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1124942

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2019
	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: 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 she is taking to ensure that universal credit phone-line staff are adequately trained to understand the complex needs of claimants suffering with cancer.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	251218
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2019 answer text <p>All DWP staff delivering Universal Credit undergo a comprehensive learning journey designed to equip them with the tools, skills and behaviours required to provide a high quality service to all claimants, including those who have cancer and other serious health conditions. Colleagues receive on-going learning in their roles and have access to Universal Credit guidance which is refreshed at regular intervals.</p><p> </p><p>The Department takes seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants. We are committed to ensuring that people who have cancer are treated with the upmost sensitivity and care, when making a claim to Universal Credit.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people who claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is accessible and responsive to their needs. This includes how they are identified and supported, either from our own staff or via referrals from local services. For instance, when a claimant is asked to attend a Work Capability Assessment, they are required to complete a UC50 questionnaire which incorporates a 'light touch' evidence gathering process for cancer patients; and makes clear that Clinical Nurse Specialists and consultants can provide information on the form.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 14/05/2019 13:32:02 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1123433

	registered interest
	date	26/04/2019
	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: Older Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to (a) tackle age-bias in recruitment and (b) ensure that older workers are offered training and development opportunities.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	247988
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2019 answer text <p>The Equality Act 2010, provides strong protection against direct and indirect age discrimination in employment and makes it unlawful for an employer or an employment service provider such as a recruitment agency, to discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of their age or perceived age. This applies both where the employer is making arrangements to fill a job, and in respect of anything done during the course of a person’s employment. To be lawful, any differential treatment based on age must be objectively justified.</p><p> </p><p>In February 2017, The Government published a strategy ‘Fuller Working Lives: A Partnership Approach’. The Strategy is led by employers, but also sets out the case for action by individuals, and the role of Government in supporting older workers to remain in and return to work. The Strategy and supporting evidence base are available on the gov.uk website.</p><p>DWP also work closely with the Business in the Community and Older Workers Champion to promote the Fuller Working Lives strategy with employers.</p><p> </p><p>The number of workers aged 50 and over currently in employment is at a record high of 10.4 million, an increase of 1.4 million over the last 5 years and an increase of 2.5 million over the last 10 years.</p><p> </p><p>Further to the Fuller Working Lives strategy, through the National Retraining Partnership, the Government is developing the National Retraining Scheme, which is an ambitious, far-reaching programme to drive adult retraining. It will help individuals to respond to the changing labour market, redirect their careers and secure better, more secure jobs of the future. Its focus will be on supporting those adults whose occupations are most at risk of technological change, to provide them with new skills to move into more sustainable career.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 01/05/2019 13:57:09 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1122634

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2019
	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	Ceramics: Staffordshire
	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 support potters in North Staffordshire facing redundancy.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	246952
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>DWP organised and facilitated a support event on 16<sup>th</sup> April 2019 for those people affected by the redundancies at Dudson. We have built excellent links with the ceramic confederation, local authorities, Citizens Advice, ACAS, local providers and employers. As a result, the Department is in a position to provide tailored support to those who need it. This ensures they have the correct financial, pension, employment and up to date benefit advice as well as direct contact with employers who have expressed a keen interest in recruiting Dudson ex-employees. Following the event, all stakeholders are working together collectively to help the community in Stoke-on-Trent. People were assured that all the stakeholders in attendance were there to support them.</p><p> </p><p>All Dudson ex-employees were invited through DWP and the administrator to the City Wide Jobs fair held at Stoke-on-Trent college on the 18<sup>th</sup> April 2019. Around 54 employers and partners were in attendance with an estimated 1,800 jobs available. 20 Job interviews were conducted on the day, with 15 job contracts being offered the following day.</p><p> </p><p>BBC Radio Stoke reported live from the event encouraging people to come and be part of the day. They also interviewed a few ex-employees of Dudson who reported that it was a great opportunity to talk to employers in sectors they had not previously considered.</p><p> </p><p>We have explained that help to claim support is available through Citizens Advice to ensure customers are making the appropriate claim.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, we organised daily group sessions for the 3 days immediately following the announcement of redundancies from Dudson to manage the increased footfall and queries. 50 people attended these sessions where they were given advice regarding benefits, budgeting and CV’s.</p><p> </p><p>There are 54 people still employed by Dudson so over the next few weeks and months as other parts of the business close we may see additional claims within North Staffs. These people will also be offered the same support.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 29/04/2019 17:10:43 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1122166

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2019
	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	Age: Discrimination
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce ageism in the workplace.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	245681
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2019 answer text <p>The Equality Act 2010, provides strong protection against direct and indirect age discrimination in employment and makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee or a job applicant because of their age, unless the employer can justify it as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.</p><p> </p><p>Government has put in place a number of measures to support people of all ages to enter and remain in a workplace.</p><p> </p><p>We have taken steps to support younger workers by introducing the Youth Obligation Support Programme, an intensive package of labour market support for 18-21 year-olds looking to get (back) into work. We are committed to providing targeted support for young people, so that everyone, no matter what their start in life, is given the very best chance of getting into work. In April 2019, Mentoring circles were rolled out nationally, which involve national employers offering specialised support to unemployed, young jobseekers to help build their confidence and raise their aspirations.</p><p>To support older workers to remain in or return to the labour market, the Government has removed the Default Retirement Age meaning most people can choose when to retire, and extended the right to request flexible working to all employees with 26 weeks’ continuous service with their employer.</p><p>In February 2017, the UK Government published “Fuller Working Lives: a partnership approach” to set out the role employers, individuals and Government can play in supporting fuller working lives. <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/587654/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/587654/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach.pdf</a></p><p>The Government has also appointed the Business In The Community (BITC) Age at Work leadership team as Business Champion for Older Workers. The BITC team of employers spearhead the Government’s work to support employers to retain, retrain and recruit older workers. They actively promote the benefits of older workers to employers across England.</p><p>The number of older workers in employment is at a record high. There are now 10.4 million people aged 50 and over in the workforce.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 30/04/2019 11:19:34 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1110304

	registered interest
	date	08/04/2019
	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: Children
	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 Child Poverty Action Group's recent report on universal credit, published on 6 April 2019, what assessment she has made of the two-child limit policy on compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	242040
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2019 answer text <p>The Government has assessed the impact of the two-child policy from an equality and human rights perspective throughout its development and in preparation for its implementation. Therefore, we consider that we have met our obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty and ensured compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the UN convention on the Rights of the Child.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s view is that providing support for a maximum of two children in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit, ensures fairness between claimants, and to those taxpayers who support themselves solely through work. Families on benefits should face the same financial choices when deciding to grow their family as those supporting themselves solely through work. A benefits structure adjusting automatically to family size is unsustainable.</p><p> </p><p>The Government continues to take action to help families with the cost of living, including raising the national living wage, reducing the UC earnings taper, raising the income tax personal allowance, introducing tax-free childcare and 30 hours a week of free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 11/04/2019 13:29:04 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1086678

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	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, what steps his Department is taking to help support (a) older people and (b) people with (i) mental and (ii) physical health conditions to transition to universal credit.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	230646
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>The Department is committed to ensuring that all claimants, especially the most vulnerable, are supported as they move onto Universal Credit.</p><p>Claimants, including vulnerable claimants and those with mental and physical health conditions, can receive continuous tailored support managed through work coaches. DWP staff working with claimants complete extensive training that prepares them for their role. Specific training is provided for working with different vulnerable groups, with guidance to signpost claimants to relevant support, and these circumstances will be recorded on a claimant’s online account. We have started to deliver additional training in mental health that will help work coaches to build their expertise and provide the most effective support.</p><p>We take a number of steps to identify individuals who will need support in making a claim to Universal Credit. For example, we identify claimants either prior to or at the initial claim stage, to discuss what support mechanisms need to be in place to make a claim. This can be through discussions with their Work Coach, the Universal Credit helpline and/or through home visits.</p><p>From April 2019 Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland will deliver a new ‘Help to Claim’ service to claimants, including the most vulnerable, who are making a new Universal Credit claim or moving from a legacy benefit to Universal Credit because of a change of circumstances. The Help to Claim service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time. This service will be available online, over the phone and face to face through local Citizens Advice services.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 14/03/2019 17:03:18 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly