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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

1221892

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2020
	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, how long an employment and support allowance decision is valid for.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston and Surbiton
	tabling member printed	Sir Edward Davey
	uin	70956
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2020 answer text <p>An award of income-related ESA will be an indefinite award but it’s continued receipt is subject to the claimant meeting all the conditions of entitlement, and in particular that they continue to have, or be treated as having, Limited Capability for Work (LCW) or Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity (LCWRA).</p><p> </p><p>An award of contributory ESA is for a period of 12 months except where the claimant has LCWRA. Where the claimant continues to have or is treated as having LCWRA the award will be indefinite subject to the claimant meeting all the conditions of entitlement.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 13/07/2020 16:03:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	188 label Biography information for Ed Davey

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

1607893

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2023
	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 Employment Support Allowance claimants are in (a) the Work-Related Activity Group and (b) the Support Group on the basis of substantial risk.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	174376
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/04/2023 answer text <p>Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants can be placed in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) or the Support Group (SG) on the basis of substantial risk to the physical or mental health of any person, as set out in the regulations 29 (2[b]) and 35(2) of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 (SI 794).</p><p> </p><p>The table below shows the latest available number of claimants with ESA in payment in the WRAG and SG, who have been placed in those groups following a recommendation from a health professional following a Work Capability Assessment (WCA), that they be placed in those groups on the basis of physical or mental health risk.</p><p> </p><p>Data on cases that are placed in the WRAG or SG on the basis of physical or mental health risk by the DWP decision maker, after reconsideration or after appeal (where that was not the recommendation of the health professional undertaking the WCA), are held, but could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Claimants with ESA in payment, Aug-22</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Support Group - Physical or Mental Health Risk</p></td><td><p>253,100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>WRAG - Physical or Mental Health Risk</p></td><td><p>24,500</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 04/04/2023 13:08:22 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1503892

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2022
	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 and what proportion of people affected by the underpayment of benefits after transitioning from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance have (a) applied for and (b) received compensation; and whether her Department has contacted every person eligible for compensation.
	tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
	tabling member printed	Ben Lake
	uin	45546
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2022 answer text <p>The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 07/09/2022 11:21:16 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4630 label Biography information for Ben Lake

1504555

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2022
	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 and what proportion of requests made to her Department for compensation for the underpayment of Employment Support Allowance were (a) granted, (b) rejected and (c) still under consideration as on 2 September 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	45952
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2022 answer text <p>The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 16/09/2022 17:36:37 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1166717

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2019
	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 applications for employment and support allowance (a) lapsed and (b) were withdrawn due to the death of the applicant in the most recent 12 months for which data are available.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	6238
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2019 answer text <p>The dataset used to provide Employment and Support Allowance statistics does not contain the relevant information needed to measure this. To provide a reply would require us to link together several additional complex datasets and quality assure the results. Although theoretically possible, it is estimated that this would take in excess of 4 working days and would therefore incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 05/11/2019 13:54:33 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1308128

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2021
	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, how many claimants of (a) New Style and (b) contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance are in the assessment phase; and of those claimants how many are awaiting a face-to-face assessment.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	179282
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2021 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>The available statistics for ESA WCA by month of claim start (to June 2020) for initial assessment outcomes, including those still in progress, and assessment outcome by month of decision to September 2020, are published here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2021</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 179283 question first answered 15/04/2021 13:24:31 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1308129

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2021
	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, how many claimants of (a) New Style and (b) contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance have been in the assessment phase when their payments stopped at the end of 365 days since March 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
	tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
	uin	179283
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2021 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>The available statistics for ESA WCA by month of claim start (to June 2020) for initial assessment outcomes, including those still in progress, and assessment outcome by month of decision to September 2020, are published here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2021</a></p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 179282 question first answered 15/04/2021 13:24:31 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1310114

	registered interest
	date	19/04/2021
	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, how many claimants of (a) new style and (b) contribution-based employment and support allowance are in the assessment phase as at 19 April 2021; and how and many what proportion of those claimants are awaiting a face-to-face assessment.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow East
	tabling member printed	David Linden
	uin	183257
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2021 answer text <p>The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>The available statistics for ESA WCA by month of claim start (to June 2020) for initial assessment outcomes, including those still in progress, and assessment outcome by month of decision to September 2020, are published here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2021" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2021</a></p><p> </p><p>We recognise that Work Capability Assessments (WCAs) have unfortunately not been completed for some contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants as quickly as we would have liked due to the pressures presented by the pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>The Honourable gentleman might be aware that face-to-face assessments for WCAs will resume from May across England and Scotland, and will do so in Wales from the point on their roadmap when socialising indoors is allowed. This will initially be for those who we have been unable to fully assess by other channels.</p><p> </p><p>Throughout the pandemic we have continued to assess people on paper evidence as usual, using this route whenever possible. We also introduced telephone assessments in June 2020 in a phased approach, with limited outcomes in the first instance, that allowed us to build capability and improve processes. Since the beginning of February all outcomes have been available in telephone assessments, and we are now in the process of completing second telephone assessments for people who previously had a telephone assessment but no outcome. The combination of these assessment channels will enable us to ensure that claimants receive their correct benefit entitlement as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>If, following their assessment and the subsequent decision, an ESA claimant is entitled to a higher rate of benefit, payments are backdated where appropriate so that they do not lose out. Where an individual’s contributory ESA ends, if they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit, depending on their personal circumstances.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson grouped question UIN 183256 question first answered 22/04/2021 14:22:07 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4640 label Biography information for David Linden