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1196207

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2020
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Press Conferences: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2020 to Question 41211, whether the Government is taking steps to make it possible for under-18s to submit questions for the Government’s Covid-19 press conferences.
	tabling member constituency	Nottingham East
	tabling member printed	Nadia Whittome
	uin	47495
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/06/2020 answer text <p>We are mindful of the importance and value of young people being able to contribute their views on how the Government, and the country, can collectively tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p>Notwithstanding, I would note that members of the public who ask questions, particularly those who are filmed, place themselves in the public eye to a significant extent – both on television, but also subsequently are subject to comment on social media.</p><p>There are practical issues with children being subjected to such scrutiny, without parental consent and involvement. As it stands, parents and carers can ask questions on behalf of under-18s as a way for them to participate in the daily press conferences.</p><p>The Government is actively considering alternative options for under-18s to submit questions to ministers. For example, we have organised a virtual assembly in conjunction with NSPCC, hosted by Ant &amp; Dec where the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families will answer questions from children on our response to Covid-19.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 03/06/2020 17:30:12 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 23068 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4869 label Biography information for Nadia Whittome

1355752

	registered interest
	date	15/09/2021
	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 Social Security Benefits: Learning Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps is she taking to improve the collection of benefit and employment data about people with a learning disability within her Department.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	50104
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2021 answer text <p>The Department collects data in relation to people with a learning disability where it is relevant to their claim to certain health and disability benefits, as well as making use of the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey.</p><p> </p><p>The Department regularly publishes these statistics for those claiming Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance, and these can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p><p> </p><p>Detailed information about the primary disability of those on Universal Credit receiving the Limited Capability for Work or Limited Capability for Work Related Activity element, and those receiving Employment and Support Allowance is not readily available and has not previously been published.</p><p> </p><p>The Department already publishes annual Official Statistics on the employment of disabled people. These include employment levels and rates for disabled people with severe or specific learning difficulties.</p><p> </p><p>The data can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-employment-of-disabled-people" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-employment-of-disabled-people</a></p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 20/10/2021 13:33:01 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 22438 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1355756

	registered interest
	date	15/09/2021
	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, what recent assessment she made of the change in average waiting time for decision on personal independence payments (a) applications and (b) appeals.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	50108
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/09/2021 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring that people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner and reducing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the Department. We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all available evidence.</p><p> </p><p>Processing times can vary reflecting factors including customer demand, operational resource and timescales for different parts of the process. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused distortion and work is ongoing to manage the recovery. This includes allowing a longer deadline for return of the PIP2 questionnaire for claims made between late February and late May 2021; these claims have now started to reach clearance.</p><p> </p><p>Processing times for new PIP claims in July 2021 (most recent data available) are similar to levels a year ago.</p><p> </p><p>The latest published statistics show that the waiting time for PIP appeals has come down: the average waiting time for PIP Tribunals in April to June 2021 was 27 weeks, a decrease of 4 weeks compared to the same quarter in the previous year.</p><p> </p><p>In the vast majority of PIP cases DWP makes the right decision, meaning they never go to appeal, and through recent improvements to our decision-making we are ensuring that disabled people get all the support they are entitled to as quickly as possible. DWP and HMCTS, who administer social security appeals, continue to work together to reduce the length of time it takes for appeals to be heard. Where appeals are made, waiting times generally can fluctuate temporarily and geographically, owing to a number of variable factors, including volumes of benefit decisions made locally, availability of medical/disability members, venue capacity and the complexity of the issue in dispute. Any disparity in waiting times is monitored and investigated locally.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 23/09/2021 10:11:03 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 22440 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1356235

	registered interest
	date	16/09/2021
	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: 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 measure the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on people with disabilities.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	50733
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2021 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring all disabled people can play a full role in society. That is why we published the National Disability Strategy on 28 July which takes into account the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on disabled people and focuses on the issues that disabled people say affect them the most in all aspects of life.</p><p> </p><p>The impact of COVID-19 on disabled people, and those with health conditions, continues to be monitored across Government using a range of sources including regular engagement with disabled people and disability stakeholders to ensure the needs of disabled people are considered in the Government’s response to, and recovery from COVID-19</p><p> </p><p>The Disability Unit is also working with the Office for National Statistics to improve our understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people.</p><p> </p><p>We are learning as much as we can, as quickly as we can about this virus, who it affects and how best to keep everyone safe from it and protect those who may be more vulnerable than others.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 24/09/2021 12:33:49 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 22844 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1356291

