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1216234

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2020
	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, for what reason employment and support allowance was not increased in line with the uplift in universal credit in March 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
	tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
	uin	62688
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government has announced a suite of measures that can be quickly and effectively operationalised to benefit those facing the most financial disruption during the pandemic. The Department was experiencing significantly increased demand and had to prioritise the safety and stability of the benefits system overall. The IT system which supports Universal Credit has more capacity to make the necessary changes than the systems that support legacy benefits. It also uses different technology from other DWP systems and these older systems have complex interactions and interdependencies. We estimate that 2.5m households receiving Universal Credit will have benefited straight away from the increase in the standard allowances which was announced on 20 March, and which is additional to the planned annual uprating. New claimants who have either become unemployed, or whose earnings or work hours have decreased because of the outbreak, will benefit too; subject to their eligibility.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>We have also made a number of changes to legacy and other working age benefits in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including increasing certain entitlements, such as Local Housing Allowance. Up-to-date information about the employment and benefits support available, including Employment and Support Allowance, can be found here: <a href="https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/employment-and-benefits-support/" target="_blank">https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/employment-and-benefits-support/</a></p><p> </p><p>Taken together, DWP’s pandemic measures represent an injection of over £6.5 billion into the welfare system and, along with the other job and business support programmes announced by the Chancellor, represent one of the most comprehensive packages of support introduced by an advanced economy in response to COVID19.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 30/06/2020 15:29:13 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1121966

	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	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, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2018 to Question 142518 on Employment and Support Allowance, whether any subsequent changes have been made to the ESA65B letter to inform doctors that they should continue to provide fit notes for claimants if they are appealing a decision or their condition worsens.
	tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
	tabling member printed	Alan Brown
	uin	245887
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>I refer the right honourable member to Parliamentary Question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons%2clords&amp;uin=239928" target="_blank">239928</a> answered on 8<sup>th</sup> April 2019.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 29/04/2019 13:26:00 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

1129322

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	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 and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many ESA65B letters her Department sent to GPs in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	259436
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on the number of ESA65B letters sent to GPs.</p><p>The ESA65B letter is normally automatically issued to GPs by the Department’s IT system in every case where an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant has been found ‘fit for work’ following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).</p><p>If a claimant states that they do not agree to information about the determination of their WCA being shared with their GP, the claim will be maintained clerically and the papers noted that the letter is not to be issued.</p><p>The latest ESA statistics, which show the number of claimants found fit for work, can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 11/06/2019 11:53:12 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1184576

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2020
	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, with reference to the Minister for Disabled People’s letter of 3 May 2019 to the former hon. Member for Kensington apologising for his predecessor’s incorrect answers on who authorised the revision to the original wording of the ESA65B letters to employment and support allowance claimants’ GPs, when her Department first sought the advice of the Cabinet Office on proposed revised wording.
	tabling member constituency	Poplar and Limehouse
	tabling member printed	Apsana Begum
	uin	28729
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2020 answer text <p>The Department first consulted with the Cabinet Office on revising the ESA65B letter in November 2014.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 18/03/2020 15:26:57 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4790 label Biography information for Apsana Begum

1184577

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2020
	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, with reference to the Minister for Disabled People’s letter of 3 May 2019 apologising for his predecessor’s incorrect answers in March and May 2018 on who authorised the revision to the original wording of the ESA65B letters to employment and support allowance claimants’ GPs, for what reasons that was not corrected in the Answers of (a) 6 June 2018 to Question 146986, (b) 3 July 2019 to Question 155401 and (c) 22 March 2019 to Question 234145.
	tabling member constituency	Poplar and Limehouse
	tabling member printed	Apsana Begum
	uin	28730
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2020 answer text <p>For clarity, and following checks with the Table Office, it appears question UIN 155401 referenced in part (b) of the question was answered on 3 July 2018.</p><p> </p><p>The relevant Parliamentary Questions were corrected with a letter to the Member for Kensington which was issued on 3 May 2019 and a copy placed in the House Library.</p><p> </p><p>It was decided to make the correction this way because of the time that had elapsed since the original answers were given, and to provide a correction to all of the answers at once to avoid potential confusion. They cannot now be amended on the Parliament Q&amp;A System because we are now in a different Parliamentary session.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 20/03/2020 11:17:43 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4790 label Biography information for Apsana Begum

1132836

	registered interest
	date	18/06/2019
	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 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 estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of employment support allowance back-payments owed to claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North West
	tabling member printed	Carol Monaghan
	uin	266163
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>Latest published forecasts of arrears owed to ESA claimants underpaid on conversion from Incapacity Benefit are available here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esa-underpayments-forecast-numbers-affected-forecast-expenditure-and-progress-on-checking/esa-underpayments-forecast-numbers-affected-forecast-expenditure-and-progress-on-checking" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esa-underpayments-forecast-numbers-affected-forecast-expenditure-and-progress-on-checking/esa-underpayments-forecast-numbers-affected-forecast-expenditure-and-progress-on-checking</a></p><p> </p><p>The most recent published information on arrears already paid to claimants affected by underpayments on conversion from Incapacity Benefit is available here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esa-underpayments-forecast-numbers-affected-forecast-expenditure-and-progress-on-checking/may-2019-esa-underpayments-progress-on-checking" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esa-underpayments-forecast-numbers-affected-forecast-expenditure-and-progress-on-checking/may-2019-esa-underpayments-progress-on-checking</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/06/2019 12:21:28 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4443 label Biography information for Carol Monaghan

1109161

	registered interest
	date	02/04/2019
	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 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 bodies record how many ESA65B letters have been sent to GPs in (a) the Brighton and Hove area (b) other areas since the wording of that letter was revised; and if he will take steps to obtain and publish that information.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	239929
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information on the number of ESA65B letters sent to GPs.</p><p>The ESA65B letter is normally automatically issued to GPs by the Department’s IT system in every case where an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimant has been found ‘fit for work’ following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).</p><p>If a claimant states that they do not agree to information about the determination of their WCA being shared with their GP, the claim will be maintained clerically and the papers noted that the letter is not to be issued.</p><p>The latest ESA statistics, which show the number of claimants found fit for work, can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 08/04/2019 16:18:41 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1134605

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	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 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 recent estimate she has made of the proportion of claimants of employment support allowance that have a mental illness as their primary impairment.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	268984
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>However, information on the number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants by high level medical conditions, including Mental and Behavioural disorders, is published here:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance for users is available 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> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 02/07/2019 16:30:22 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1172878

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2020
	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, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the Seventh Report of the Work and Pensions Committee, PIP and ESA assessments, Session 2017–19, in relation to the issue of new guidance to ESA assessors.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Dame Diana Johnson
	uin	7161
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2020 answer text <p>The Department, in conjunction with the assessment provider (the Centre for Health &amp; Disability Assessments (CHDA)), regularly reviews the guidance provided to Health Care Professionals (HCPs) conducting Work Capability Assessments. The guidance in place for HCPs, in relation to a request for a home visit, states that they can consider evidence from the claimant’s GP or from other health professionals involved in their care.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, DWP has been working with CHDA to identify potential new approaches to determining home visit eligibility with the aim of reducing the need to request evidence from claimants in the future.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 30/01/2020 11:37:46 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1316313

	registered interest
	date	19/05/2021
	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 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 plans her Department has to amend the employment and support allowance eligibility to include claimants who have been unable to pay National Insurance contributions as a result of shielding.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	3874
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2021 answer text <p>We have no plans to amend the National Insurance (NI) contributions conditions for contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).</p><p>Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals advised to ‘shield’ in line with public health guidance were eligible for ESA and would have received NI credits as part of their award. Where an individual required further financial assistance they may have been eligible for Universal Credit.</p><p>In addition, employers could and still can furlough clinically extremely vulnerable employees, who remain eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) even whilst shielding guidance is not in place. Individuals continue to pay NI contributions as normal as part of CJRS.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 24/05/2021 13:53:56 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis