according to the best interests of children.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 08/09/2023 11:21:01 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1648277

registered interest
date	27/06/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Working Age Benefits: Chronic Illnesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) increasing the rate of statutory sick pay, (b) abolishing the lower earnings limit and (c) extending the 28 weeks cap for people living with (i) cystic fibrosis and (ii) other long term conditions.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	191349
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2023 answer text <p>Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides a measure of earnings replacement to employees when they are sick or incapable of work. Employers are required to pay it at the legal minimum rate for up to 28 weeks per period of absence. Many employers decide to pay more, and for longer, through Occupational Sick Pay.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>If an individual who is suffering from a long-term health condition requires further financial support while off work sick, for example, where their income is reduced while on Statutory Sick Pay, they may be able to claim Universal Credit depending on their personal circumstances. Where they are not eligible, for example, because they earn below the Lower Earnings Limit, they may also be able to claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 03/07/2023 10:37:24 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1648278

registered interest
date	27/06/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Sick Pay: Self-employed
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a sick pay scheme for the self-employed.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	191350
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2023 answer text <p>Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is paid for by employers and there is no mechanism to include the self-employed in SSP.</p><p> </p><p>The Government does have a wider safety net to ensure self-employed people are supported through the welfare system. Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick and they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on their personal circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 03/07/2023 10:39:21 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1648279

registered interest
date	27/06/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Statutory Sick Pay: Chronic Illnesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing people in receipt of statutory sick pay living with (a) cystic fibrosis and (b) other long term conditions to have phased returns to work.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	191351
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2023 answer text <p>Health is Everyone’s Business (2019) consulted on a broad package of measures related to the work and health agenda. This included some proposals related to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) such as making it more flexible to support phased returns to work.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>In the response to the consultation (2021), the Government stated this was not the right time to introduce changes to the sick pay system, but that we are continuing to keep the SSP system under review.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 03/07/2023 10:42:48 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1639848

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Workplace Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of requiring employees who have opted out of a workplace pension scheme to be automatically re-enrolled every three years.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	186527
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/05/2023 answer text <p>The government continues to advocate for the importance of pension saving which offers greater financial resilience in later life. Automatic Enrolment (AE) has transformed pension participation rates, with 86% of eligible private sector employees saving into a workplace pension in 2021, up from 42% in 2012.</p><p> </p><p>AE was deliberately designed with an opt-out to give people choice, enabling them to decide if saving for a pension is right for them given their circumstances and affordability.</p><p> </p><p>This is why when an individual makes the decision to pause or cease contributions, the AE framework requires their employer to re-assess and re-enol their eligible employees every three years, which prevents individuals from falling out of pension saving in the medium to long term.</p><p> </p><p>The re-enrolment regime has been successful, seeing 1 million eligible job holders automatically re-enrolled since the introduction of AE in 2012.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 30/05/2023 14:47:55 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1639849

registered interest
date	23/05/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Workplace Pensions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring employers to provide information on workplace pension (a) automatic enrolment and (b) opt-out notices in a non-digital format to assist employees without access to digital communications.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	186528
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/05/2023 answer text <p>There are no plans to place an additional statutory requirement on businesses to provide non-digital opt-out notices and information on automatic enrolment (AE). Detailed guidance from The Pensions Regulator (TPR) specifically asks employers to consider the appropriateness of the format of the information they are providing to their workers (such as digital access). This is ultimately a choice for individual employers and pension schemes to make based on their own circumstances and considering employee/member needs.</p><p> </p><p>Further guidance from TPR is available to aid employers in fulfilling their AE obligations, including on providing information on AE and the right to opt-out (at section 5). This guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/automatic-enrolment-detailed-guidance/resources-information-to-workers" target="_blank">Information to workers - automatic enrolment detailed guidance for employers | The Pensions Regulator</a></p> answering member constituency Sevenoaks answering member printed Laura Trott question first answered 30/05/2023 14:49:40 answering member 4780 label Biography information for Laura Trott
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1639353

registered interest
date	22/05/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Pension Credit: Carers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether carers approaching state pension age who will lose their entitlement to Carer's Allowance are automatically directed to claim Pension Credit..
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	186196
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/05/2023 answer text <p>Carer’s Allowance aims to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment, in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person.</p><p>For those over the age of retirement, the State Pension is intended to replace income when work ceases. It has been a long-held feature of the UK’s benefit system under successive governments that, where someone is entitled to two benefits for the same contingency, then whilst there may be entitlement to both benefits, only one will be paid to prevent duplicate financial provision for the same need. We have no plans to change these arrangements.</p><p>Where underlying entitlement of Carer’s Allowance occurs (all entitlement conditions are met, but the overlapping benefit rule prevents payment), additional financial support may already be available through Pension Credit, notably including the additional amount payable to carers in Pension Credit. This additional amount is currently £42.75 a week and 108,000 people are receiving it. It is paid to recognise the additional contribution and responsibilities associated with caring and means that lower income pensioners with caring responsibilities can receive more than other lower income recipients of Pension Credit. If a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, he or she may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Since April 2022, the Government has undertaken a substantial and sustained communications campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit and promote its take-up, including extensive advertising in regional and national newspapers, on social media, on the radio and on TV. The department also includes information in the leaflet that accompanies the annual uprating letters to pensioners drawing attention to the availability of Pension Credit and encouraging them to check their eligibility and make a claim.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 186197 186198 question first answered 31/05/2023 09:41:30 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day

1639354

registered interest
date	22/05/2023
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	State Retirement Pensions: Carers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether there is a saving to the public purse when State Pension replaces Carer's Allowance.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	186197
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/05/2023 answer text <p>Carer’s Allowance aims to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment, in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person.</p><p>For those over the age of retirement, the State Pension is intended to replace income when work ceases. It has been a long-held feature of the UK’s benefit system under successive governments that, where someone is entitled to two benefits for the same contingency, then whilst there may be entitlement to both benefits, only one will be paid to prevent duplicate financial provision for the same need. We have no plans to change these arrangements.</p><p>Where underlying entitlement of Carer’s Allowance occurs (all entitlement conditions are met, but the overlapping benefit rule prevents payment), additional financial support may already be available through Pension Credit, notably including the additional amount payable to carers in Pension Credit. This additional amount is currently £42.75 a week and 108,000 people are receiving it. It is paid to recognise the additional contribution and responsibilities associated with caring and means that lower income pensioners with caring responsibilities can receive more than other lower income recipients of Pension Credit. If a pensioner’s income is above the limit for Pension Credit, he or she may still be able to receive Housing Benefit.</p><p> </p><p>Since April 2022, the Government has undertaken a substantial and sustained communications campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit and promote its take-up, including extensive advertising in regional and national newspapers, on social media, on the radio and on TV. The department also includes information in the leaflet that accompanies the annual uprating letters to pensioners drawing attention to the availability of Pension Credit and encouraging them to check their eligibility and make a claim.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 186196 186198 question first answered 31/05/2023 09:41:30 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day