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1055011

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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: Females
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 4 February 2019 to Question 214627 on State Retirement Pensions: Females, whether she plans to instruct her Department to re-open complaints relating to the equalisation of the state pension age in the event that (a) the matter is no longer the subject of legal proceedings and (b) there has been no legal determination on the issues which form the basis of the complaint to the Independent Case Examiner as set out in that Answer.
tabling member constituency	Rutherglen and Hamilton West
tabling member printed	Ged Killen
uin	217138
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2019 answer text <p>The Independent Case Examiner closed all live complaints concerning changes to women’s State Pension age when they became subject to legal proceedings, as is required under its governance contract. In the event the legal proceedings fall away or there is no determination on the matters which forms the basis of this group of complaint, the Independent Case Examiner could consider reopening the cases at the request of the Department.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 08/02/2019 15:49:29 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4672 label Biography information for Ged Killen

1055032

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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	Universal Credit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will ensure that a range of appointment times are offered to claimants awaiting universal credit assessment appointments.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	217142
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2019 answer text <p>At the start of their Universal Credit claim, not all claimants will require an initial evidence interview.</p><p> </p><p>If an interview is required, claimants will receive notification to book an interview via their online Universal Credit account at the start of their claim and are encouraged to make contact at the earliest opportunity. The length of the interview will depend upon the evidence to be confirmed. If the scheduled interview is at an inconvenient time, claimants can contact their Work Coach or Case Manager to rearrange.</p><p> </p><p>Jobcentre Team Leaders monitor resource levels as part of their daily planning activities to ensure there are sufficient appointment times available to handle the anticipated volume of interviews.</p><p> </p><p>Where a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) is required claimants will receive notification giving details of the date, time and venue of the assessment. If the timing of the appointment is inconvenient claimants can contact the WCA Provider to rearrange. This could include a change to the date, time or venue of the assessment, or to consider a home assessment where it is appropriate.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 13/02/2019 17:54:43 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1055034

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations
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 21 January 2019 to Question 208914 on Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations, what her Department’s definition is of prescriptive.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	217023
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2019 answer text <p>The word ‘prescriptive’ is not defined in the Personal Independence Payment audit criteria.</p><p>Where DWP considers that assessment reports are not fit for purpose it may return them to Assessment Providers for rework, which will be carried out at their expense.</p><p>The criteria are that reports will be:</p><ul><li>fair and impartial;</li><li>legible and concise;</li><li>in accordance with relevant legislation;</li><li>comprehensive, clearly explaining the medical issues raised, fully clarifying any contradictions in evidence;</li><li>in plain English and free of medical jargon and unexplained medical abbreviations;</li><li>presented clearly; and</li><li>complete.</li></ul><p>The rework action to be taken by Assessment Providers will vary on a case-by-case basis. Wherever possible, cases should be discussed with the original Health Professional or referred back to them for further action to be taken.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 12/02/2019 11:07:09 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton previous answer version 100775 answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1055045

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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	Employment Schemes: Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to track outcomes for the Youth Obligation; and whether that tracking will be backdated to the launch of that programme.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	216920
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2019 answer text <p>We are clerically collecting Management Information on outcomes of programme participants from January 2019 onwards. This is the first month in which we will have fully rolled out the programme across the entire country. The data capture will include what provision a participant has been referred to and their attendance on different elements of the programme. We will have the ability, via the use of the RTI information that we hold, to look at whether individuals go into work and how much they earn. We have no plans to backdate this data capture to the start of the Youth Obligation Support Programme.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 08/02/2019 10:48:24 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1055055

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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	Independent Case Examiner
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's target timetable is for deciding whether complaints to the Independent Case Examiner will be accepted for investigation; what (a) proportion and (b) number of complaints met that target in each year for which information is available; and how many complaints are currently awaiting a decision on whether or not they will be investigated.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	217031
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2019 answer text <p>Funding for the Independent Case Examiner’s (ICE) Office is reviewed on an annual basis. In the current financial year, the ICE Office has received funding for thirteen additional posts.</p><p> </p><p>Productivity in the ICE Office has increased by 34% in the current reporting year, with the Office having cleared 1,047 cased by the end of January 2019, compared with 782 in the same period during 2017/18.</p><p>The Office has an internal target to inform 90% of complainants within four weeks of its reciept, whether thier complaint can be accepted for investigation. The Office can only accept a complaint for investigation once it has (a) established that the complainant has exhausted the relevant business complaints process, and (b) reached agreement with the complainant regarding the scope of any investigation.</p><p> </p><p>The table below provides the available performance data.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number of complaints received</p></td><td><p>Number of complaints not accepted for investigation</p></td><td><p>Number of complaints accepted for investigation</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>5,886</p></td><td><p>2,247 (81% within internal target of four weeks)</p></td><td><p>3,639 (38% within internal target of four weeks)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19 (1<sup>st</sup> April 2018 to 6<sup>th</sup> February 2019)</p></td><td><p>4,169</p></td><td><p>2,928 (68% within internal target of four weeks)</p></td><td><p>1,073 (47% within internal target of four weeks)</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>As at 6<sup>th</sup> February 2019, there were 168 complainants awaiting a decision on whether their complaint could be accepted for examination.</p><p> </p><p>During the period covered by this response the Independent Case Examiner’s Office received 4,118 complaints from women concerning changes to State Pension age, which directly impacted on its ability to meet its internal target for determining whether a complaint can be accepted for examination.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/02/2019 12:40:02 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1055062

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment
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 4 February 2019 to Question 212675 on Personal Independence Payment, for what reason the treatment of dialysis whilst in a hospital is not classified as therapy in relation to personal independence payment.
tabling member constituency	Leigh
tabling member printed	Jo Platt
uin	217147
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2019 answer text <p>The Personal Independence Payment Activity 3, which relates to managing therapy including dialysis, assesses a persons need for supervision, prompting and assistance in managing their therapy at home. Therapy provided at hospital is managed by the NHS and whilst PIP sits alongside the support provided by the NHS it is not intended to duplicate that support.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 08/02/2019 11:04:12 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	4673 label Biography information for Jo Platt

1055083

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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	Personal Independence Payment: Blaenau Gwent
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 11 January 2019 to Question 204471 on Personal Independence Payment: Blaenau Gwent, what information her Department holds on the (a) number and (b) value of hardship payments made to claimants from Blaenau Gwent while awaiting payment for arrears as a result of a successful Tribunal decision.
tabling member constituency	Blaenau Gwent
tabling member printed	Nick Smith
uin	217042
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2019 answer text <p>We aim to pay arrears on overturned cases as soon as we can, providing we have all the required information to do so, for example, up to date claimant bank details.</p><p> </p><p>Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is not an income replacement benefit; it can be received in or out of work therefore hardship payments are not made in these circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Work and Pensions administers a wide range of benefits and allowances for which there are a range of conditions for entitlement. Some of these benefits may be of help, including Universal Credit.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 13/02/2019 15:31:41 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	3928 label Biography information for Nick Smith

1055173

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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	Universal Credit: Disqualification
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 4 February 2019 to Question 213887 on Jobseeker's Allowance: Disqualification, whether it is her Department’s policy to sanction claimants of universal credit who decline to accept a job with a zero hours contract; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	216934
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2019 answer text <p>Zero-hour contracts can provide a pathway to employment for people who don’t want to be committed to working a set number of hours a week, for example those with caring responsibilities. Universal Credit payments adjust to earnings and hours making a zero-hour contracts, part-time or temporary jobs a viable step towards long-term employment.</p><p>Universal Credit claimants who are subject to work related requirements can be expected to accept a job with a zero-hours contract if it is considered suitable for their individual circumstances. A claimant may be sanctioned if they fail to do so without good reason.</p><p>Sanctions are only used in a small percentage of cases, and that is when people fail to meet their agreed commitments without good reason. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good cause, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 08/02/2019 10:22:45 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1055223

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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	Social Security Benefits: Neurology
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have a neurological condition applying for assessment for (a) personal independence payment and (b) employment and support allowance who are assessed by an appropriate health care professional for that neurological condition in each year for which information is available.
tabling member constituency	Blackpool South
tabling member printed	Gordon Marsden
uin	216965
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not available.</p><p> </p><p>Medical condition data is collected from the point of claim on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) from claimants’ fit notes, and at Work Capability Assessments (WCA). DWP statistics on the number of applications for ESA are grouped into medical conditions based on the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD10) published by the World Health Organisation and do not include a specific group of neurological conditions. Information on the number of initial ESA WCA applications by available groups of medical conditions are available at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a>. The Departments’ choice of system for recording groups of medical conditions does not affect the correct administration the benefits individual recipients are entitled to.</p><p> </p><p>In the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) application process, claimants’ main disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment. It is not recorded at the point of application. The Department does not therefore hold data on the number of applicants to PIP with particular conditions. Only those who have a disability assessment determination decision will have a main disabling condition recorded for them. Information on the number of initial decisions made by disabling condition for claimants who had an assessment is published in the PIP clearances table and available at: <a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk</a>. PIP main disabling conditions are recorded using a different system to ESA.</p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users of Stat Xplore is available at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>All assessments of claimants to ESA and PIP are carried out by appropriate Health Professionals. They are functional assessments which focus not on a claimant’s condition but on the functional effects of that condition. All Health Professionals have passed strict recruitment and experience criteria and are registered with a relevant regulatory body.</p><p> </p><p>Healthcare Professionals carrying out assessments for PIP and WCAs for ESA must have 2 years of clinical experience (or less than 2 years post full registration experience by individual agreement with the Department) and are trained to undertake functional assessments. In addition, they complete training on neurological conditions and have access to a range of relevant resources.</p><p> </p><p>Health Professionals can engage with claimants’ specialists where necessary to gather supporting medical evidence.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 12/02/2019 13:39:13 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton previous answer version 100778 answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	465 label Biography information for Gordon Marsden

1055224

registered interest
date	05/02/2019
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	Social Security Benefits: Neurology
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions (a) she, (b) Ministers and (c) officials of her Department have had with charities and third sector bodies on the overall competence and expertise of health care professionals who assess people with neurological conditions for (i) personal independence payment and (ii) employment and support allowance.
tabling member constituency	Blackpool South
tabling member printed	Gordon Marsden
uin	216966
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>Ministers and officials regularly meet charities and third sector bodies, including those who have an understanding of those with neurological conditions, to discuss a range of issues in relation to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), including assessments.</p><p> </p><p>PIP and WCA Health Professionals must have 2 years of clinical experience (or less than 2 years post full registration experience by individual agreement with the Department). They are trained to undertake functional assessments and in addition complete training on neurological conditions and have access to a range of resources.</p><p> </p><p>Assessment Providers engage with medical experts, charities and relevant stakeholders to strengthen, review and update their training programmes.</p> answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton question first answered 14/02/2019 16:48:34 answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton previous answer version 100777 answering member constituency Truro and Falmouth answering member printed Sarah Newton answering member 4071 label Biography information for Sarah Newton
tabling member	465 label Biography information for Gordon Marsden