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631257

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2016
	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	Disability Living Allowance: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate he has made of the number of foreign children adopted by UK parents who are not eligible for disability living allowance because of the past presence rule.
	tabling member constituency	Cambridge
	tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
	uin	52007
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2016 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">I am replying to this question as assessments of the effect of the benefit cap are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">Evaluation evidence in relation to the existing cap showed very little, if any, impact on homelessness as a direct result of the cap. The small numbers of capped households who have been evicted were noted by Local Authorities as having other reasons for rent arrears and also failing to engage with relevant services; they were considered intentionally homeless.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">Where claimants need further financial support with their housing costs in order to adjust to the benefit cap, for example while they find work or move to more suitable accommodation, Local Authorities can provide additional support through the use of Discretionary Housing Payments.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">To help Local Authorities protect the most vulnerable and to support households adjusting to the reforms, the Government will provide £870 million funding for the Discretionary Housing Payments scheme over the next 5 years.</del></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial"> <p> </p><ins class="ministerial"><p>The information is not held.</p></ins><p> </p></ins></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 15/11/2016 15:05:14 question first ministerially corrected 16/11/2016 15:41:59 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt previous answer version 20545 answering member constituency Romsey and Southampton North answering member printed Caroline Nokes answering member 4048
	tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

758321

	registered interest
	date	06/09/2017
	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 and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what transitional arrangements are in place for claimants whose health deteriorates when in receipt of jobseeker's allowance if their claim is stopped and they are advised to claim employment support allowance.
	tabling member constituency	East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
	tabling member printed	Dr Lisa Cameron
	uin	9203
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2017 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">Since August 2017 we have been focussing on more proactive case management to reduce delays and speed up the clearance of mandatory reconsiderations for personal independence payment. A similar exercise for mandatory reconsiderations for employment and support allowance has started, looking at the entire journey from when the customer first challenges the Department’s decision, from which we expect to be able to identify opportunities to reduce delays in the current process and speed up clearance of mandatory reconsiderations.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">The median monthly clearance time for employment and support allowance mandatory reconsiderations in July 2017 was 13 days, 1 day less than in April 2017. However it is important that sufficient time is allowed for customers to provide any additional evidence that will help to support their case. Accordingly there is no target time for clearing mandatory reconsiderations – each is done without delay, but based on its merits.</del></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial"> <p><ins class="ministerial">If a JSA claimant’s health deteriorates, and the period of sickness is expected to exceed 13 weeks, a claim should be made to ESA or Universal Credit (UC) in relevant geographical areas.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In this instance the claimant would need to close their JSA claim and make a new claim to ESA. ESA can be claimed immediately following the closure of a JSA claim and, provided the claim to ESA was made within 12 weeks of closing their JSA claim, the claimant would not have to serve waiting days.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">There are no transitional arrangements between the benefits however, the aim is for there to be no unnecessary interruption of funds to the individual. Where a claimant is in urgent financial need whilst their ESA claim is being processed, they can apply for additional support in the form of an advance on their first payment, known as a “short term benefit advance”, or a hardship payment. The claimant will receive a benefit advance payment on the same or next working day.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">If the JSA claimant’s period of sickness is likely to be for less than 13 weeks (referred to as an Extended Period of Sickness (EPS)), the claimant may choose to remain in receipt of JSA rather than claiming ESA/UC. If they choose to do this, they will receive the same amount of JSA benefit.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">To qualify for an EPS the claimant must not be fit for any work and this will be determined based on the medical evidence supplied. During this period the claimant will be treated as being available for work, and the Work Coach will tailor the conditionality requirements on their Claimant Commitment, taking into account the claimant’s health condition.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">An EPS can only be declared for one continuous period of sickness of 13 weeks or less in any 12 month period calculated from the start of the period of sickness. Once it is clear the period of sickness will last for 13 weeks or more, the claimant will be advised to make a claim to ESA or UC.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In areas where UC Full Service is in place, the claimant will be advised to claim UC rather than ESA.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">One of the policy designs of Universal Credit is that it removes the need for claimants to switch between different benefits as their circumstances change, simplifying the system and ensuring continuity for claimants.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">As stated, there are no transitional arrangements for UC. Where a claimant advises they cannot manage financially until their pay day (UC is paid monthly, unlike JSA and ESA which are fortnightly), an advance can be made. This advance is recoverable from further payments of UC, at a rate agreed between the claimant and the Work Coach.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Universal Credit is a much simpler system with clearer rules and clearer rates. It has an easy to use online account, where claimants can report changes of circumstance in real time. UC Support for disabled people under UC reflects two core components of the old ESA system, ensuring that more severely disabled people benefit from higher payments.</ins></p></ins></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 28/09/2017 14:56:40 question first ministerially corrected 04/10/2017 11:07:49 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt previous answer version 13091 answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4412 label Biography information for Dr Lisa Cameron

631965

	registered interest
	date	08/11/2016
	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, how many calls have been made to the personal independence payment enquiry line in the last six months; and what the average waiting time was before those calls were answered.
	tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
	tabling member printed	Toby Perkins
	uin	52282
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2016 answer text <p>The number of calls made to the Personal Independence Payment Enquiry line in the 6 month period from May 2016 to October 2016 was 1,455,474. The average speed of answer for calls received in the same period was 00:06:25<strong>.</strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 17/11/2016 16:12:09 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

631975

	registered interest
	date	08/11/2016
	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 bring forward proposals to extend the eligibility criteria for statutory sick pay to living organ donors.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	52238
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2016 answer text <p>All employed live donors should be able to receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they satisfy the qualifying conditions and provide some form of medical evidence, after the first seven days of sickness, which assesses them as unfit for work.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 16/11/2016 15:16:27 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

631985

	registered interest
	date	08/11/2016
	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	Work Capability Assessment
	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 he has made of the (a) accuracy and (b) efficiency of the work capability assessment.
	tabling member constituency	Blackburn
	tabling member printed	Kate Hollern
	uin	52305
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2016 answer text <p>The contract between DWP and Centre for Health Disability Assessment (CHDA), which carries out Work Capability Assessments, contains a range of quality performance indicators and targets that are monitored on an on-going basis. DWP also has an independent audit team that audits a statistically valid sample of CHDA assessments on a monthly basis.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 21/11/2016 11:47:07 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4363 label Biography information for Kate Hollern

631995

	registered interest
	date	08/11/2016
	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	Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
	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 implications for his Department's policies of the findings and recommendations of the report of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, published on 6 October 2016, entitled Inquiry concerning the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland carried out by the Committee under article 6 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention.
	tabling member constituency	Rutherglen and Hamilton West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Ferrier
	uin	52382
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2016 answer text <p>My Department has already reflected on the UN Committee’s findings and recommendations as set out in the UK Government response, which was published at the same time as the report.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 17/11/2016 16:22:50 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4386 label Biography information for Margaret Ferrier

631996

	registered interest
	date	08/11/2016
	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	Work Capability Assessment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what account his Department took of (a) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, (b) Asperger syndrome, (c) dyspraxia and (d) other neuro-developmental conditions when designing fitness for work questionnaires.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield Central
	tabling member printed	Paul Blomfield
	uin	52389
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2016 answer text <p>The capability for work questionnaire (form ESA50) was developed with medical experts and groups representing a range of disabled people. It is designed to mirror the Work Capability Assessment which relates to functional ability in the workplace rather than being linked to specific conditions. The form is regularly reviewed and revised and we have worked closely with a number of charities and stakeholder groups to make changes to the ESA50.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 16/11/2016 15:31:20 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4058 label Biography information for Paul Blomfield

634205

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2016
	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 and Support Allowance: Chronic Illnesses
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with degenerative illnesses are included within the employment and support allowance work-related activity group in (a) Plymouth, (b) the South West and (c) England; and whether any special provision is made for people who have degenerative conditions.
	tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Moor View
	tabling member printed	Johnny Mercer
	uin	52658
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2016 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>As two people with the same condition can be affected in different ways, there is no condition based entitlement to Employment Support Allowance. The Work Capability Assessment recognises that conditions can vary in their severity and therefore people with the same condition can be placed in the Work Related Activity Group or the Support Group.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 16/11/2016 14:16:38 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4485 label Biography information for Johnny Mercer

634206

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2016
	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 and Support Allowance: 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 list the conditions that meet the chronically ill criteria used to exempt claimants from reassessments for employment and support allowance.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	52657
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2016 answer text <p>There is no condition based entitlement to Employment Support Allowance.</p><p>Rather than a list of specific medical conditions, the criteria will be based on identifying claimants with the most severe health conditions or disabilities where it would be unreasonable to expect the individual to undertake any form or amount of work or work-related activity. This change will only apply to those placed in the Support Group and Universal Credit equivalent.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 16/11/2016 14:32:22 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

634207

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2016
	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 and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new employment and support allowance claimants have been in receipt of the assessment rate for a continuous period of more than 13 weeks in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	52641
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2016 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 16/11/2016 14:41:11 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead