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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

759449

registered interest
date	11/09/2017
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, when he plans to publish the criteria for exemption from employment and support allowance reassessments for people with long-term health conditions.
tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
uin	9976
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2017 answer text <p>This change will come into effect in autumn 2017 and will apply to those with the most severe health conditions and disabilities who are placed in Employment and Support Allowance’s Support Group and the Universal Credit equivalent.</p><p> </p><p>We are working with stakeholders to finalise the criteria, once completed, the amended guidance will be incorporated into the Work Capability Assessment Handbook published annually on GOV.UK. This change will be reflected in the summer 2018 update.</p><p> </p><p>Through the development of the criteria we have consulted with a range of organisations, including representatives from some of the major health and disability charities through a stakeholder representative group.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 9977 question first answered 14/09/2017 17:00:11 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

759450

registered interest
date	11/09/2017
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, which organisations his Department consulted when drawing up the criteria for exemption from employment and support allowance reassessments for people with long-term health conditions.
tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
uin	9977
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2017 answer text <p>This change will come into effect in autumn 2017 and will apply to those with the most severe health conditions and disabilities who are placed in Employment and Support Allowance’s Support Group and the Universal Credit equivalent.</p><p> </p><p>We are working with stakeholders to finalise the criteria, once completed, the amended guidance will be incorporated into the Work Capability Assessment Handbook published annually on GOV.UK. This change will be reflected in the summer 2018 update.</p><p> </p><p>Through the development of the criteria we have consulted with a range of organisations, including representatives from some of the major health and disability charities through a stakeholder representative group.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 9976 question first answered 14/09/2017 17:00:11 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

758769

registered interest
date	07/09/2017
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	Cancer
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial support the Government provides to people who have terminal cancer and their families.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	9396
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2017 answer text <p>Children and young people with serious or critical illnesses such as cancer are able to apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) if they are aged under 16 or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if aged 16 and above. DLA and PIP are tax free allowances, which are designed to contribute to the extra costs incurred as a result of long-term health conditions and/or disabilities. Children and young people in receipt of DLA or PIP can receive up to £141.10 a week. Entitlement to DLA and PIP depends on the effects that severe disability has on a person’s life and not on a particular disability or diagnosis. This is because people living with the same illnesses or disabilities may not necessarily have the same care or mobility needs.</p><p> </p><p>Special considerations do however apply to children and adults who are terminally ill, and our arrangements recognise the particular difficulties faced by people who have only a short time to live. Their claims are fast-tracked and they are awarded the highest rate of the care component of DLA and the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP automatically without having to complete a qualifying period. This means that, if they claim straight away, they can get benefit as soon as they have been diagnosed as being terminally ill. The arrangements ensure that claims are dealt with quickly and sensitively. The legislation defines a person as terminally ill if ‘he suffers from a progressive disease and his death can reasonably be expected within six months’.</p><p> </p><p>People over the age of 16 who are unable to work due to an illness or disability can claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) which has both a contributory strand accessible via a National Insurance contribution test and an income-related strand accessible via an income test. For cancer sufferers, a light touch evidence gathering process exists, to help determine eligibility. There is also a presumption that claimants receiving or recovering from cancer treatment will be placed in the Support Group which could entitle them to up to £109.65 per week, subject to suitable evidence from a healthcare professional such as a GP or oncologist.</p><p> </p><p>Carers may also be able to qualify for Carer’s Allowance, which is currently £62.70 a week if they meet the eligibility criteria.</p><p> </p><p>Trudi Hills, our Sector champion for banking, has been working with Macmillan to improve how the banking industry supports people when they receive a cancer diagnosis</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 9397 9398 question first answered 18/09/2017 15:41:29 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

758869

registered interest
date	07/09/2017
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	Social Security Benefits: Cancer
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is currently available to children and young people diagnosed with cancer for claims for (a) disability living allowance and (b) personal independence payments.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	9397
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2017 answer text <p>Children and young people with serious or critical illnesses such as cancer are able to apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) if they are aged under 16 or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if aged 16 and above. DLA and PIP are tax free allowances, which are designed to contribute to the extra costs incurred as a result of long-term health conditions and/or disabilities. Children and young people in receipt of DLA or PIP can receive up to £141.10 a week. Entitlement to DLA and PIP depends on the effects that severe disability has on a person’s life and not on a particular disability or diagnosis. This is because people living with the same illnesses or disabilities may not necessarily have the same care or mobility needs.</p><p> </p><p>Special considerations do however apply to children and adults who are terminally ill, and our arrangements recognise the particular difficulties faced by people who have only a short time to live. Their claims are fast-tracked and they are awarded the highest rate of the care component of DLA and the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP automatically without having to complete a qualifying period. This means that, if they claim straight away, they can get benefit as soon as they have been diagnosed as being terminally ill. The arrangements ensure that claims are dealt with quickly and sensitively. The legislation defines a person as terminally ill if ‘he suffers from a progressive disease and his death can reasonably be expected within six months’.</p><p> </p><p>People over the age of 16 who are unable to work due to an illness or disability can claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) which has both a contributory strand accessible via a National Insurance contribution test and an income-related strand accessible via an income test. For cancer sufferers, a light touch evidence gathering process exists, to help determine eligibility. There is also a presumption that claimants receiving or recovering from cancer treatment will be placed in the Support Group which could entitle them to up to £109.65 per week, subject to suitable evidence from a healthcare professional such as a GP or oncologist.</p><p> </p><p>Carers may also be able to qualify for Carer’s Allowance, which is currently £62.70 a week if they meet the eligibility criteria.</p><p> </p><p>Trudi Hills, our Sector champion for banking, has been working with Macmillan to improve how the banking industry supports people when they receive a cancer diagnosis</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 9396 9398 question first answered 18/09/2017 15:41:29 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

758870

registered interest
date	07/09/2017
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	Social Security Benefits: Cancer
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure access to benefits for children and young people who have been diagnosed with cancer.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	9398
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2017 answer text <p>Children and young people with serious or critical illnesses such as cancer are able to apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) if they are aged under 16 or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if aged 16 and above. DLA and PIP are tax free allowances, which are designed to contribute to the extra costs incurred as a result of long-term health conditions and/or disabilities. Children and young people in receipt of DLA or PIP can receive up to £141.10 a week. Entitlement to DLA and PIP depends on the effects that severe disability has on a person’s life and not on a particular disability or diagnosis. This is because people living with the same illnesses or disabilities may not necessarily have the same care or mobility needs.</p><p> </p><p>Special considerations do however apply to children and adults who are terminally ill, and our arrangements recognise the particular difficulties faced by people who have only a short time to live. Their claims are fast-tracked and they are awarded the highest rate of the care component of DLA and the enhanced rate of the daily living component of PIP automatically without having to complete a qualifying period. This means that, if they claim straight away, they can get benefit as soon as they have been diagnosed as being terminally ill. The arrangements ensure that claims are dealt with quickly and sensitively. The legislation defines a person as terminally ill if ‘he suffers from a progressive disease and his death can reasonably be expected within six months’.</p><p> </p><p>People over the age of 16 who are unable to work due to an illness or disability can claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) which has both a contributory strand accessible via a National Insurance contribution test and an income-related strand accessible via an income test. For cancer sufferers, a light touch evidence gathering process exists, to help determine eligibility. There is also a presumption that claimants receiving or recovering from cancer treatment will be placed in the Support Group which could entitle them to up to £109.65 per week, subject to suitable evidence from a healthcare professional such as a GP or oncologist.</p><p> </p><p>Carers may also be able to qualify for Carer’s Allowance, which is currently £62.70 a week if they meet the eligibility criteria.</p><p> </p><p>Trudi Hills, our Sector champion for banking, has been working with Macmillan to improve how the banking industry supports people when they receive a cancer diagnosis</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 9396 9397 question first answered 18/09/2017 15:41:29 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

758313

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: 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 his Department has to reduce the disability employment gap.
tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
tabling member printed	Kate Green
uin	9245
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2017 answer text <p>The Government is committed to improving employment outcomes for disabled people. The manifesto commitment gives a clear and time-bound goal to achieve this, which is to see 1 million more disabled people into work over the next 10 years.</p><p> </p><p>Since quarter 1 2016, the number of working aged disabled people in employment has increased by around 170,000 to 3.5 million in quarter 1 2017. The disability employment rate has increased by over 2 percentage points and now stands at 49 per cent.</p><p> </p><p>The number of disabled people in employment, according to the Labour Force Survey, is publicly available here:</p><p><a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/datasets/labourmarketstatusofdisabledpeoplea08" target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/datasets/labourmarketstatusofdisabledpeoplea08</a></p><p> </p><p>We know that there is much more that needs to be done, so that everyone who can work is given the right support and opportunities to do so. That is why we published Improving Lives: the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper, which set out the action we plan to take to achieve this and start a far-reaching, national debate on what more we can do to ensure everyone is supported to reach their full potential. We are considering next steps, taking account of the Green Paper consultation, and will set out our response to this and future plans in due course, including supporting local effort and reporting arrangements.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 9126 9244 question first answered 14/09/2017 09:53:10 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green

768208

registered interest
date	10/10/2017
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	Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
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 introducing an assessment rate for personal independence payments during the appeals process.
tabling member constituency	Aberavon
tabling member printed	Stephen Kinnock
uin	107037
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2017 answer text <p>No assessment or costings exercise has been made in relation to introducing an assessment rate for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) during the appeal process. As for other decisions in law, a PIP decision persists until such time as an appeal against the decision is concluded. As PIP can be paid at one of eight different rates this means that those appealing against a successful award continue to be paid the level of PIP awarded by the Secretary of State during the appeal process.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 107038 question first answered 18/10/2017 11:08:44 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock

768220

registered interest
date	10/10/2017
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	Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
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 undertaken a costings exercise on introducing an assessment rate for personal independence payments claimants during the appeals process.
tabling member constituency	Aberavon
tabling member printed	Stephen Kinnock
uin	107038
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2017 answer text <p>No assessment or costings exercise has been made in relation to introducing an assessment rate for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) during the appeal process. As for other decisions in law, a PIP decision persists until such time as an appeal against the decision is concluded. As PIP can be paid at one of eight different rates this means that those appealing against a successful award continue to be paid the level of PIP awarded by the Secretary of State during the appeal process.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 107037 question first answered 18/10/2017 11:08:44 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock

768226

registered interest
date	10/10/2017
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	Access to Work Programme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to promote Access to Work.
tabling member constituency	Airdrie and Shotts
tabling member printed	Neil Gray
uin	106839
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2017 answer text <p>Although our approach has primarily been to work with Remploy and other partners and charities, using their effective networks and channels to reach potential recipients, we have also incurred some expenditure in marketing the scheme and the figures are set out below. We have also worked extensively to promote the Access to Work Scheme via Disability confident with stakeholders and partners such as the impairment specific charities and health practitioners.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Promotion of the Access to Work Scheme</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Spend</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>£3,960</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>£9,639</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The most recent published statistics show that the number of people who had any Access to Work provision approved in 2016/17 increased by nearly 8% from 2015/16.</p><p> </p><p>Access to work remains a demand led programme but the figures relating to the overall Access to Work spend are set out in the additional table below.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Spend on the Access to Work Scheme </strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>2015/16</p></td><td><p>2016/17</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total Access to Work programme spend</p></td><td><p><strong>£97.0m</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£96m</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£104m</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Associated admin costs</p></td><td><p>£8m</p></td><td><p>£7.0m</p></td><td><p>£8m</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Grand total</p></td><td><p><strong>£105m</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£103m</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>£112m</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest £m.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Our most recent official experimental statistics that providea breakdown of different disabilities and conditions for the number of people who had Access to Work provision approved can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/access-to-work-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/access-to-work-statistics</a>.</p><p>Finally, the information relating to how many applications were made and successful in England, Scotland and Wales in the last five years is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt grouped question UIN 106843 106844 106845 question first answered 18/10/2017 09:44:34 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
tabling member	4365 label Biography information for Neil Gray