	registered interest
	date	16/09/2021
	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, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) challenges and (b) merits of personal independence payment phone assessments.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	50698
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/09/2021 answer text <p>During the coronavirus pandemic, we carried out assessments by telephone as a temporary measure. The feedback on telephone assessments has so far been positive: in a recent survey published by the Department, the majority of people who had a telephone assessment for PIP or for their WCA were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’.</p><p> </p><p>In Shaping Future Support: The Health and Disability Green Paper, we are consulting on the use of telephone and video assessments as an alternative to face-to-face in the future and want to fully evaluate their effectiveness. We have asked for views about the different ways to provide assessments, and how to improve telephone assessments to ensure they are as accurate and effective as possible. It is important that people continue to receive consistent and accurate decisions irrespective of the type of assessment they go through.</p><p> </p><p>DWP Survey results of claimants who have received a telephone assessment are published here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/claimant-experience-of-telephone-based-health-assessments-for-pip-esa-and-uc" target="_blank">Claimant experience of telephone-based health assessments for PIP, ESA and UC - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 23/09/2021 10:07:23 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 22840 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1356292

	registered interest
	date	16/09/2021
	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, whether her Department plans to provide personal independence payment claimants with a choice of being assessed by phone or face-to-face; and if her Department will take steps to help ensure that claimants can make an informed choice about how they would prefer to be assessed.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	50699
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/09/2021 answer text <p>In Shaping Future Support: The Health &amp; Disability Green Paper, we are consulting on the use of telephone and video assessments as an alternative to face-to-face in the future. We have asked for views about the different ways to provide assessments, and how to improve telephone assessments to ensure they are as accurate and effective as possible.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 23/09/2021 14:19:13 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 22841 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1356297

	registered interest
	date	16/09/2021
	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 and what proportion of personal independence claimants had their award changed at mandatory reconsideration stage following (a) an assessment by phone and (b) a face-to-face assessment between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
	tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
	uin	50704
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/09/2021 answer text <p>The specific information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost. Telephone assessments were not used before late March 2020. For the two providers of medical assessments this was on 23<sup>rd</sup> March 2020 (Capita) and 6<sup>th</sup> April 2020 (IAS) respectively. Therefore, the vast majority of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments for 2019-20 would have been face-to-face, with some paper based assessments.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The available information on PIP Mandatory Reconsiderations (MRs) and appeals in relation to Personal Independence Payment is published here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-statistics-to-july-2021" target="_blank">Personal Independence Payment statistics to July 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 23/09/2021 10:03:22 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 22842 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1356346

	registered interest
	date	16/09/2021
	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	Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications her Department has received under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 in respect of covid-19 vaccines; how many applications have been (a) rejected and (b) accepted; and how many staff are engaged in processing those applications.
	tabling member constituency	Christchurch
	tabling member printed	Sir Christopher Chope
	uin	50608
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2021 answer text <p>The Department has received 437 applications under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 in respect of Covid-19 vaccines. All applications have been acknowledged and no applications have been rejected. All applications are subject to medical assessment to identify if, in light of all the available evidence, it is more probable than not that there is a link between vaccination and disablement.</p><p> </p><p>Side effects of COVID-19 vaccines are rare and scientific understanding is continuing to grow. Following discussion with Department of Health and Social Care, DWP have now started the evidence gathering process for COVID-19 claims to allow the clinical assessment to happen, where the evidence has reached a position where a decision can be confidently made.</p><p> </p><p>There are currently four members of DWP staff processing vaccine damage claims. The team are responsible for processing Child and Adult flu vaccination claims as well as recording, acknowledging and commencing the evidence gathering process on COVID-19 claims NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) will take over the administration of the VDPS on November 1<sup>st</sup> 2021. In preparation for this, NHSBSA will be recruiting and training additional resource to undertake the administration of VDPS claims. DHSC own the policy.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 25/10/2021 14:52:00 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 22839 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

1356349

	registered interest
	date	16/09/2021
	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	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a phased approach for the reduction of carers allowance payments to claimants who permanently stop their caring duties, as a means of reducing the potential for financial hardship.
	tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
	tabling member printed	Ben Lake
	uin	50750
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p>Entitlement to Carer's Allowance can continue for up to eight weeks following the death of the disabled person who was being cared for. This eight-week run-on helps carers who have recently been bereaved by giving them some time to adapt to their new circumstances.</p><p /><p>When caring ceases for any reason, carers may have access to means-tested and other benefits depending upon their circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 28/09/2021 14:00:50 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 22843 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1356507

	registered interest
	date	17/09/2021
	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	Government Departments: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to update the list of Departmental Ministerial Disability Champions as announced in the National Disability Strategy after the Government reshuffle on 15 September 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Stalybridge and Hyde
	tabling member printed	Jonathan Reynolds
	uin	50979
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2021 answer text <p>The updated list of Departmental Ministerial Disability Champions will be announced shortly, and published on GOV.UK.</p><p>Ministerial Disability Champions drive the delivery of the National Disability Strategy in their respective departments.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 24/09/2021 16:02:37 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 23155 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4119 label Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds