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1138075

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2019
	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	Personal Independence Payment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2019 to Questions 272897 and 272898, what assessment she has made of whether the feedback of Presenting Officers has led to (a) an increase in successful mandatory reconsiderations for claimants, (b) more correct decisions resulting in fewer successful appeals and (c) fewer claims reaching appeal stage.
	tabling member constituency	Hove
	tabling member printed	Peter Kyle
	uin	275796
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>Feedback from Presenting Officers has contributed to our new approach which includes contacting claimants, where appropriate, to see if there is information that would enable us to change the decision ourselves. To support this, we are investing additional time for communication, evidence gather and review. This approach supports our aim - to make the right decision as early as possible - so claimants don’t need to progress to the Appeal stage.</p><p> </p><p>It is still too early to assess the full impact of this approach. However initial feedback has been positive and the recently published PIP Official Statistics up to April 2019 showed an increase in the proportion of decisions changed at the Mandatory Reconsideration stage since the approach was implemented.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 15/07/2019 13:17:27 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4505 label Biography information for Peter Kyle

1138203

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2019
	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	Poverty: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the accuracy of the findings of the End Child Poverty Group's report, Local indicators of child poverty, 2017-18, published in May 2019 on child poverty levels in (a) Kettering constituency and (b) England.
	tabling member constituency	Kettering
	tabling member printed	Mr Philip Hollobone
	uin	275715
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>This study is based on estimates rather than actual measurements of income. National statistics on the number of people in low income are set out in the annual &quot;Households Below Average Income&quot; publication. The number and proportion of children in low income is not available at local authority or constituency level in this publication because the survey sample sizes are too small to support the production of robust estimates at this geography.</p><p> </p><p>In the 3-year estimate leading to 2017/18 absolute child poverty is 2 percentage points lower than in the 3-year estimates leading to 2009/10 for the East Midlands. For England as a whole, absolute child poverty is 4 percentage points lower before housing costs, and 3 percentage points lower after housing costs for the 3-year estimates leading to 2017/18 compared with three year estimates leading to 2009/10.</p><p> </p><p>Children growing up in working households are five times less likely to be in poverty, which is why we are supporting families to improve their lives through work. Since 2010 there are over 3.6 million more people in work, and 667,000 fewer children growing up in workless households.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 15/07/2019 13:29:02 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	1537 label Biography information for Mr Philip Hollobone

1137502

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Disability: Medical Examinations
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what specific qualifications are required to operate as a disability assessor for her Department.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
	tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
	uin	274452
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>Health Professionals that carry out Work Capability and Personal Independence Payment assessments on behalf of the department must have the following qualifications and experience:</p><p> </p><ul><li>are an occupational therapist, nurse, physiotherapist, doctor (or paramedic - PIP only)</li><li>fully registered with the relevant licensing body (doctors must have a licence to practise)</li><li>the licensing body has not placed any sanctions on the health professional's registration</li><li>at least 2 years post full registration experience or less than 2 years post full registration experience by specific agreement with the department.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Health Professionals are subject to a rigorous recruitment process followed by a comprehensive training programme in disability assessment for both physical and mental health conditions and have to be approved by the department. Health Professionals are then required to complete a programme of continuing professional development.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 11/07/2019 14:37:59 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

1137614

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Local Housing Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the proportion of single room properties that were affordable for local housing allowance claimants in each region of England in (a) 2010 and (b) the most recent period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
	tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
	uin	274447
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p><strong> </strong></p><p>In 2010, Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were set at the 50th percentile of local rents, so half of non-housing benefit properties in the private rented sector were available within the LHA rate.</p><p> </p><p>The proportion of non-housing benefit single room accommodation available within the LHA rate by region in England for 2018/19 are as follows:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>East Midlands</p></td><td><p>15%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Eastern</p></td><td><p>13%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London</p></td><td><p>8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North East</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North West</p></td><td><p>15%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South East</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South West</p></td><td><p>15%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Midlands</p></td><td><p>16%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Yorkshire &amp; The Humber</p></td><td><p>21%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Note: figures are exclusive of housing benefit properties as the lettings data used to calculate the LHA is exclusive of tenancies where the claimant is in receipt of housing benefit.</p><p> </p><p>There are no current plans to extend or maintain the LHA Freeze after March 2020. Specific decisions on how to uprate the Local Housing Allowance rates from April 2020 will form part of the discussions in support of fiscal events later this year.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 11/07/2019 13:53:48 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

1137617

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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 estimate she has made of the proportion of claimants who received advance payments (a) below the value of, (b) the same value as and (c) above the value of their first universal credit payment in the most recent month for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral West
	tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
	uin	274559
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>Claimants can access up to 100% of the total expected monthly award, for which they can pay back over a period of up to 12 months. From October 2021, this maximum repayment period will be extended from 12 to 16 months.</p><p> </p><p>The Department ensures claimants are made aware of their maximum advance entitlement and informed that their Universal Credit award will be adjusted over the relevant recovery period to take into account the advance of benefit they received.</p><p> </p><p>The available data shows that in the 12-month period up to the end of April 2019.</p><p> </p><p>(a) Around 20% of claimants take an advance which is less than 50% of their actual award value</p><p>(b) Around 75% of claimants take an advance which is between 50-100% of their actual award value</p><p>(c) Around 5% of claimants take an advance which is over 100% of their actual award value.</p><p> </p><p><em>To note on C): in a small number of cases the information provided by the claimant at the point of their new claim initially indicates a higher award than is actually applicable when the first assessment period has been completed.</em></p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 11/07/2019 15:28:35 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma
	tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1137622

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	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	Social Security Benefits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the number of applications for social security payments that are discontinued due to the death of the applicant.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
	tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
	uin	274568
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 11/07/2019 14:02:03 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

1137151

	registered interest
	date	05/07/2019
	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	Welfare Assistance Schemes
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will ringfence funding allocated to local authorities for local welfare assistance schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
	tabling member printed	Frank Field
	uin	273742
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>Local welfare assistance schemes is an umbrella term for local welfare provision. Local authorities decide what local provision to provide and at what cost, as they are best placed to understand the needs of their local communities.</p><p> </p><p>The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2015-16 identifies a notional amount relating to local welfare provision in each upper-tier and unitary authority’s general grant, totalling £129.6 million for England. The notional allocation for local welfare provision remains at £129.6 million in England in the Local Government Financial Settlement until 2019/20. There are no plans to ringfence this notional allocation.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 15/07/2019 10:45:34 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

1137155

	registered interest
	date	05/07/2019
	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: Appeals
	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 29 April 2019 Health Select Committee news item, Committee publishes doctors’ views on Fit Notes and ESA appeals, what estimate her Department has made of the number of claimants who challenged their work capability assessment decisions but were refused employment support allowance while their appeal was pending due to her Department sending ambiguous ESA65B letters to claimants’ GPs.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	273727
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not available.</p><p> </p><p>We have revised the ESA65B letter, which went live from 3rd June 2019. The letter gives clear clinical discretion to GPs to continue issuing fit notes in appropriate circumstances, such as when an appeal against a Department for Work and Pensions decision is being undertaken, where a claimant’s condition has worsened or if the claimant has developed a new health condition or disability.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 10/07/2019 12:55:12 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1137167

	registered interest
	date	05/07/2019
	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	Buildings: Asbestos
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on mandatory asbestos testing in public sector buildings.
	tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
	tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
	uin	273788
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos Regulation 2012 requires duty holders (normally the owner or person responsible for maintenance of the building) in all public sector buildings to identify and record the presence and condition of asbestos-containing materials. In practice, this will require a survey of the building and, if necessary, the testing of any material suspected of containing asbestos.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 10/07/2019 12:18:47 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1137179

	registered interest
	date	05/07/2019
	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	Courts: Safety
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many court buildings were referred to the Health and Safety Executive because of (a) the presence of asbestos and (b) other concerns in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds East
	tabling member printed	Richard Burgon
	uin	273814
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) receives circa 26,000 health and safety concerns a year. HSE does not receive this information in a format which enables customisable searching (e.g. type of business, premises, or subject matter), as most of the data is provided in a free-text format to make it as easy as possible for members of the public, and employees to report health and safety matters.</p><p> </p><p>HSE’s Corporate Intelligence System holds data about our interactions with employers and details about any enforcement action taken. We have identified 21 health and safety concerns about UK Courts</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Asbestos</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Other concerns </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>0</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>3</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>0</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>5</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>0</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>5</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>0</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>0</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>0</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>20</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 10/07/2019 12:46:40 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4493 label Biography information for Richard Burgon