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391323

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2015
	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	Poverty: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies <i>Living Standards, Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2015;</i> and how they plan to respond to the findings that nearly 63 per cent of British children living in poverty are in working families.
	tabling member printed	Lord Tyler
	uin	HL1667
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2015 answer text <p /> <p><strong> </strong></p><p>The recent IFS report is positive about the Government’s new approach to tackling the root causes of poverty: they said that “focusing on a broad range of inputs into life chances and causes of poverty is sensible.” They also add that “family worklessness certainly is a sensible thing to track if one wants to reduce the prevalence of low living standards.”</p><p> </p><p>This Government knows that work remains the best route out of poverty. Research shows that around three-quarters of poor children in families that move into full employment exit poverty. We are committed to supporting parents to move into work, increase their earnings, and keep more of what they earn. Universal Credit, our investment in childcare and the introduction of the National Living Wage will all play an important part.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also recognises that improving skills and progression is the key to making work pay. That is why under this Government we intend to create three million more apprenticeships over the next five years, and to help people move on to better jobs by improving qualifications and providing additional support through Jobcentre Plus.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 30/07/2015 13:27:22 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	225 label Biography information for Lord Tyler

390085

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2015
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average sum held in the pension funds of people who were enrolled in a pension scheme as part of the auto-enrolment process.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Greengross
	uin	HL1497
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The information is not available in the format requested.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Findings from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Wealth and Asset survey show that overall, the average (median) amount of wealth held in pensions not yet in payment was £33,000 in 2010/12. There is no breakdown available to show wealth held in funds created due to Automatic Enrolment.</p><p> </p><p>DWP’s annual official statistics on workplace pension participation found that in 2014, the annual total amount saved in workplace pensions by employees eligible for Automatic Enrolment was £80.3 billion, an increase of £6.6 billion from 2012.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 21/07/2015 14:04:34 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	2518 label Biography information for Baroness Greengross

417011

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2015
	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	National Insurance Credits: Carers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further steps they propose to encourage up-take of Carer’s Credit by those who are caring for others for 20 hours or more per week and who do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope
	uin	HL1931
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Ahead of the introduction of the new State Pension in April 2016, we are specifically encouraging people to find out how they could increase their new State Pension, including through National Insurance credits. This includes encouraging people who are eligible but may not be claiming carer’s credits at the moment. We are working with the media, local authorities, the NHS, voluntary organisations and charities, including carers’ organisations to promote material, including fact sheets and videos, ensuring the right information and advice is available on carer’s credits.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold information that would allow us to identify individuals who might be eligible for the carer’s credit. We use a range of methods to signpost the carer’s credit to individuals who contact us about other benefits who might be potentially eligible, including when someone has claimed but is not entitled to Carer’s Allowance. Departmental officials promote the carer’s credit at carers’ events, including Carer’s Week, and amongst support organisations. Information on the credits is available on the government’s website GOV.UK and also on carers’ organisations websites.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann grouped question UIN HL1932 question first answered 21/09/2015 14:47:53 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	635 label Biography information for Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope

392000

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2015
	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: Autism
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to increase the rate of full-time employment of adults with autism above the current level of 15 per cent.
	tabling member printed	Lord Turnberg
	uin	HL1763
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2015 answer text <p /> <p>DWP produced an Autism action-plan in 2013 to support the improvement of service provision and increase work opportunities for people with autism.</p><p> </p><p>DWP is a member of the Autism Programme Board and in response to the Think Autism strategy, we are working co-productively with a large number of stakeholders to implement a range of activities to support this remit - and ensure that staff are providing the best possible support to people with autism when looking for work.</p><p> </p><p>Promoting the employment of people with autism is also being taken forward as part of the Disability Confident campaign.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 04/08/2015 10:56:43 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	2537 label Biography information for Lord Turnberg

388028

	registered interest
	date	07/07/2015
	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	Welfare Assistance Schemes: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make the planned further £74 million of funding available to upper tier local authorities for local welfare assistance schemes in 2016–17.
	tabling member printed	Baroness King of Bow
	uin	HL1154
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Future arrangements for all local authority funding are a matter for the next Spending Review period and Local Government Finance Settlement consultations, which are led by DCLG. The outcome of these discussions will be made clear at the appropriate time.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 21/07/2015 16:13:16 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	143 label Biography information for Baroness King of Bow

349511

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2015
	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	Mesothelioma: Compensation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, with regard to the compensation payments awarded under the Mesothelioma Act 2014, what is their estimate of (1) the difference between the actuarial calculations on which they based their assumptions for payments of compensation and the payments now being made by insurance companies; and (2) how much such companies will save in each of the next 10 years compared with the original legislative assumptions.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL380
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>No actuarial calculations were carried out in relation to the payments that would be made by the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme. The tariff table, which sets out the rate of payment according to age at diagnosis, is based on an average of similar payments made under civil compensation.</p><p> </p><p>The Impact Assessment published in March 2014 estimated that £93.7m would be paid out by the Scheme in the first year of its operation, and £412.4m would be paid out over the first 10 years.</p><p> </p><p>Initial application volumes were lower than anticipated so the amount levied on the insurance industry for the period 2014/15 was £32m. It is too early to estimate what the application volumes will be over the next 10 years given volumes received to date. As this is a demand led scheme, the calculations for the levy are done afresh each year. An upturn in applications to the Scheme would result in a higher levy rate in future years.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 18/06/2015 13:31:33 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

417039

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2015
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people receive Carer’s Allowance in relation to care for a recipient of Employment Support Allowance who is (1) in the support group, and (2) in the work-related activity group.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Manzoor
	uin	HL1959
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2015 answer text <p /> <p>None.</p><p> </p><p>Payment of Employment and Support Allowance is not one of the benefits that can “trigger” payment of Carer’s Allowance.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 21/09/2015 14:48:05 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	4289 label Biography information for Baroness Manzoor

350106

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2015
	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	Sheep Dipping
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by George Eustice, Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on 10 June (HC Deb, col 136WH), who published the 1991 Health and Safety Executive report of an inquiry into sheep dipping; and to whom it was distributed.
	tabling member printed	The Countess of Mar
	uin	HL420
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The 1991 Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report presented the findings of a 1990 survey of sheep dipping and was published by HSE as an internal document in May 1991.</p><p> </p><p>The report was discussed at a meeting of the then Health and Safety Commission’s Agricultural Industry Advisory Committee (AIAC) working group, Chemicals In Agriculture (ChemAg), on 10 July 1991. The ChemAg working group membership included HSE, the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress and other industry organisations.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 18/06/2015 13:32:17 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	1861 label Biography information for The Countess of Mar

384513

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2015
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people they expect to find jobs as a result of the Disability Confident campaign.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Kennedy of Cradley
	uin	HL724
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The Disability Confident campaign makes the business case for recruiting and retaining more disabled people and aims to increase the number of employers taking positive action to be more disability confident. We are not able to measure the number of disabled people moving into employment as a direct result of it, but the campaign is an important contributor towards our commitment to halve the gap between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 06/07/2015 12:00:19 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	4303 label Biography information for Baroness Kennedy of Cradley

385303

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2015
	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	Pension Funds
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 7 January (HL Deb, col 432), when they plan to consult on improving transparency for pension savers regarding where their money is invested and how rights attached to it are being exercised; and when they plan to consider how secondary legislation could be used to ensure greater transparency for pension savers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Harrison
	uin	HL786
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The Government is committed to ensuring greater transparency for pension savers.</p><p> </p><p>From April this year, workplace schemes are required to report on the value delivered by costs and charges in their scheme for the first time. Building on this, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Financial Conduct Authority ran a joint Call for Evidence ‘Transaction Cost Disclosure: Improving Transparency in Workplace Pensions’, considering how transaction costs could be disclosed in a standardised way. This is the first phase of work required to meet duties under Section 44 of the Pensions Act 2014 to require transaction costs to be disclosed to members and others; and transaction costs and administration charges to be published. The Government is currently considering responses to the Call for Evidence.</p><p> </p><p>Transparency is not just about costs and charges. Earlier this year the Government consulted on changes to the Occupational Pension Schemes Investment Regulations requiring trustees to report how they take financial and non-financial factors into account when investing, and their schemes stewardship policy. The Government is currently considering responses to the consultation.</p><p> </p><p>The Government intends to consult on any secondary legislation required following these exercises later this year, and will consider what further proposals may be needed to ensure greater transparency for pension savers including consideration both of its duties under the Pensions Act 2014 and the remarks made in debates on 7 January.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 06/07/2015 12:06:11 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	2488 label Biography information for Lord Harrison

350105

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2015
	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	Prescribed Industrial Diseases
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many claims they have received for Prescribed Disease C3b in the last 10 years; and of these, how many were allowed.
	tabling member printed	The Countess of Mar
	uin	HL419
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The information as requested is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 18/06/2015 13:40:56 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	1861 label Biography information for The Countess of Mar

381048

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2015
	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	Mesothelioma: Compensation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of (1) the number of people who have received compensation under the terms of the Mesothelioma Act 2014 since the Act came into effect, and (2) the number of people projected to receive compensation in each of the next three years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wills
	uin	HL496
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>The information requested is available from the attached Impact Assessment for the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme which was published in March 2014 and sets out the anticipated levels of claims over the first 10 years of the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>The scheme has now been running since April 2014 with payments being made from July 2014. We will publish statistics on the number of claims made in 2014/15 in due course, and consider a review of the estimates made in the Impact Assessment in light of this data.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 23/06/2015 16:07:28 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann attachment 1 file name mesothelioma-payment-scheme-ia-mar-2014.pdf title Impact Assessment for Mesothelioma Payment Scheme
	tabling member	260 label Biography information for Lord Wills

349525

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2015
	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	Fuel Direct Scheme
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the affordability of a standard Fuel Direct rate of £3.70 for direct payments for arrears on fuel bills; and whether in setting that rate they considered (1) allowing some customers to pay a lower rate of direct deduction, and (2) allowing customers to pay by Fuel Direct for ongoing bills when they are not in arrears.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	uin	HL394
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Third Party Deduction is a long standing scheme of last resort where all other means of budgeting have been exhausted. Where the Secretary of State decides that it is in the claimant’s best interests to order repayment of the arrears he can do so. The scheme was introduced in the 1970’s to protect the vulnerable and their family, whilst not adding to their financial burden.</p><p> </p><p>Fuel Direct is set in legislation at 5% of their Personal Allowance, which is a fixed deduction of £3.70 for each element of fuel debt. This is considered to be the most appropriate level of repayment in order to clear the fuel debt arrears and to prevent enforcement action.</p><p> </p><p>Each year the amount of Third Party Deduction is re-assessed as part of The Social Security Up-rating Order.</p><p> </p><p>Once the arrears have been paid a person will usually be taken off the Fuel Direct scheme. In exceptional circumstances a person may be allowed to remain on the Fuel Direct scheme to help ensure that they don’t get into debt again.</p><p> </p><p>However Fuel Direct is not intended as a budgeting aid and the Governments main objective is to help people into employment, whilst encouraging them to be responsible for their own financial affairs, whether they are on benefit or not.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 18/06/2015 14:39:18 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

384516

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2015
	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	Families
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Altmann on 22 June, how they have calculated that £1 spent on advice yields approximately £11.50 in savings.
	tabling member printed	Lord West of Spithead
	uin	HL727
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p /> <p>This calculation was derived from an independent review commissioned by the Department for Education.</p><p> </p><p>The information is available in the Department for Education’s Relationship Support Interventions Evaluation, published in 2014. This sets out a detailed explanation of how the savings were calculated using a cost benefit analysis.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 06/07/2015 13:22:18 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	3834 label Biography information for Lord West of Spithead

435725

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2015
	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	Christmas Bonus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to change the £10 Christmas Bonus for pensioners.
	tabling member printed	Lord Brabazon of Tara
	uin	HL4300
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2015 answer text <p><strong>The Government has no plans to change the £10 Christmas Bonus.</strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 11/12/2015 11:52:28 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	3493 label Biography information for Lord Brabazon of Tara

437038

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2015
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Altmann on 4 December (HL3783) that the Personal Independence Payment assessment criteria were "designed in close collaboration with disabled people and disability groups", whether they will now take into account the responses to the consultation held separately between 24 June and 5 August 2013 on the moving around criteria.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
	uin	HL4504
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2015 answer text <p><strong>The full public consultation on the ‘Moving around’ activity of the mobility component closed on 5 August 2013. We received more than 1,100 responses. We carefully considered all the responses received, including the suggestions for alternative approaches. We published our response to the consultation on 21 October 2013.</strong></p><br /><p><strong>We believe the assessment criteria, including the 20 metres distance, are the best way of identifying those whose physical mobility is most limited, so we did not make any changes. However, we have strengthened the measures around the reliability criteria – we recognise these are a key protection for claimants.</strong></p><br /><p><strong>Our response to the consultation is annexed to this answer.</strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 21/12/2015 12:19:10 question first ministerially corrected 22/12/2015 14:16:11 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann attachment 1 file name Annex HL 4504.pdf title Annex "Moving around activity" previous answer version 36662 answering member printed Baroness Altmann answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

529943

	registered interest
	date	29/06/2016
	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	Stamp Duty Land Tax
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Altmann on 16 June (HL502), what provision is made for claimants suffering severe myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome who are housebound or bedbound and who are unable to attend a face-to-face consultation.
	tabling member printed	The Countess of Mar
	uin	HL871
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2016 answer text <p>A home consultation can be offered where a claimant is unable to travel to a consultation as a result of their health condition or impairment.</p><p> </p><p>Situations where a claimant may need a home consultation can include where a person’s diagnosis suggests a significant disability that may make travel extremely difficult or the claimant provides evidence from a health professional that they are unable to travel due to their health condition or impairment.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 13/07/2016 15:08:42 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	1861 label Biography information for The Countess of Mar

386491

	registered interest
	date	30/06/2015
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure the availability of Access to Work grants for those who especially need them to start working.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Uddin
	uin	HL986
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2015 answer text <p>Access to Work grants are available for those who meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme including those who are about to start working. Access to Work has specialist teams to ensure more complicated cases are processed as quickly as possible and fast track applications for those who know their circumstances or have a prior assessment enabling support to be put in place quickly.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 08/07/2015 11:37:14 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	1827 label Biography information for Baroness Uddin

439078

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2015
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Access to Work scheme can fund, or help fund, the installation of a disabled toilet in a workplace.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
	uin	HL4624
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2015 answer text <p>Access to Work is able to help with adaptations to Premises and Equipment.</p><br /><p>In all cases where adaptations to premises are required, advisers will look to see what reasonable adjustment has first been made in accordance with employers obligations under the Equality Act.</p><p>Dependent on the size of the business, an employer contribution may also be sought.</p><p><strong></strong></p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 22/12/2015 16:09:58 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

417012

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2015
	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	National Insurance Credits: Carers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to assess all data held by the Department for Work and Pensions to identify those who may be eligible for Carer’s Credit with a view to introducing a media campaign to increase public awareness of entitlement to it.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope
	uin	HL1932
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2015 answer text <p>Ahead of the introduction of the new State Pension in April 2016, we are specifically encouraging people to find out how they could increase their new State Pension, including through National Insurance credits. This includes encouraging people who are eligible but may not be claiming carer’s credits at the moment. We are working with the media, local authorities, the NHS, voluntary organisations and charities, including carers’ organisations to promote material, including fact sheets and videos, ensuring the right information and advice is available on carer’s credits.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold information that would allow us to identify individuals who might be eligible for the carer’s credit. We use a range of methods to signpost the carer’s credit to individuals who contact us about other benefits who might be potentially eligible, including when someone has claimed but is not entitled to Carer’s Allowance. Departmental officials promote the carer’s credit at carers’ events, including Carer’s Week, and amongst support organisations. Information on the credits is available on the government’s website GOV.UK and also on carers’ organisations websites.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann grouped question UIN HL1931 question first answered 21/09/2015 14:47:53 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	635 label Biography information for Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope

532337

	registered interest
	date	04/07/2016
	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	Teachers: Training
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether all Personal Independence Payment assessment centres are accessible for disabled people.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
	uin	HL934
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2016 answer text <p>All Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment sites must be fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010 with suitable ground floor accommodation available. The assessment providers are required to ensure that the needs of all PIP claimants are considered, including proximity to public transport routes and access to suitable parking.</p><p>Before attending a face-to-face consultation, claimants are informed that they can alert their assessment provider of any additional requirements that they may have and the providers will meet any such reasonable requests.<strong> </strong></p><p>Where appropriate, assessments may also be carried out in a claimant’s home.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 11/07/2016 13:58:41 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

511514

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2016
	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	Swine Flu: Vaccination
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the publication in <i>SLEEP </i>on 1 February of the epidemiological study into the association between the 2009 pandemic H1N1 vaccine and narcolepsy in adults (Pub Med identifier 26856903), whether the Department for Work and Pensions will now reverse its decisions to refuse applications for compensation for adults under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 on the grounds of a lack of evidence of causation, and if not, on what basis they continue to dispute causation for adults.
	tabling member printed	Lord Moynihan
	uin	HL7556
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2016 answer text <p>All claims under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme are decided on the basis of each claimant’s individual circumstances, and in light of the latest scientific evidence on the possible effects of vaccines. The Department monitors research in this area. We are aware of the latest evidence and are studying it carefully. Where new evidence comes to light which suggests that an earlier decision was incorrect, the claimant may ask the Department to look at its decision again within the statutory time limits.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 26/04/2016 16:34:09 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	924 label Biography information for Lord Moynihan

431533

	registered interest
	date	23/11/2015
	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	New Businesses: Disability
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support is available for disabled entrepreneurs.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL3796
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2015 answer text <p>Anyone, including disabled people, can apply for financial and practical help through the Government’s Start Up Loans scheme.</p><br /><p>Access to Work, which helps people with a disability or health condition to stay in work or start work, now features a new specialist self-employment team to support entrepreneurs and the self-employed.</p><br /><p>Unemployed potential entrepreneurs, including those with disabilities or health conditions, can talk to their Jobcentre Plus Work Coach, or where appropriate, Disability Employment Adviser (DEA), regarding national programmes like Work Choice, Work Programme and the new Specialist Employability Support. These programmes offer tailored services which can include practical support and advice for becoming self-employed.</p><br /><p>Work coaches can also refer claimants, including disabled clients, to the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA). Over 73,000 new businesses have started up through the scheme and 20% of NEA business starts have been made by disabled people. Disabled jobseekers who are accepted onto the NEA scheme may also be entitled to receive an Access to Work grant.</p><br /> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 04/12/2015 10:38:42 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

470650

	registered interest
	date	14/03/2016
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Personal Independent Payment claimants have so far been awarded the top level of mobility support; and of those, what percentage were awarded that support as a result of points from (1) the "planning and following a journey" activity, (2) the "moving around" activity, or (3) a combination of the two.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Doocey
	uin	HL6990
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2016 answer text <p>At the end of January 2016 there were 218,279 people in receipt of the enhanced rate mobility component of PIP. The latest available data on the proportion of awards of the enhanced rate mobility component by activity are in the table below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Activities/scores</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>12 or more points on the “planning and following a journey” activity</p></td><td><p>19%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>12 or more points on the “moving around” activity</p></td><td><p>51%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>12 or more points on both “moving around” and “planning and following a journey”</p></td><td><p>5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>12 or more points from a combination of these activities.</p></td><td><p>25%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><em>Notes:</em></p><p><em>Figures relate to Normal Rules assessments only.</em></p><p><em>Data at 31 December 2015.</em></p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 30/03/2016 14:44:24 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	4197 label Biography information for Baroness Doocey

425843

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2015
	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	Pension Funds
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in encouraging small pension funds in the United Kingdom to amalgamate or co-operate in order to be able to compete with larger international pension funds in the purchase of suitable assets.
	tabling member printed	Lord Empey
	uin	HL3241
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2015 answer text <p>Automatic enrolment is driving scale in pension provision and the clear trend is towards larger schemes which are better able to take advantage of the economies of scale including better access to a wider range of investment vehicles.</p><p>The Government fully supports the concrete steps the pensions industry has taken to cooperate on investment strategies – for example, the Pensions Infrastructure Platform (PIP) launched in February last year, and the London Collective Investment Vehicle (CIV) currently under development by a number of local authorities’ pension schemes in London.</p><p>Moreover, the Government will also work with the Local Government Pension Scheme Administering Authorities more widely to ensure that they pool investments to reduce costs significantly, while maintaining overall investment performance.</p><p>Trustees and managers are ultimately responsible for making investment decisions in the best interests of scheme members, and the Government recognises the challenges of the current economic environment for scheme funding. The Pensions Regulator sets out on an annual basis its key messages on current market conditions and how trustees and employers can agree appropriate funding plans that protect members’ benefits without undermining the sustainable growth of the employer.</p><p>Ministers continue to meet regularly with key stakeholders from the pensions industry to understand better the range of challenges facing schemes and employers and will consider whether there are further steps the Government could take.</p> answering member printed Baroness Altmann question first answered 17/11/2015 17:53:48 answering member 4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann
	tabling member	4216 label Biography information for Lord Empey