Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1229071

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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, what plans her Department has to increase the rate of Statutory Sick Pay to in line with the National Minimum Wage.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	82493
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2020 answer text <p>Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides financial support to an employee when they are off work sick. Those on low pay can receive more help through the welfare system, depending on their personal circumstances. The Government published a consultation in which we sought views on the impact of the rate of SSP on employer and employee behaviours and decisions. A response to the consultation will be published later this year.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/09/2020 15:02:37 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1229082

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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: Mental Illness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to allow health and disability benefit claimants with mental health illnesses to choose assessment types that are accessible to their needs during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	82498
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2020 answer text <p>In March we suspended all face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits in order to protect people from unnecessary risk of coronavirus at the outset of the pandemic. As has always been the case, our assessment providers will initially try to complete paper-based assessments, where there is sufficient evidence to make a recommendation. If this is not the case, providers will currently look to carry out a telephone assessment, where appropriate. We offer reasonable adjustments for claimants who may need additional support to engage in a telephone assessment. We continue to work closely with our assessment providers to ensure that claimants can be assessed as quickly as possible, by the most appropriate channel.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/09/2020 15:06:16 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1229070

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to permanently abolish (a) conditionality, (b) sanctioning and (c) the five-week wait for universal credit for disabled claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	82492
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>We have no plans.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 08/09/2020 15:39:08 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1229072

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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: Uprating
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans her Department has to up-rate legacy benefits in line with universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	82494
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support were increased by 1.7% in April 2020 following the Government’s announcement to end the benefit freeze.</p><p> </p><p>It has always been the case that claimants on legacy benefits can make a claim for Universal Credit (UC) if they believe that they will be better off. There are special arrangements for those in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium, who will be able to make a new claim to Universal Credit from January 2021.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants should check their eligibility before applying to UC as legacy benefits will end when they submit their claim and they will not be able to return to them in the future. For this reason, prospective claimants are signposted to independent benefits calculators on GOV.UK. Neither DWP nor HMRC can advise individual claimants whether they would be better off moving to UC or remaining on legacy benefits.</p><p> </p><p>From 22 July 2020, a two-week run on of Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (IR) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (IB) is available for all claimants whose claim to UC ends entitlement to these benefits, to provide additional support for claimants moving to UC.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 81537 81993 question first answered 08/09/2020 09:07:44 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1229304

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to permit personal independence payments assessment forms to be completed online during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Ynys Môn
	tabling member printed	Virginia Crosbie
	uin	82607
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2020 answer text <p>We are focused on transforming the PIP claimant journey overall to provide a more streamlined and user-friendly approach. We are committed to providing a digital channel - “PIP Apply” - to widen claimants’ choices on how to make a new claim for PIP. Using the digital channel is optional and we will ensure we provide effective alternatives for those who are unable or prefer not to use our online services. We are aiming to provide this service by the end of the year.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 03/09/2020 13:48:57 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4859 label Biography information for Virginia Crosbie

1228875

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Access to Work Programme: Cost Effectiveness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Disabled People to the Work and Pensions Committee on 29 October 2014, Qq275-6, what estimate she has made of the contribution to the public purse for every £1 spent on the Access to Work programme.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	82170
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2020 answer text <p>Access to Work is a demand-led, discretionary grant to de-risk the recruitment and retention of disabled people for employers. The grant contributes to the disability related extra costs of working faced by disabled people and those with a health condition that are beyond reasonable adjustment, but it does not replace an employer’s duty under the Equality Act to make reasonable adjustments. Access to Work is a popular and well regarded programme, and in 2018/19 the official Access to Work statistics illustrated the increase in support provided by Access to Work, as the highest ever number of people received payments, 36,240, up 7% on 17/18. Expenditure increased to £129.1 million, equating to a 14% increase in real terms expenditure on 17/18.</p><p> </p><p>A number of studies have explored various aspects of Access to Work but no definitive impact evaluation has taken place. Being in work brings advantages for disabled people, including independence, income, improved confidence, social interaction and mental health and wellbeing, and if the benefits of the Access to Work programme exceed its costs the whole economy will benefit from a financial boost. The 2018 Access to Work Qualitative Research found that the support provided was especially valued and often came at a point of crisis when people might otherwise have fallen out of work. But currently there is no robust cost benefit analysis available, the 2018 ‘Feasibility of Evaluating the Impact of the Access to Work Programme’ Report (please see link below), found that to pursue this analysis would be expensive and require a very large survey sampling exercise which is not feasible at present.</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/756442/Feasibility_of_evaluating_the_impact_of_the_Access_to_Work_programme.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/756442/Feasibility_of_evaluating_the_impact_of_the_Access_to_Work_programme.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 07/09/2020 14:54:53 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1229003

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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: Small Businesses
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the financial effect on small businesses of workplace pensions.
	tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
	tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
	uin	81631
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>Automatic enrolment is a success story that has seen over 10 million employees automatically enrolled into a workplace pension. Many of those workers benefitting were once poorly served or excluded from workplace pension saving, with many more women, lower earners and younger people building an asset for their future.</p><p> </p><p>The Department’s evaluation of automatic enrolment and ongoing monitoring of the impacts of workplace pensions means that the we regularly check how the meeting of their automatic enrolment duties affects small businesses financially. Evidence from the 2019 Automatic Enrolment Evaluation report1 and a separate research study with new employers2 indicates that whilst some small and micro employers have experienced increased costs as a result of automatic enrolment, they tended to perceive the costs involved in monthly administration of pension contributions to be relatively low and the contributions themselves as manageable in the context of the overall running costs of their business.</p><p> </p><p>Our immediate focus during the covid-19 national lock-down was to support employers and savers through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which included the payment of employer workplace pension contributions up until the end of July. At the same time, the Pensions Regulator took a proportionate approach on automatic enrolment compliance to minimise unnecessary burdens on hard-pressed employers, giving them more time and flexibility to meet their duties.</p><p> </p><p>By early August, our unprecedented package of emergency support to employers was helping 1.2 million businesses and furloughing 9.6 million jobs. Our aim remains to support, create and protect jobs - giving businesses confidence to retain and hire new workers builds capacity for retirement saving.</p><p> </p><p>In the Chipping Barnet constituency, since 2012, approximately 10,000 eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 3,030 employers have supported their employees3.</p><p> </p><p>1 Automatic Enrolment evaluation report 2019, DWP, February 2020</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automatic-enrolment-evaluation-report-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automatic-enrolment-evaluation-report-2019</a><br></p><p>2 Automatic Enrolment: qualitative research with new employers, DWP, February 2020</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automatic-enrolment-qualitative-research-with-new-employers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automatic-enrolment-qualitative-research-with-new-employers</a><br></p><p>3 The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by constituency, available via the following weblink:</p><p><a href="https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests" target="_blank">https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests</a></p><p /> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 08/09/2020 16:49:39 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1228667

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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
	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 carry out a review into deaths of benefits claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol West
	tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
	uin	82063
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2020 answer text <p>The Department interacts with millions of people, and among them are some of the most vulnerable people in our society. There are many reasons why people pass away whilst claiming a DWP benefit and it would not be appropriate for the Department to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of every individual. This is a consideration and decision for a Coroner.</p><p> </p><p>As a department we want to do all we can to ensure people get the support they need. We are striving towards becoming a learning organisation, for example through the Serious Case Panel, which considers themes and systemic issues that come out of serious cases and makes recommendations for improvements.</p><p> </p><p>Where the Department is made aware of a death and there is a suggestion or allegation that the Department’s actions or omissions may have negatively contributed to the customer’s circumstances an Internal Process Review will be conducted. Internal Process Reviews are not designed to identify or apportion blame, but to look at whether processes were followed correctly and what learning we can derive from this.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 03/09/2020 13:57:27 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1228709

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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: Bristol
	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 14 July to Question 69599, what steps she is taking to bring the performance at the Bristol personal independence payment assessment centre back to the published service standard of 90% of claimants being examined within 30 minutes of their appointment time; and if she will make an estimate of when that standard will be achieved.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol West
	tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
	uin	82062
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2020 answer text <p>All face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits are currently suspended in line with public health advice. During the Covid-19 period we continue to assess people based on written evidence alone, where that is possible, and have introduced telephone assessments. Telephony-based assessments do not fall within the same waiting time criteria. Once face-to-face assessment are reinstated we will work closely with suppliers to improve the waiting times whilst maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 03/09/2020 13:41:39 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1229049

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Older Workers: Coronavirus
	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 ensure that older workers are able to contribute to the economic recovery from the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Stuart Anderson
	uin	82398
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>DWP has been working with employer organisations – including CIPD, British Chambers of Commerce, ACAS, Local Enterprise Partnerships and the Government Business Champion for Older Workers – to reach small and medium enterprises by hosting webinars to spread important messages about the need to support their older workers in order to retain them in the workforce and maintain their well-being and productivity.</p><p> </p><p>Government has also provided £1.2bn to enhance work search support service in Great Britain, which includes doubling the number of frontline Work Coaches in Jobcentre Plus by the end of the financial year, increasing the flexible support fund, extending the rapid response service, increasing the number of Sector Based Work Academies, and expanding the work and health programme.</p><p> </p><p>Government recognises the importance of planning effectively for the future and in encouraging productive workplace conversations. We therefore support the mid-life MOT and launched a webpage in 2019 which offers support to those considering a change in career in its stock-take across the key areas of work, health and finances.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 08/09/2020 15:48:30 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4742 label Biography information for Stuart Anderson